Rockport Marine's ADVENTURESS

Rockport Marine's restoration of “Adventuress”, an 83 foot William Fife designed yacht built in Scotland, 1924.

"Most of the visuals you see on the screen in this video are the work of Alison Langley.  Her video and stills are breathtaking. We've been lucky to get to work with her on this project." Steve Stone, Off Center Harbor

I was hired by Rockport Marine to photograph the full restoration of Adventuress in early Spring of 2010. At that time, I was also finishing the project of photographing the three year restoration of Trade Wind, a 1938 Alden motor sailer, for her owners Michael and Marcy Brenner. I love making images of boat building and had started this as a personal project in 2006, so I had a rhythm going, to say the least, and it certainly helped that the crew at Rockport Marine were used to me sticking my camera in their business on a regular basis.

Around this time, I had also started shooting video for clients, using a Sony HD camcorder on the water, and then quickly turning to my DSLR Canon 5DII for a more superior quality and creativeness. Attending a Final Cut Pro editing course from instructor Chi Ho Lee at the Maine Media Workshops, I had learned enough to begin my journey of cinema graphic storytelling and a new world opened to me. I was hooked.

As many of you know, the cinema quality of video that comes from the high end DSLR cameras is amazing. I started to play with lenses, selective focus, and focus pulling. I learned a great deal from working with local talented filmmakers such as David Berez, and Geoff Parker, and I took inspiration from the footage Amory Ross was making for Puma Ocean Racing. I practiced and honed my skills at hand held versus tripod shooting. I purchased extra attachments for the 5DII, which enabled me to fine tune the focus pulling, changing the focus for example, from the boat builder’s hands to a detail in the hatch he was building. All the while, the crew at Rockport Marine had the patience to let me into their world of boat building. Then it got even better. Steve Stone came on the wooden boat scene with OffCenterHarbor.com, a subscription-based web site that delivers informational stories about boating, wooden boats and the lifestyle it embodies. I was an instant fan of their site and signed up immediately. Little did I realize then that I would soon have the fortune of collaborating with Steve. Taylor Allen had hired us independently but in the Spring of 2012, he asked us to combine efforts on a 3-part video Steve was producing for them.

Steve is a gifted storyteller with a passion for making films about wooden boats. With his relaxed disposition and keen interest, he was able to interview the people of Rockport Marine in a way that would draw out the very best. As Steve worked with his hand held camcorder, I worked with the DSLR, and together we combined talents that made for a rich product.

A special thanks goes to my studio manager, Jane Kurko, for filling in the gaps as a second shooter during the process. It was a relief to know that as I concentrated on the video, she was catching some great still shots to add to the mix. Her creative eye and dedication has been a great asset to the project and to Langley Photography.

Another word of recognition goes to Kevin Ross of Off Center Harbor. Kevin's editing skills are amazing. He sorted through hours and hours of footage to put together three videos that are themselves, each a work of art.

Lastly, without Rockport Marine's yard manager, Maria Simpson, Steve and I could not have produced such rich content. Thank you Maria for making it all possible.

What you see in these three videos tells the story of a unique boatyard; filled with the finest artisans and workers that one can find in the boat building business. Rockport Marine is a family. I’m proud to have been let into their world to help tell their story.

To view the first two videos we made for Rockport Marine, visit my vimeo site, Langley Photography.