2008 August | Brian Wedge Photography Blog

Penobscot Bay is my old stomping grounds, and is an incredibly special place. Back when I was a full time Captain with Outward Bound, I did laps around Vinalhaven island on every conceivable kind of boat possible, in all varieties of weather, and with a wide range of friends and students aboard. Penobscot Bay is where we completed numerous adventures and started even more.

The happiness…

It’s not surprising then that I was completely thrilled to be back in The Fox Island Thoroughfare heading to Vinalhaven to shoot a wedding weekend. The weather was perfect, the families were amazing, and more welcoming than we could have ever expected.

Getting ready for a bear hug… the best greeting ever!

Rose and Cam are incredible people and hosts. Never before have I had a client RUN across a field (and I mean run) to bear hug me at our first meeting. I soon discovered that Rose’s amazing energy and constant smile were gifts that she shared with everyone in her life. Cam was equally sweet and happily took folks across the bay repeatedly throughout the weekend (thanks Cam for not running full speed to bear hug me… it’s ok, really).

Squeezing in for the 30+ buttons.

Holding back tears…

Rose came down the isle (foreground) and Cam teared up. Very sweet.

It was wonderful to spend time with two people who so openly adore one another, their families and their friends. Their home on Vinalhaven is a truly spectacular location, but this weekend, it’s beauty was certainly elevated by the love and respect displayed during this wedding celebration. It truly was an honor to spend so much time with all of you!

Ceremony complete… they took some time on the dock to themselves. Nice Flemish Coils whoever did that. We appreciated it!

And some time on the porch…

Their hilarious and wonderful first dance.

Cam defies gravity…

Rose crowd surfing.

Unstoppable.

The merriment of the reception.

Notice that none of these feet are on the ground. These guys danced so hard the floor shook. We had to cut the cake early because of concerns that it would fall over (not joking).

The incredible fireworks display. No injuries reported.

The whirling, spinning mass of family and friends beneath the tent.

Thank you so much for having us! We loved meeting all of you and spending the weekend at your wonderful house. There’s a mooring and a cold beer waiting for all of you the next time you sail through Harpswell!

Want to see more? The complete photos are available here.

Vendors:

Catering: Belle Fete (great job Lori).

Band: Jenny Woodman Band

I’ve been back from Baja for about a week now and have been slammed with shoots, print requests and the everything else that kept moving right along while I was shooting in the Pacific. I have learned over the years to hold on to precious images until the timing is right… until the editing is just right, and the accompanying text is “just right.”

The gasp of a loggerhead sea turtle fighting for the surface…

But thanks to my amazing wife Christine, I have also learned that I am a perfectionist… and sometimes the timing is never ideal. With that said… everyone keeps asking to see some of the images from Mexico. I wanted to hold off because there’s an important story here that even I didn’t fully comprehend until I was there… seeing the effort, the waste, smelling the smells and witnessing the hope of some incredibly dedicated researchers.

After wrestling the turtle aboard, it is weighed.

Turtle skull on shell… and sadly there’s hundreds more in every direction.

With the important disclaimer that there IS an amazing story and many more interesting images “in the vault” that will be released as soon as I come up for air, I offer up a little taste of what’s to come. Stay tuned. And to Hoyt and the team down in Baja… thank you for the opportunity… more is on the way.

Hauling the remains off the beach.

Another stranded turtle is discovered.

Note: wild sea turtles are not happy when caught, and despite the tranquility of this scene… that turtle was mad, and has it’s mouth open to defend itself against foolish photographers who dare come too close.

Once caught, scientists weigh, tag, measure and take blood samples.

About to be released…

The turtle cemetery. The Mexican government didn’t quite believe researchers when shown evidence that turtles were being killed at such an incredibly high rate. Mass graves are used to document the numbers of turtles killed. All these turtles died during my one week visit.

Who says biologists can’t tear it up?

Shark fins drying at a subsistence fishing village.

Those wonderful Mexican smiles…

After 12 hours out on the boat… the fishermen clean their catch for 4 more hours. Everyday. (everyday).

Local girl.

“Rodeo” is the act of cruising in a boat at 10 knots until a turtle is spotted, and then jumped on before being wrestled onto the boat for study. Here’s Hoyt showing All Star Rodeo form.