Maine is a world of ocean views, lighthouses, crashing waves and lobster buoys. While these things describe aspects of Maine’s culture and identity, this workshop was for students looking to push their creative boundaries and document the unseen Maine. The unofficial title of this class could be “Anything But Lobster Traps.” In this workshop students learned to transcend the stereotypical and explore the nature of the place on a new level.

A major component of the class was looking at and discussing the work that was being made as the week progressed. Class time was dedicated to discussing composition and editing to select the best images that portrayed each student's unique vision. Discussion centered on creative and artistic expression as well as technical aspects of photography.

Traveling in small groups, participants embarked on field trips along Route 1, Maine’s coastal highway, into small towns, a toy museum, the Union fair, and a roller derby contest. Henry and Rachel accompanied students on daily excursions that explored the culture of the people of Maine, seeking what is usually overlooked, and working with students to reveal the essence of a place through frame, light, metaphors and lyricism.

Students learned to use all of this within the frame to reveal their personal responses to the environments. Exploring the beautiful as well as the seemingly mundane to the untrained eye, the class revealed the well-hidden cultural and historical landscape of Maine and its inhabitants.