On March 5, 2009, I drove to Georgetown, Maine to take photos of a fabulous restaurant I have had the joy of eating at twice, The Robinhood Free Meetinghouse. I had discussed the restaurant and the shoot with the Chef/Owner/President, Michael Gagne, who was very gracious and told me all about how they renovated this beautiful building, which was once an actual meetinghouse from the 1800s. As you can see from the first photo, in the upstairs diningroom, they have left the beautiful, austere pews intact, along with all of the original light fixtures and oil lanterns.
The upstairs dining room in particular has a very sacred, peaceful feeling to it. I was there near sunset, so I was able to capture the beautiful late afternoon light, slanting across the simple furniture and elegant table settings. So take a walk through the meetinghouse with me.
A place setting with a handmade lantern.
Note the interesting molding above the chandelier on the ceiling.
The original meetinghouse organ is still in one corner. Not sure if it works or not, but it certainly looks the part!
the original antique oil lanterns, afire with late afternoon sunlight:
An antique chalkboard with the story of the building written in chalk and covered in glass:
Although Chef Gagne wasn't there to meet me in person at the restaurant, the Chef de Cuisine, Troy Mains, talked to me about the restaurant, and the vision he and Chef Gagne share in creating a sacred dining experience out in beautiful Georgetown, Maine. I got to share a fabulous meal with he and the staff before the diningroom opened. They seemed to be a tight-knit, friendly group who instantly welcomed me and chatted with me as we all ate together at one table. The food was incredible!
A detail looking up at the chandelier upstairs. . .
The diningroom downstairs in action:
I had such a great time and I felt very lucky to have been able to capture a few brief moments in time at this one of a kind "recycled" building! If you want to make your own "real-time" visit and try out the incredible food they have on offer, here are the contact details:210 Robinhood Road, Georgetown, ME 04548
Approximately six miles south of Bath, off Route 127
Phone (207) 371-2188 • Fax (207) 371-2424
Their website: http://www.robinhood-meetinghouse.com/index.htm
2 comments:
Wow! Nice shooting Tex! They should buy your images for their web page etc...
You handled the lighting superbly, HDR and a tripod? Or just plain skill?
You are really showing what the Kit lens can do.
Thanks Lloyd! I used the FA-50mm f/1.4 for much of the shoot, the only time I switched to the kit was for the couple of wide angle shots I took. And yes, we are working out a nice deal for them to use the images on their site and for publicity. If you and your family ever make it up to Maine, you should definitely head to the Robinhood Free Meetinghouse--it is a stellar restaurant! I feel very lucky to have been able to come in and shoot there.
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