Mon, 11/27/2017 - 11:41 am

Kim Traina

Imagine living in a century-old lightkeeper’s house on the coast of Maine. It sounds like a fantasy, but for Tom and Lee Ann Szelog, dream became reality when they settled into the keeper’s quarters at the Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde, Maine in 1989. Join the Szelog’s to experience what it’s like to live in an authentic and operating lighthouse on the Maine coast on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017 from 3-4 p.m. at The Lincoln Home. This event is free and open to the public.

In a narrated photography presentation based on the Szelog’s book, “Our Point of View – Fourteen Years at a Maine Lighthouse,” witness the ever changing tide of emotion and drama through compelling stories and extraordinary photographs. This year marks the book’s 10^th anniversary of being published by Down East Books. The book has been honored as one of the Best Photo Books by Shutterbug magazine and was the winner of Best Maine-Themed Book in the Maine Literary Awards from the Maine Writers and Publishers Association. The book also is a Gold Medal winner from the Independent Publishers Association.

The Szelog’s home was remote by most people’s standards, yet relatively accessible for a lighthouse station. Sometimes they had only wildlife and passing boats for company, but not for long, because the spell of the lighthouse drew pilgrims in all seasons. People came to rest, to play, to marry, to meditate, and to celebrate – all within view of the keeper’s house and the lenses of Tom’s camera.

Thomas Mark Szelog has spent his entire life observing, writing and/or photographing wildlife. He has been a full-time professional photographer for 35 years, specializing in photographing wildlife, nature, and landscapes. He has earned the reputation and is often described as “one of Maine’s most renowned wildlife photographers,” and is a recipient of the Philip Hyde Award, presented annually to a photographer who is working to preserve the condition of the natural environment through the art of photography. Lee Ann is the President of Simply Put, LLC, specializing in presentations on communication, attitude, and human relations. As passionate wildlife advocates, they also work collaboratively, sharing their words and photographs in narrated photography presentations and books to educate and inspire people about the important role our natural world plays in our lives.

The Lincoln Home is located at 22 River Rd., in Newcastle. For more information, please contact Rhonda Hanna, Director of Community Life, at 207-563-3350.