OLD ORCHARD BEACH PIER
Old Orchard Beach, ME
Image by Rick Berk @ www.rickberk.com
Old Orchard Beach is a classic seaside New England resort town. The beach is lined with hotels and restaurants, with a true boardwalk-style atmosphere throughout the downtown area. The highlight, however, is the Old Orchard Beach Pier. Featuring five restaurants and 5 bars, the pier is a destination in itself for those who want a seaside dining experience. But for photographers, the true experience is under the pier, or on the beach in the pier's shadow.
The pier first opened on July 2, 1898, and through many years of storms and hardships, survived until it was rebuilt in 1980 in its current form. The pier offers a variety of photographic possibilities no matter the time of day.
Photos and location summary by Rick Berk
Trail Difficulty - EASY
There is parking along Grand Avenue in private lots, and there is some street parking. You'll likely need to pay a parking fee unless you arrive early for sunrise. From Grand Ave, walk to the pier entrance and continue onto the beach next to the pier. You'll be walking on pavement until you get to the beach, and then it's nice soft sand until you get to the water. It's a good bet you may get wet depending on the tides, so in the summer, taking your shoes off is ideal, and at other times of year, wearing waterproof boots will keep your feet dry.
What Lens(es) Do You Need
Wide angle and standard length lenses offer the most flexibility here. A 16-35mm or a 24-70mm or equivalent are ideal here.
The above image was taken on at 20mm.
Nuances of Shot
There are a lot of ways to approach this location, but my favorite is standing under the pier and changing my shutter speed to get different motion effects with the waves. Plan to get wet if you choose this approach. This shot was taken as the tide was on its way out, about two hours after high tide. The beach is soft, fine, sand, so you'll want to clean your tripod and be careful of blowing sand when changing lenses.
Other compositions at Old Orchard Beach Pier
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Our location summaries are written by experienced photographers - with practical information for planning your adventure - and with tips to getting the best shot
GPS Coordinates & Elevation
Sea Level Ft. Elevation
Directions
CLICK HERE to get driving directions to Old Orchard Beach Pier
From Portland - Drive south on I-295 and merge onto I-95 S (16 miles). Take exit 36 for I-195 E toward Saco/Old Orchard Beach and follow Saco Ave, Union Ave and W Grand Ave to Old Orchard St. The pier is across the street from Veteran's Memorial Park.
Weather
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