Maine.
Tennessee State Museum

Lighthouses have always been a point of pure fascination for me – they exist as a rare point where the vast power of nature stands broad against a glimmering marvel of human engineering. You can’t visit the lighthouses of Maine without hearing tales of the “the lighthouse keepers.” Even though today the lights are automated, tales of “the keeper’s mission” to keep the light burning, no matter the weather, tug at our heartstrings as we imagine the dedication of these men and women to keep others safe at sea.

In this image, the beacon’s warm light reflects on the wet boards, illuminating the “keeper’s path.” The day I captured this image, the rain had scattered the tourists and I stood there in the cold alone. For the briefest moment, I got a taste of what it must have been like to be a lighthouse keeper; walking up the path alone. It’s no wonder these brave men and women, and even the lighthouses themselves, have become such powerful symbols of the tenacity of the human spirit.