Acadia National Park: Farewe l l
During the last week of my time serving as artist-in-residence at Acadia National Park, I became aware that Nature was gently preparing me to leave. It began with three days of constant drizzle and chilling temperatures. Then the shorebirds, peregrines and eagles that I’d watch and photograph each morning began to disappear. Their disappearance, I discovered later, was the warning signal for an impending blizzard that brought 50 mph winds and 4-inches of snow. Finally, two days later I boarded a flight back home and as the wheels lifted off I realized it was with some sadness that I end my time spent in this amazing park and the warm and welcoming people of the neighboring communities that love and support it.
In the presentations I give in our national parks I’m often asked for details about what a typical residency involves, especially how many photographs I make, hours I work, etc. So, for those interested in such things I kept detailed records on this trip and here are the results. During my month at Acadia, I photographed slightly more than 300 hours and drove over 780 miles throughout both sections of the park (Mt. Desert and Schoodic Peninsula). In that time, I captured 1,326 digital images, 56 black and white photographs and 14 short videos. I also took another 2,870 digital photographs that were used to produce 9 time-lapse movies.
Another significant part of my work during this residency involved updating this blog. While I was at Acadia I posted a total of 19 new entries (over 11,200 words), 62 photographs and 5 slideshows as well as 6 videos and time-lapse movies. It is also my hope during the next few months to use the photographs and time-lapse movies to create a 3-4 minute music video about the park which I will also post on the blog.
Acadia National Park is a national treasure with breathtaking views, sights and sounds that everyone should experience. Unlike some parks that are isolated from metropolitan areas, Acadia is easy to reach by plane and/or car and the nearby towns of Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor and Winter Harbor make it easy to find camping or lodging, food and other recreational activities. For more information on the park, visit Acadia’s official website (click here) and if you go, please send an email and photo and tell me about your experience.
