Nearly 20 people came aboard the third annual Sunrise Lighthouse Photography cruise aboard the Balmy Days this past Saturday, Sept. 8. While the sun did not cooperate as had hoped, the early morning soft light still made for some nice light for making pictures of the area lighthouses.

Most lighthouses in Maine face east and the best light to capture them comes in the early morning and to make the shot you really need to be on a boat. That was the impetus of the Sunrise Lighthouse Photography cruise that photographer Mike Leonard orchestrated again this year. People from as far away as Virginia singled out this special cruise where everyone goes home with a postcard quality images of the areas lighthouses. As is typical aboard a photography cruise, Leonard offered photo instruction and pointers for how to set your camera to make the best shots while aboard.

Participants were even treated to a whale sighting while circling Southport Island in the Sheepscot River as we headed toward Hendricks Head Light.

The bonus this year was that it was also Maine Lighthouse Day and following the photography cruise, many folks went out to Burnt Island to tour the buildings and to climb the spiral staircase to the top of the beacon in the light tower.

Leonard is hosting three more photography cruises before the end of the year – one in Rockport aboard the Schooner Heron on Friday, Sept. 14, a Penobscot River cruise out of Bar Harbor on Oct. 13 where we will be seeing 14 lighthouses, and a Royal Caribbean 12-night photography cruise in November. More details on all of these and other photography events can be found at www.phototourismbymike.com