Guide to Photographing Boothbay

A Guide to Capturing the Prettiest Views on the Peninsula

Welcome to the continuation of my Guide to Photographing the Maine Coast. We kicked off this series on last year 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 southwest to northeast along the coast.

This month we’re tackling the beautiful Boothbay Peninsula, just in time for the busy tourist season that transforms this area from a somewhat sleepy coastal community into a bustling hive of activity.

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Southport Island

Southport Island is one of the gems of the midcoast that has a lot to see in a small area. Like some of the other entries in this guide series, I’m cheating a little bit, because this isn’t just one spot, but several around the island, including Newagen, pictured above, Hendricks Head, Cozy Harbor, and Deckers Cove.

Newagen might be the most photogenic, with picturesque islands sitting just offshore and many boats in between. The town landing is the place to see it all. When you arrive here, the first thing you’ll notice will probably be the bright red house.

This old home, built in 1852, sits on Cape Island, just 900 feet off the dock. In the middle of the 20th century, this was the summer home of Margaret Hamilton, an actress famous for playing the Wicked Witch in Wizard of Oz.

The landing is also where you can catch a glimpse of Cuckolds Lighthouse, which sits on an extremely exposed rock just offshore. I use a long telephoto lens (600mm) to pull it in close.