e.e. cummings once wrote, “For whatever we lose (like a you or a me) it’s always ourselves we find in the sea.” This one simple poetic line resonates deeply with photographer Bobby Baker, who, like cummings, finds both inspiration and a profound connection to the ocean. He reflects, “When I’m away from the ocean, the inspiration seems to go away.” 

Though he has always been artistically inclined, Baker wasn’t always behind the lens. Growing up in Pennsylvania, he started at a young age taking music lessons, which eventually led to studying music in college. He toured the country professionally with musical acts but it wasn’t until he began working with an events photographer whom he had met while living in south Florida, that he found himself diving headfirst into the field of photography. 

As the right brain is thought to fuel creativity, intuition, and the ability to see the world through an abstract, emotional lens, Baker began to feel a shift in his career as a music executive that was leading him to develop his burgeoning talent. Living on the coast of New Hampshire for a time, Baker and his wife, Dena, had spent the majority of their summers visiting Chatham and came to know that someday, they wanted to end up on Cape Cod full time. “The muse of my photography had clearly become Cape Cod, and commuting as often as possible from the seacoast in New Hampshire where we lived, to the Cape in order to shoot, was getting old. We knew we wanted a property that included a building in which we could create a gallery,” Baker shares. 

Just as the ocean rolls in and reveals treasures like seaglass or a perfectly worn piece of driftwood, the Bakers found a perfectly charming home in the village of Cataumet in the town of Bourne that was all that they were seeking. An antique house, rich with history and complete with a rustic barn that Dena could infuse with her own creative vision and knack for merchandising, was the perfect setting for them to settle in and begin a new chapter. 

Baker doesn’t take for granted that he is surrounded by inspiration and in fact, he thrives on it. The photographer sums up a perfect day with the succinctness that sounds as though it would appear stuck on the bumper of a car loaded up with bikes or paddleboards: Sun. Beach. Ocean. “It’s the Cape way,” he says matter of factly. 

Baker does, actually, load up his own Jeep quite often with photography gear and beach supplies and makes the trek to the subject of many of his pieces—beautiful Sandy Neck Beach that stretches from Sandwich to Barnstable. He muses, “What I love about Sandy Neck is that you can drive out on it every day, and every day is different. And that provides me the endless opportunity to create. The clouds above the Cape are like no other. The exquisite white clouds of myriad shapes against a dark blue sky with surf below have inspired many a piece for me.”

While Baker’s primary tool is a camera, the true essence of his work lies in his artist’s eye—an eye that, much like his creative process, has evolved over time. “Before I click the shutter, I am able to visualize the end result. Somewhere along the way I developed the skill of being able to see in black and white, while simultaneously viewing life in color—something I believe is vital to being a good black and white artist,” he states. 

Thankfully the long walks he takes, the salt air he breathes in, and his appreciation for a sunny morning all play a role in stirring inspiration in the photographer. His gallery now entering it’s 9th year causes him to reflect on his work’s purpose, “I can think of no better message or emotion an artist can hope to elicit from their audience than joy.”  

Baker’s art may be seen at Bobby Baker Gallery in Cataumet and online at BobbyBaker.com. His work is also represented by The Copley Society of Art in Boston, where he is a Copley Artist.