Many thanks to Pim van Hemmen for writing this story about me for Soundings. So happy they chose this image for the cover!
Photo by Bob Baglini
From left, Alison Ponder, Alison Langley, Halsey Herreshoff and Norene Rickson
I am so honored to be the 2nd recipient of the Herreshoff Marine Museum’s Rebecca Chase Herreshoff award at the Now & Then gallery show last month. This annual prize, known affectionately as ‘The Becky’, celebrates and pays homage to the extraordinary life and attributes of the original founder of the Herreshoff Marine Museum.
According to HMM Trustee and Chair of the Selection Committee Alison Ponder, “Recipients of this inaugural award, always women, must share the same exceptional qualities of Becky”. Those qualities include:
A passion for boats; few things make them happier than being afloat.
A proactive approach to building community and educating the public. Leading from behind and from ahead, they demonstrate through actions their beliefs and values.
Selflessness, generously donating time, talent and treasure to preserving history, advancing the sailing community, and offering hope and inspiration to the youth of Rhode Island.
A tireless advocacy of this museum, enlisting others to participate, encouraging others to dig deeper and offering sound advice.
Presenting the award was Halsey Herreshoff, a co-founder of the museum with his mother Becky and father Sid. Also present was Norene Rickson, HMM’s Registrar, Librarian and Archivist for the past 20 years and the inaugural winner of the Becky Award last year.
Although the show is over, Russ and I are still selling over two dozen pieces of limited edition art, collectively. A generous portion of the proceeds benefit HMM. The holidays are coming faster than you might expect! Framed pieces can be delivered locally. Unframed art can be shipped anywhere in the world. Click here to order!
Photo by Bob Baglini
Another successful year of racing, parade, and parties. A special thanks to Marnie Read,
and to all the crew at Lyman-Morse for making it a great success.
Email us at info@langleyphoto.com if you would like to see a selection of a specific boat for print orders.
The Eggemoggin Reach series was one of the few regattas uninterrupted by COVID-19 this summer. There were no shore events, but all three days were on for racing. The Castine to Camden race was lightly attended as most of the boats sailed through some amazing rain storms, making a dramatic backdrop for the sparse horizon. Camden to Brooklin also had fewer boats compared to years past, but the breeze filled in for a bit and the cumulus clouds added to the spectacular scenery of the Penobscot Bay. Many more boats attended the Egg Reach race day – 63 in total, including three International One Design class from the Northeast Harbor Fleet. Although the winds were light, there was certainly enough to fill the sails and complete the course.
A few people have reached out to me directly to purchase prints which I am happy to fulfill. Please contact me via email if there is a boat you would like to see (more) images or to purchase prints.
Hope you enjoy the slide show below and I’m looking forward to seeing you on the water all next year!
I’m delighted to have three images in Page Gallery’s current exhibition “Undercurrent” - July 16 - August 16, 2020.
This show is another great collection of work by artists whom I admire and I am proud to be an exhibitor.
Stop by the gallery at 23 Bayview Street, Camden, Maine. It’s a beautiful open space, lots of air and light, and they are very Covid-safety conscious.
Cumulus
Cusp
Clews
When the publisher of Maine Boats Homes and Harbors magazine called to tell me she had chosen an image of mine for the cover of their recent issue, I didn’t imagine it was the details of boat builder John Anderson’s hands at work. I had captured the image years ago when he was restoring a lovely Q-Class sloop called FALCON, designed by Burgess and built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in 1926.
I realized that I have been capturing these details of just about every boat builder I have photographed over the years, in both stills and motion. To me, the hands alone can tell the story of an artisan’s life. The way they look, with scrapes, cuts, callouses, scars (sometimes missing fingers) and the way they work the wood with force, agility and exactness.
Last winter, I put together a short film edit of these hands. l never posted it, and it got pushed aside as I was busy with other ‘paying’ jobs. When the magazine cover came out last week, I thought I’d take the time over the rainy weekend to polish it off and put it out there. Short and sweet, this is a testimony of some truly talented craftsmen in this industry.
The restoration of NY40 MARILEE was truly remarkable, and the response to the documentary film "NY40 MARILEE: Restoration of a Herreshoff Classic" has been amazing!
One of the more fascinating challenges of the restoration was the owner's desire to accommodate both a gaff and Marconi rig. HOW DO YOU GET TWO BOATS IN ONE? Bring out the chainsaw, of course! Check out this excerpt from the full-length film that explores how the crew at French & Webb in Belfast, Maine, engineered an interchangeable rig. These artisans are truly genius.
SEE THE FILM ON A BIG SCREEN!
THREE new opportunities to see the film on a big screen are coming up soon in Maine and Rhode Island.
On Thursday, August 2, I will be presenting the film at the Camden Yacht Club's Sunset Seminar as part of the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta events. The film will show at 7pm. Immediately following, a panel discussion and Q&A session will include myself as well as Todd French of French & Webb, Dennis Gunderson of Team MARILEE and Paul Waring of Stephens Waring Yacht Design. I'm thrilled to be surrounded by such talented professionals and hope that you will attend!
We've also been entering the documentary in film festivals and have received our first confirmation that the film will be shown at the Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival! There are two showings scheduled at this time: Wednesday, August 8 at 4pm at the Newport Public Library, and again on Saturday, August 11 at 1pm, at the North Kingston Library. Click here for more information.
As more screenings are announced, we'll be posting them here, as well as on Facebook.
A few months ago I received an email from David Walker, executive editor of PDN Magazine, inquiring if I’d be interested in being interviewed for the magazine’s column, “What’s Your Niche?” Of course, I said yes!
Having a career in photography can be a challenge, but finding one's niche is a large factor in being a success. In this interview, you’ll learn a bit about how my career as a photographer has evolved, what camera gear I use, and a bit about some of my recent projects.
PDN (Photo District News), a monthly trade publication, has been a trusted source for professional photographers for over 30 years. I’m honored to be included in the July issue, available online and at newsstands now.
I hope you'll enjoy the interview! (Thanks, David!)
— Click image below to enlarge —