Ben McCanna has been a staff photographer (and occasional writer) at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram since 2015 and has been working for newspapers since 2010. Ben studied creative writing and literature at Emerson College and embarked on a decade-long career in publishing after graduating in 1997. In his mid 30s, Ben shifted careers by taking a job as a reporter at a small newspaper in northwest Colorado and never looked back. Over the years, he slowly transitioned from writer to photographer - his true passion. Ben is a 2018 winner of an Award of Excellence from Pictures of the Year International. He lives on Peaks Island with his wife, a nurse practitioner, and two sons.
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PublishedOctober 26, 2020
Consider the lowly gull: A photo essay
Gulls are often maligned as “rats of the sky,” but is that assessment warranted? Isn’t there beauty in their plaintive calls? Aren’t they as evocative of the coast as salt air, foghorns, bell buoys, lobster boats and lighthouses?
Or are they simply too common, too messy and too pushy to deserve our admiration?
Gulls, love them or hate them, are smart, fascinating, even beautiful, as our gallery shows. Just don’t call them seagulls. Birders will tell you there is no such animal. -
PublishedJuly 6, 2020
During coronavirus, backyard birding takes flight in Maine
Socially distanced telecommuters are discovering a new world just beyond their walls.
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PublishedJune 15, 2020
Pandemic complicates life on Peaks Island for photographer, family
Beginning in March, my wife and I were ships in the night – when she was working, I was home.