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Maine Beaches are picture-perfect for Fall 2023
Find some seasonal colors along our coastline
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You don’t have to look far in Southern Maine to find your perfect fall photo spot. Everywhere you look around the Maine Beaches region will soon be exploding with seasonal color, and the sights are pretty spectacular in the fall!
The beaches are always in photo fashion because the waves, the sand and the sunsets remain much the same from season to season. But add in a cozy sweater and fall fashions to the harvest colors all around you in the pumpkins, mums and seasonal decorations, and you have a do-it-yourself photo shoot for you and your family or friends!
Our mountain vistas and wooded trails get even more scenic when the trees start to turn their warm oranges and fiery reds, and it doesn’t get more quintessential Maine to find some yellow, orange and red buoys or boats in a fishing village to pose against and shoot away.
Our area is well-photographed by the local pros, and we asked some of our favorites to share their go-to locations. The pros mostly capture landscapes there, but their spots make a great background for a selfie too! So, relax, pack a fall flannel along with your tripod, a charger, and plan to come take a new profile picture in Maine.
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Douglas Curtis of Douglas Curtis Photography is a fine art photographer, but he has a secret spot.
“My favorite selfie is always under the Old Orchard Beach pier,” said Curtis, who loves the variety and energy of different weather in his photographs. “The pilings have beautiful barnacles sometimes and the ocean as well. The sunrise and sunset can be fun times but the sunny afternoon works great as well.”
The Nubble Lighthouse and York Harbor are perennial favorites, said Greater York Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Holly Roberts — because visitors LOVE lighthouses and boats. Their surrounding foliage gives the scenes their seasonality. Same with Wiggly Bridge in York, “the world’s smallest suspension bridge” with photographic lines and angles. It’s surrounded by trails through the colorful Steedman Woods, and it also makes a great selfie on either the causeway or the bridge itself.
Right on the water, Fort Foster in Kittery offers picturesque historic bunkers, a visually-striking pier and walking trails along the ocean as background.
Inland a bit, the trails of Mount Agamenticus in York make for great seasonal shots, especially at the summit on a clear day when you can see the mighty Atlantic to the east, and the Maine foothills and New Hampshire mountains to the west. On a smaller scale, Vaughn Woods in South Berwick also offers scenic trails through the colorful woods.
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In Sanford, we have apple orchards exploding with those red jewels on every branch (McDougal Orchards with its oversized tree swing is our favorite selfie spot there) and there are the gorgeous fall vistas to be enjoyed from atop Bauneg Beg Mountain.
Moving up the coast, Ogunquit is filled with selfie possibilities, in and among the shops at Perkins Cove, along Marginal Way, and at sunset along any of its three main beaches. Rick Barber is a local Realtor whose passion for photographing Ogunquit’s natural beauty has morphed into a daily ritual. He shoots at all the hot spots, of course, but prefers the road less traveled.
“My favorite spot is probably very different from others in Ogunquit. It is at the No. 3 or No. 6 marker on the Main Beach,” said Barber, whose photographs are regularly featured on Chamber of Commerce sites as well as area media and social media. “The dune crossovers allow for interesting compositions at sunrise and beyond.”
“As for selfie spots, I personally don’t selfie often. But the benches along the Marginal Way, at the bottom of Stearns Road, are a place where I would send people,” he said.
|  | Go back to nature and immerse yourself in the reds and golds at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Wells, where the vibrant colors of autumn paint a breathtaking landscape, or take in the sweeping views at Wells Reserve, where the beauty of nature unfolds in every direction, inviting you to escape into its serene embrace. | |
Waterfront benches are a favorite spot, too, up in the Kennebunks, says Kennebunkport photographer Robert Dennis.
“I love so many parts of Kennebunkport but I’d have to say my most iconic spot is the bench area on Ocean Avenue, halfway between St Ann’s and the 'Stone House'", said Dennis, who has produced 23 “Images of Kennebunkport” calendars through the years. “Whichever way you look, you see majestic and inspiring views of Kennebunkport’s rocky coast, with the blue ocean and boats of all shapes and sizes.”
He regularly shoots all the nooks and crannies of Kennebunkport, which includes the fishing pier, docks and boats in Cape Porpoise, the working boats on the Kennebunk River, landmarks in Dock Square and historic homes throughout the area.
“I’ve been visiting this spot (and others along “Parson’s Way”) for 40 years but the scenery excites and soothes me as much today as it did when I first began visiting,” he said, noting he also loves this location in the colder months when the surf is wild and the rocks are covered in snow!
|  | Farther north, you can walk the trails at Ferry Beach State Park in Saco and take in the autumnal eye candy that is the tupelo trees, splendid in crimson this time of year. As you meander through the park's enchanting pathways, you'll discover a vibrant tapestry of fall foliage, with each step offering a glimpse of nature's fiery masterpiece. | |
Whatever the season, Maine puts on a show for professional photographers and novices alike. We invite you to visit us to relax and explore, then repeat till you can’t smile anymore! Pair any and all of these photo ideas with stunning accommodations, scenic shopping and insta-worthy seafood restaurants, and you’ve got yourself a picture-perfect escape!
To help plan your trip, visit TheMaineBeaches.com.
| INTRODUCING THE MAINE BEACHES POCKET GUIDE | Check out our all-new Pocket Guide App, featuring self-guided tours of our beach communities - from Kittery to OOB - plus info on beaches, lighthouses, where to eat, family fun, trails for walking, hiking, biking, theater, galleries, and so much more. | |
The Maine Beaches 2023 Visitor Guide, full of information and inspiration to help you plan your visit the Maine Beaches is ready for download from our website! This 64-page guide includes in-depth descriptions of our towns, our beaches, things to do on and off the water, dining, shopping and play for kids of all ages (even the grown up ones). We invite you to browse our magazine and let the pages guide you as you plan your visit. Summer 2023 is on the doorstep and if you haven't already started, now is the time to Relax, Explore, and Repeat! | |
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No matter the season, we want to take a moment to remind our visitors of the simple ways you can explore all of the rich, natural wonders we have to offer while keeping your footprint light.
Look Out for ME is a statewide initiative that offers easy to incorporate tips to enjoy the land and preserve its pristine beauty.
From taking care of the land to taking care of yourself, we hope you'll spend a few minutes reading through so that when you leave your chosen spot it's ready and intact for those who follow in your footsteps.
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