Greater Portland Photography Guide Part 2

Continuing my Guide to Photographing the Coast of Maine

Welcome to the continuation of my Guide to Photographing the Maine Coast. We kicked off this series on May 30. If you haven’t read that post, I’d recommend checking it out so that you can orient yourself with the structure of the guide. Each location is listed in geographic order from south to north along the coast.

Here’s Part 2 of Greater Portland.

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5. Portland Harbor and the Wharves

We’re painting with a broad brush here when we say Portland Harbor, which stretches from South Portland all the way around to the Eastern Promenade. There are a myriad of nooks and crannies to explore, and I’m going to do my best to lay out some of them here. I apologize for cramming so many locations into a guide post that should cover just a few at a time, but this is a very dense area!

Davidson’s Beach - South Portland

The first stop I recommend checking out, for a great view of the skyline of the city of Portland and the waterfront, is a little right of way called Davidson’s Beach, which is right behind some tall condominiums at 215 High Street in South Portland. Just park the car on the road and walk down to take in what I think is the strongest view of the city.

In the summer, you’ll see plenty of boats in the foreground, which make a nice layer of interest and really tells the story of this being a great little city on the water.

In the winter, it’s all about the reflections, which is why I target the skyline at night and dark twilight.

Portland Fish Pier

The next spot to find your way to is the working waterfront of the Portland Fish Pier. I’ve found it easy to park nearby and walk down the pier early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when things aren’t so busy, and take in the oceangoing vessels with a great view of the city.

The zoomed in views can be a bit crowded and chaotic, but I don’t mind that so much when the light is good.

Union Wharf

From here you can explore all kinds of nooks and crannies of the different wharves, like Union Wharf, which is next to the giant Pierce Atwood offices in a beautiful old brick building.

Widgery Wharf

I really love Widgery Wharf, which has a bunch of multi-color shacks with all kind of personality, just like the name suggests.

The view down the lane is a good one, but don’t be timid, go explore down the pier and check out the amazing views in all of the nooks and crannies on either side. I often photograph the small details here, which you can read more about below.

I was photographing a vibrant sunrise here a few years ago, and this view down the waterway next to the pier was amazing.

But, once I moved up onto Union Wharf, right next door, and looking back at some of the boats and shacks on Widgery Wharf, I think I found an even more compelling angle. It just goes to show that moving around and changing your perspective can be a good thing!