Built by direction of George Washington in 1791, the Portland Head light is Maine's oldest lighthouse. I ventured to Portland in 1979 in hopes of spending some time in the downtown district, which has been one of the oldest active seaports in the U.S. During my stay I ventured out to the coast and came upon the lighthouse. My first visit to the lighthouse was on a warm, sunny afternoon that was ripe for photography. Unlike other lighthouses I've photographed, the Portland Head light photograph evokes no feeling of fog, mist, or eeriness. My feeling at this lighthouse was one of pureness, brightness and strength in nature. I felt the light that is emitted from the lighthouse rivaled the brightness of the sun, and the colors of the lighthouse seemed bold and bright. Thus, I photographed the lighthouse at the height of the day in all it's majesty. The light flashes every 3.7 seconds, emitting a pure white light. Though the light is highly visited compared to other New England lighthouses, it does deserve recognition both historically and through beauty. Historically, some twenty vessels were destroyed in a great storm in 1869 when the fog bell was destroyed by the huge waves. The poet Longfellow wrote many lines of verse while visiting the lighthouse, giving the lighthouse significance in literature as well. My photograph attempts to capture not only the lighthouse, but also the rocky coastline of Maine that the Portland Head light is built upon.