Searching the Shadows Photography

Join Down East contributing photographer Mat Trogner this summer for a hands-on photography workshop exploring the coast of southern Maine. Together, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from visiting classic lighthouses, quiet wharves, lobster co-ops, and tidal marshes that come alive with shifting light and weather. Sign up for this Down East Adventure now. 👇

Southern Maine Photography Workshop | Down East Adventures Join Mat for a hands-on photography workshop exploring the coast of southern Maine. Together you’ll have the opportunity to choose from visiting classic lighthouses, quiet wharfs, lobster co-ops, and tidal marshes that come alive with shifting light and weather.

Sparks flying as steel meets the wheel, the edge slowly taking shape under Ed’s hand. In the shop at Brant & Cochran, steel is forged, ground, and set into wood handles with a focus on balance and feel.
There is something so inspiring about seeing an axe made this way, directly from the elements, carrying a piece of history and tradition forward.

I was there recently to shoot a video, project but couldn’t resist snapping a few quick photos along the way of Ed and Tanner during the process. Looking forward to sharing more from the project soon.

Always an incredible time spent with Greene Maple Farm watching Alan and his family make maple syrup. I'm incredibly thankful for his willingness to share his knowledge about making maple syrup.

Exploring Maine in the early morning light.

Bluebird day in Sunshine, Maine, but the wind had it feeling close to 8 degrees. I met up with Abby from Deer Isle Oyster Company as she walked across the frozen cove with an axe and a rowboat to reach her winter oyster storage. After a few solid swings through the ice, the oysters were headed back to shore for market.

Thankfully she shucked a few right there on the ice, and it was one of the best oysters I’ve had. I’ve been a longtime fan of the work she’s doing to reduce plastic use in the baskets oysters grow in, and I was really grateful for the time she spent sharing her process on a cold morning out on the cove.

Looking forward to coming back to see the farm again this summer.

It’s my favorite time of the year. Soon the air throughout New England will be filled with the sweet smell of maple sap being boiled and wood smoke from sugar shacks. I have a deep appreciation for maple syrup, especially the people behind it. Maine syrup producers are adapting to shorter seasons and changing weather while staying rooted in tradition that’s been passed down for generations. Many of the photos here feature Greene Maple Farm, 8th-generation farmers with tons of handwritten records tracking their tapping, boiling, and bottling dates.

Photographed for . Article written by Nora Saks.

Out on the Damariscotta River with the crew at Glidden Point Oyster Farms for the latest story in Down East Magazine.

This harvest happens below the surface. Diver Andrew Jonash works the river bottom by hand, collecting oysters directly off the mud. It only happens when conditions line up. The water needs enough visibility and the tides have to cooperate.

I pulled on my winter wetsuit, grabbed an underwater housing, and went in with Andrew to document the process from below. Shooting underwater added a whole new layer. Slower movements, careful framing, paying attention to light and silt with every kick.

Cold water. Tidal current. A heck of a lot of fun. Watching the oysters come straight from the river floor to the boat gave me a deeper respect for what goes into each one.

March issue of Down East Magazine
Written by Jaed Coffin

Monday snowstorm in Maine.

Searching the Shadows Photography

Visited my first community ice harvest at the historic Thompson Ice House in South Bristol, Maine as they marked 200 years of the tradition. I had so many questions before arriving. Is there a dress code? Do I bring a dish to share? What if we all fall in? Do I need to bring my own rusty ice pointy thingy? Will others join in if we begin singing “The Frozen Heart (Ice Worker’s Song)” from Frozen?

It was so fun to just to show up and watch people get right to work. Luckily we didn’t need to bring anything. Volunteers cut blocks from Thompson Pond and guided them up a wooden chute where they flew into the barn for storage. In the past, this ice was used by local fishermen to transport shellfish to market, and by residents and summer families to stock ice boxes and make ice cream.

A simple, hands on way to keep history going. Fun was had by all and we didn’t fall in.