Chesapeake Bay Photo Weekend

Earlier this week, I returned home from teaching a weekend photo workshop in magnificent Talbot County, Maryland.  Nestled in the tidewaters of the Chesapeake Bay, Talbot County has over 600 miles of shoreline, including five rivers and their tributaries.  As they have done here for generations, watermen ply the waters of the Bay.  Their boats, harbors, fishing gear, crab pots, and fresh catches provide an endless array of photo opportunities.

St. Michael’s, situated on the Miles River, is a key destination for boaters in the Mid-Atlantic Region.  With its wide variety of boats, reflections, and waterfront restaurants, the marina in St. Michaels is a haven for outdoor photographers.  The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum occupies part of the marina and features a variety of historic boats, boatbuilding shop, waterman shanty, etc.  Sunrise and sunset look pretty darn good here.

Our workshop group enjoyed a bonus photo op.  The Art League sponsored a competition entitled Paint the Town Day.  Artists set up their easels and created works depicting the charming and colorful shops and restaurants lining St. Michaels main street, lovely gardens, quiet churchyard, and the waterfront.  I used this plein air art event to demonstrate not only how to simplify your compositions but also how to tell a cohesive story about your travels.  For example, the photo to the left shows an artist painting a harbor scene.  It is a little busy and not very informative.  If one takes one step to the right and one step forward, the second image shows her painting the Knapps Narrows Marina on Tilghman Island.  This little two step simplifies the composition and identifies the location.

We spoke with several watermen on Tilghman Island, photographed their working boats and fresh blue crabs, and chuckled when one boatman had a little parking difficulty.  He banged into another boat.  I guess you could say it was a tender bender.

For years two rusty old fishing boats tied up near the Knapps Narrows Drawbridge on Tilghman Island.  Their location and their condition provided photo ops from dawn to dusk.  I had learned these old fishing boats would soon be towed to a different location to make room for other working boats.  I was able to guide one last group into position so they could capture these photogenic old boats before they were towed away.

No need to scow like a rusty old boat or feel as blue as a Maryland crab, join my Chesapeake Bay Photo Workshop next year and you will capture images similar to the following ones.

[Show as slideshow]

P.S. Crabs and beer are a delicious Maryland staple, and many restaurants offer this tasty treat.  Let’s hope your next meal order of crabs and beer does not fail on presentation like this one does.