Seagull’s Nest

At one end of Boulder Beach, opposite from the famous and iconic Otter Cliffs, lies a special little cluster of granite rocks. It’s a spot that many visitors have probably admired the view from, and it’s a place that we always make sure to spend some time at. A very short walk through the woods via a social trail gets you to this incredibly tranquil and sheltered overlook. On one of Jack’s first visits to Acadia, he discovered this “secret” location and named it “Seagull’s Nest”. It was great to be back in Acadia National Park again… I had almost forgotten how beautiful it is.

Favorites of mine…

These photographs of Jack on the golf course have become favorites of mine… not hard to see why, eh? This was hole #4 on the Kelly Nine at Bangor Municipal Golf Course, the last hole we played on Jack’s first time ever out on a course. Jack did an awesome job, and as you can see, he has pretty good form as a golfer. These were both shot with my iPhone camera using the HDR option, and then converted to black and white using Nik’s Silver Efex. HDR stands for high dynamic range, and when you choose that option, the camera basically takes a series of images, each with a different exposure from darkest to lightest. The HDR software automatically combines the best bits of the three overexposed, underexposed, and evenly exposed shots to create one photograph with shadows and highlights that are usually better balanced. This doesn’t work for every scene, and really not so well if you are shooting a moving subject, but in this case… I liked the effect.

We call them the “red” tees….

…and not the “ladies” tees as some might.

Lately, Jack and I have been hitting the driving range and the putting green maybe three times each week, and as you might imagine, the little guy has been getting better and better. He has a very natural, long and smooth swing, and all he needs are a few lessons to get his grip and stance etc. squared away correctly to begin with. We’ve signed him up for lessons at The First Tee golf camp this summer, but there’s no holding him back at the moment.

He wants to go to the course every day after school, and needless to say he has been itching to get out onto the real golf course. Up until this evening, I’d been stressing the need to practice so that he would be ready when we did eventually tee off. While I love hitting balls and putting (and I think he does too), I could sense that he was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to play real golf. We’ve hit plenty of range balls, we’ve worked on our short game and putting, and we’ve even eaten in the clubhouse grill… I don’t think there’s anything he doesn’t like about hanging out at the course! So, understanding his desire to hit the links, I promised him that the next evening it wasn’t raining, I’d take him out to play. Here he is teeing off for the very first time… and yes, he hit an absolute rope down the fairway.

Every evening I take Oliver for a walk on the golf course right around when the sun goes down. Anyone who’s still playing on the course is usually somewhere on the back nine and certainly nowhere near the first six holes or so. We have the place all to ourselves, and Oliver has himself a grand time running and chasing the tennis ball. Even after the sun sets, there’s usually another 45 minutes or so before it gets really dark, and as I was wandering the empty course one evening, I realized that this would be the perfect time to bring Jack out to play golf. While he’s still learning, what better way to enjoy the course… with no-one in front of or behind us, we could take our time and not have to worry about how long we took to play, or how many shots we made. I asked in the pro shop if we could pay for nine holes each and split it over two visits, and they were more than happy for us to do that. Nine holes of golf would probably have been too much for him in one shot, so we set out to tackle holes 1 – 4 of the Kelly Nine.

I needn’t have worried at all about him making the transition from the range to the course. He hit the ball superbly, and totally understood the concept of keeping score in an honorable way. We talked about how he wasn’t competing against me, but rather against himself and the course, and how he would continue to get even better with more practice. We talked about being aware of certain aspects of etiquette such as not talking while someone was swinging, how to decide whose turn it was to hit, and why, if you swing and miss, it still counts. He was fastidious about replacing his divots, especially after I explained to him that those who replace their divots get favorable bounces of trees. He used all of the clubs in his bag at some point, and once he got up around the greens, he displayed a deft touch for someone who had never been on a golf course before. We both had a blast, and I can’t wait to hit the course again with my new golfing buddy.

Blue Fog

When you’re up early, you see things most people don’t get to see. The scene above presented itself at 5:40am as Oliver and I started out on our pre-dawn walk. Most of the time, this is just another stand of trees trying to green up for the summer, but on this particular morning, it was transformed into a fog-shrouded and magical landscape with trunks and limbs intertwined and seemingly stretching forever. In fact, the morning fog was so thick, that as we continued our walk, the sun never did win the battle to break through and make an appearance, but the soft light generated made for some unusual views of usual places.

Morning Frost II

Actually, this one should be titled Morning Fog. Acting on Tony’s suggestion to return to this location in different seasons and different conditions, I took a look at the tree I photographed previously on a frosty morning. This time the grass is already greener, some of the leaves have bloomed, there’s a beautiful foggy backdrop, and if you look closely, you’ll see a good friend of mine doing his thing and enjoying the wet grass.

Morning Frost

I walk past this tree every morning as Oliver and I make our way around the local golf course in the pre-dawn light. On this particular morning the warm sunrise colors helped silhouette the stark branches which are about to burst back into life after what has been an especially long winter, and I figured maybe I should make a photograph. Though we are now into the month of May, our mornings are still cold here in Maine, and the overnight frost leaves a beautiful carpet of sparkling ice draped all across the landscape. Oliver loves to run with his nose pressed right up against the white-tipped and frosted blades of grass, and I love to watch as he so gleefully soaks up his surroundings.

Duck Brook Bridge

I’m waiting for things to green up around here… Duck Brook Bridge and the stream that runs under it (not surprisingly called Duck Brook!) is a great place to spend some time in the fall. It’s one of those elusive spots in Acadia National Park where the foliage color really pops, and almost as a bonus, there’s a pretty cool waterfall that adds another element to the scene. Not on the more popular tourist trail within Acadia, this location is literally only minutes from the hustle and bustle of Bar Harbor. I was attracted to the classic Acadia carriage road sign that pointed toward the bridge, and although the colors were nice in the late morning sun, I opted to once again present the scene as a black and white. From another time, below are some of the awesome fall colors that can be found along the the brook.

The trail to the bridge

From this past autumn… the trail that hugs the Jordan Pond Stream is one of my all-time favorite walks in Acadia… especially in the fall. Depending on how much rain we have had recently, the stream itself could be either a raging torrent or a quiet trickle. No matter the force of the water though, there’s always something interesting to enjoy along this hushed and tranquil trail leading from the Jordan Pond House to one of Acadia’s jewels… the Cobblestone Bridge.

The best of friends

Oliver and Chester are quite the pair. When Oliver first arrived in our home, he was about the same size as Chester, but that has all changed rather quickly. Oliver is now a whopping 55 lbs of silly puppyhood, but he and Chester are still the best of friends… most of the time. As you can see, there are some quiet times spent together, but there are also times when they really get going and the house starts a-rocking.

As with most friends, these two like to play, chase, and run together. Oliver will usually be the one to instigate things by nipping at Chester’s tail, or sometimes he’ll throw a soft chew toy at him in an attempt to get him to play. I’m not entirely sure how, but Chester usually stays pretty calm, though he’s always primed and ready to take a swipe at Oliver if things gets too crazy. When things get really out of hand, the rug in the dining room will need to be re-adjusted from their constant high-speed circling of the table. They’ll take turns chasing each other, and it’s quite funny to see a less than nimble 55 lb dog back-tracking to avoid razor-sharp claws.

Oliver is smart enough to know that Chester can pack quite a punch, and it’s comical to watch him bob and weave like a prize fighter as he tries to avoid getting snagged. If things get too heated, Chester is no mug – he knows when to call it quits. When he’s had enough, he darts through the cat flap door and down into the safety of the basement. Oliver will stand at the cat flap peering into the darkness whining softly – he’s left wondering where his buddy went, and why he doesn’t want to play anymore. May they always be best of friends.

Fore!

I’ve spent so much time walking the golf course with Oliver this winter, it feels as if I now know every inch of the landscape intimately. This winter we hiked just about every fairway from tee to green, and although there was often a foot of snow on the ground and golf season seemed an eternity away, it still felt good to explore the course. I used to play a lot of golf when I was younger, but these past few years there just doesn’t seem to have been time. That’s all going to change though, since we bought Jack his own set of golf clubs for his ninth birthday, and he and I are planning to spend some time playing together.

On a sunny, but distinctly cool, late April afternoon, (don’t let his Adam Scott inspired purposefully chosen but woefully under-dressed for the weather attire fool you) we made our first trip to the course to try out his new clubs. He’s a smart little guy, and it didn’t take long for him to start exploring the intricacies of the game of golf. On the putting green, he quickly and intuitively made adjustments to the line and length of his putts, and on the driving range he demonstrated a naturally free and loose swing that is destined to get better with instruction and practice. We only live about a quarter of a mile from the local course, so I can already imagine him walking down to the course and spending time on the driving range and putting green improving his game. Can’t say I’m not excited about having the opportunity to play more golf, and what better way to enjoy it than with my little guy!

Making a new impression

Regular followers of my blog will know that I have this strange affinity for impressionistic images created when the camera is moved while the shutter is open. I haven’t actually done any of these for a while, but this morning while out on the golf course walking with Oliver I came across this little stand of trees that just cried out to me. The sun had just crested the horizon, and the warm, golden light that bathed the scene was quite remarkable. Normal… and then blurred… so you can see the before and after. And then I’m including a few more examples of this type of photograph. I love how the colors and shapes bleed together yet still present a hint of reality, and when printed large on canvas the textures really add another dimension.

Some more…

My new favorite black and white filter

Lately I’ve been using EyeEm on my phone instead of Instagram, and I like it. Usually I’m playing with the “Earlgrey” filter which adds a warm, soft, muted tone to photographs, but when a new filter was recently added to the app, I jumped at the chance to try it out. It’s called “KCe” and with one swipe of your finger you can have a pretty nice black and white photograph. Here’s a little sample of it at work… I know it seems sacrilegious to take the golden out of the golden retriever, but I kinda like it.

An ocean view, Acadia National Park

The Ocean Path runs along the Acadia coast from Sand Beach to Otter Cliffs, and anyone who’s ever wandered this way will probably recognize this view. The sun comes up pretty early in these parts during the summer, and to prove that point, this image was made at 5:26:36 am on July 7, 2011 – my guess is that the sunrise on this particular morning was scheduled for something earlier than 5:00am! At this time of year along this part of the rugged and spectacular coast, the sun takes its time climbing up and over Great Head, but when it does eventually succeed in pushing the shadows away, that Acadia granite really starts to glow! A sheer drop of more than 60 feet down to the ocean from where I was perched left me feeling a little uncomfortable, but despite that, I can’t think of a better way to greet the day.

Spooky

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it… but we have a famous neighbor, and when Oliver and I recently adjusted our morning walking route, we ended up going right past his rather unique and spooky house. As we approached the locked, wrought iron gates, I noticed Oliver taking a second glance at the bat-topped, spider web styled pattern on display, and I could tell that he was a little unnerved. Who could blame him?

This also happens on Sunday evening walks when people have placed their garbage cans out on the street for pick up the next morning… the big black shadowy shapes that weren’t there earlier in the day seem to make him a tad bit nervous. I always talk him through those scary moments, and to help shift his focus, I offer him a bite of apple. Back to our spooky neighbor’s house… we paused momentarily on the sidewalk in front, and as we sat there enjoying our apple and slowly relieving the tension, I started to tell Oliver the story of a Pet Sematary…

Morning colors

No clouds to add drama, but a sweet and colorful gradient in the sky made for a glorious morning spent on the coast of Maine. I goofed a little by dialing the polarizer in too much – you can see the patch of abnormally deep blue sky in the upper right center – and to be honest, I had completely forgotten that the polarizer was even on my lens. I was focused on composing the foreground and didn’t pay enough attention to the rest of the frame. Oh well… lesson learned.

A Sandy Beach in Maine

Best place on earth… before the tourists arrive! Sand Beach is one of my favorite places to spend time, especially during the off-season before the park gets swamped with people from away. There aren’t many sandy beaches this far up the Maine coast, so as you might imagine, during the summer months this is a very popular place. This time of year though, it’s pretty quiet, and it’s also pretty special. The photograph at the top of this post is from a few years back. It was made at the far end of Sand Beach looking back toward the Beehive – I was perched on a rock in the shade of Great Head as a wave washed in and around the rocks. Keeping the shutter open for a relatively long time rendered the moving water with the misty effect.

Fast forward a few years to today… and despite the reluctant temperatures over the Easter weekend, the sun actually felt warm on your face, and as you can see, two of our boys had themselves a grand old time. Oliver just turned six months of age, and he’s already becoming a little more mature. He walks on the leash really politely, and he’s learning how to be much more calm when approaching people and other dogs. He’s still a silly puppy at times, but he’s definitely starting to get it. Sand Beach is full of wonder for Oliver – the texture of the sand between his toes, the smell (and taste) of beached seaweed, and the ability to wade into the cold water – all things he seems to love, and in the last photograph he’s enjoying a classic Acadia view…

Oliver’s Ridge

There’s a little piece of land behind the first green, and before you reach the second tee, on our local golf course that Oliver absolutely loves. We know how much he likes to visit this spot, so when out for an early morning walk, we always try and work it into our route. It’s really no more than a piece of waste ground where dirt has been piled up and left to be reclaimed by mother nature. It’s a forgotten area that becomes overgrown with long grass in the summer, but throughout this past winter, it has been like catnip to Oliver. As soon as he gets close, he charges off and runs up and over and around it like a madman with his nose on high alert. There is definitely something in the grass that sets him off, and it’s quite comical to see him react the way he does. I guess it’s the retriever in him, and boy does he enjoy chasing through the brush and longer grass. It’s a nondescript location to most everyone else, but we call this special little place Oliver’s Ridge.

A dog running around in the snow

I’m probably tempting the weather gods by saying this, but hopefully I won’t be posting many more photographs with snow in them until next winter. Well… at least that’s what I’m hoping, as I gleefully sit here and watch the last of the latest 15 inches or so from a recent storm melt away. As much as I have enjoyed having Oliver experience a snowy winter, I’m past ready for some warmer temperatures.

Despite my desire to see the end of the snow, there’s nothing more fun to watch than a Golden Retriever puppy bounding through a foot of fresh powder. So without further ado… here he is… Oliver the snow-loving, glove-stealing, still needs-lifted-into-the-car after a long walk puppy dog! And as a special bonus… a rare sighting of me in front of the camera (with my handsome dog of course).

Schoodic

Considering we’ve had a long winter seemingly filled with precipitation and clouds, you would think a blue sky morning would be appreciated. Well… it was, sort of. While I certainly enjoyed feeling the warmth of the sun on my face, the lack of clouds made for a somewhat subdued sunrise. With that in mind, you’ll notice that I made the choice to exclude much of the sky in my compositions from this particular morning. This little cove along the coast of the Schoodic peninsula is a favorite place of mine. There are all sorts of textures going on with huge swathes of rock smoothed by the ocean, small and large pebbles rounded by the constant ebb and flow of the tide, and sharp, jagged edges where the more furious side of the Atlantic Ocean has left its mark. There are always lots of compositional options at this location, and I personally find that little island about half a mile or so off shore to be especially intriguing.

Snow Day x2

It’s been a snowy winter so far, with 75+ inches of snow having fallen locally already. Despite the higher than average totals, up until recently, neither Jack nor Lori had enjoyed any snow days yet. That all changed however, when the latest mid-March snowstorm dropped an additional 12-15 inches of powder. Timing is everything, and with this storm bridging the end of one day and the start of another, we actually had back-to-back snow days… something we haven’t seen since the infamous and deadly Ice Storm of January, 1998. Consecutive snow days meant lots of shoveling, watching movies in the middle of the day, and long family walks with Oliver.