Western Maine – Orcutt Photography

March 2016 Image of the Month: Dam at Aziscohos

Dam at Aziscohos

Constructed to create a storage basin on the Maggalloway River in western Maine, Aziscohos Dam was completed in 1911. When it was built, it was one of the largest storage reservoirs in the country, and with other dams in the region, it is part of one of the largest water storage systems in New England. The lake formed by the dam at Aziscohos is a headwater and one of the major tributaries to the Androscoggin River.

Details of the small buildings above the retention structure with their arches and brackets caught my attention, as I drove past the dam during a mid-winter snowstorm. Streaks made by falling snowflakes add a pencil-like texture to the dark areas of the large arch openings, and I felt the linear bridge, arriving from the left side of the frame, strengthened the composition.

Hasselblad H3D, HC 50-110mm zoom lens at 110mm,1/8sec @ f16, ISO 50, manual focus, spot metered, tripod mounted

February 2016 Image of the Month: Cathedral Pines in Snow

Denise Lilly
February 1, 2016
Image of the Month

Cathedral Pines in Snow

Cathedral Pines, located in Eustis, Maine is one of the largest old-growth stands of Red Pines (Pinus Resinosa) in the North East United States. This beautiful mature Red Pine forest on the shore of Flagstaff Lake at 1,150′ above sea level is the site of a popular seasonal campground. Fresh snow on smaller spruce trees provides separation and scale for the towering red pine trunks reaching to the forest canopy.

Nikon D800E, 70-200mm zoom lens at focal length 82mm, ISO 400, f11, 1/125 sec, UV filter, manual focus, spot metering, hand held

November 2015 Image of the Month: Bog on Long Falls Dam Road

Denise Lilly
November 1, 2015
Image of the Month

On the way to and from Mane Huts & Trails’ Flagstaff Hut, I have passed by this bog frequently. On a bright November day the bright tree trunks and their reflections in the dark water, surrounded by amber-tinted grass layers was a photo opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I stopped to capture this image just before a breeze came up and dissolved the essential reflections. A great scene can become mundane in an instant when a slight change occurs.

Hasselblad H3D, 210mm lens, ISO 50, f13, 1/10 sec, UV filter, manual focus, spot metering, tripod-mounted

October 2015 Image of the Month: Flagstaff Lake Sky Reflection

Denise Lilly
October 15, 2015
Image of the Month

Flagstaff Lake Sky Reflection, Flagstaff Lake, Maine

Soon after sunrise, the calm water of Flagstaff Lake in the High Peaks Region of Western Maine reflects the striking early morning sky. The direction and movement of the cloud forms created a leading line directly to the distant mountains, making it possible for me to capture this dramatic scene.

Nikon D800E– 17- 35mm f2.8 lens at focal length 31 mm, ISO 400, f11, 1/30 sec, UV filter, spot metering, tripod-mounted