Monday, July 6, at the Maine Media Workshop

Monday's session started at 9 a.m. in the Union Hall in downtown Rockport. Our instructor, Alison Shaw, suggested we continue with our introductions by partnering with another participant, interviewing our partner and then introducing that person to the group. It was a standard "ice breaker," but it helped us get to know the other members of the class.

I partnered with Angela Possamoto, a middle school music director from Rochester, NY. In the course of my interview, I found out that Angela, like me, had become the chronicler of her family — taking photos of family members and events. She told me that as a teenager she had once been trusted with her father's World War II camera, something like a Leica. However, when she tried to develop the film she shot, nothing turned out. She didn't know it at the time, but such cameras used a lubricating oil that needed to be maintained. Her father later disposed of the camera; years later, Angela found a similar camera in a resale shop and purchased it as a reminder of her father.

Within the past few years, Angela said she sold her piccolo and used the proceeds to buy herself a very good Canon SLR system. She then did her research on how to use her new camera through books, websites and finally, local area classes. The Maine Media Workshop was her first intensive photography workshop. She was very knowledgeable about her lenses and camera — and generous about sharing both.

One of the aspects of the Workshop that I liked best was getting to know Angela and the other participants … all kindred spirits in their passion for photography and making images.

We continued the process of getting to know each other by viewing a selection of each other's images. Then in the afternoon, we headed out to Port Clyde and the Marshall Point Lighthouse. I hitched a ride with John Krauss, from Indianapolis (at one time the assistant mayor of that city). John is now a professor at Indiana University, teaches legal mediation, and runs a research institute for the university.

Port Clyde is a fishing port and home to lobster fisherman as well as the Monhegan Ferry, which we would take the following Friday. Nearby is the Marshall Point Lighthouse and keeper's home. Lots of photo opportunities. Claire (the T.A.) and Alison circulated among the class members, offering advice, suggestions and, for me, necessary tips about how to get my new camera to operate! Alison had said that she didn't want any of us "shooting in auto mode." We could use AV mode (aperture priority) or manual (all controls manually set). This was quite a departure for me; I had grown lazy with the point and shoot digital cameras and had to resurrect long-forgotten details of my manual mode, SLR, black and white film days. I've posted additional photos.

Somewhere in the flat rocks around the Marshall Point lighthouse, my prescription sunglasses decided to take up residence. I'd tucked them in to the open collar of my shirt and they must have fallen out when I leaned over to take a photo. That knocked me off balance a little but the afternoon was beautiful — mild, breezy and bright. I decided to chalk up the loss to my increasing focus on image-making. Lots of color, textures and reflections. I soon wished I had borrowed a tripod along with the macro to 100 mm lens I had gotten from the MMW store. When we got back to the campus, the group had dinner and then everyone dispersed to review images and get ready for the critique and events of Tuesday. It had been great start and a very full day.