An Overactive Imagination

What do I see in the picture below? I see a forest of trees across a marshy wetland. The trees are green and happy, dappled in sunlight. Life is grand for the distant trees. The sky's the limit for them. They breathe the fresh air. They frolic in the late Summer winds. I want to visit their playground of wonder, where nature thrives.

Then I notice the other trees, the ones at the edge of the marsh, the dead ones. Warning bells chime in my head about what toll a journey across the sprawl of grasses would take. Did those barren trees venture out too far? Is the water deadly? Is the goo under the surface strong enough to grip my legs and render me immobile? Are the winds fierce enough to peel the skin from my bones before I could reach the other side? I hesitate, gripped in the fear of unknown possibilities.

Maybe I’m watching the slow migration of the quagmire into the forest. The plants and habitat of the bog may be stealing the life giving energy away from the receding woodlands. Maybe it’s the weak trees that are being usurped by the mire as the strong trees rush away from me. Maybe...maybe...maybe I think too much.

Have a great weekend.

Nikon D800 Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 30mm f/9 ISO 100 5 image HDR

On the Road

The recent trip to Acadia yielded many hours in the car, actually many more than originally planned. As a photographer, this has benefits and drawbacks. If your journey is through beautiful countryside in good weather then picture opportunities pour in from every side. There were a few of these locations that gave our weary bodies a chance to get out of the compact Nissan Versa, stretch, breath the salty air from the ocean breeze, rejoice in a few days off, and enjoy the Maine countryside. I always look for a picture to open a trip that tells our destination. This two story crustacean was ideal.

Our route was North, along the Coastal highway.  It was Labor Day Weekend which is early for the leaves to change, even in Maine, but there were a few patches of color. There was enough to whet my appetite for the approaching Autumn.

 

Another roadside attraction can be the road itself.  The Penobscot Narrows Bridge was quite a sight along our route. The Bridge opened at the end of 2006 and appeared in Popular Science magazine as one of the 100 best innovations of the year.

 

One of the dangers of roadside photography, aside from the obvious, is increased time to destination.  It can be difficult to decide to stop if you’re running late for a reservation, wanting to catch a sunset at a specific location, or avoid a rainstorm in the distance.  

 

These are the unique but fun challenges my wife patiently endures on our vacations. She is a special woman

#TravelTuesday Acadia National Park

On February 26,1919 a park was birthed in Maine known as Lafayette National Park. A decade later its name was changed to Acadia in honor of the former French colony which once included Maine. An extensive roadway system was constructed throughout the park during its early years largely financed, designed and overseen by John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Acadia encompasses quite a few diverse features including shorelines, mountains, islands, lakes, and marshes.  Wildlife in the park is widely varied, with around forty species of mammals wandering its rocky beaches and comely forests.

 

This part of the United States is second only to the Pacific Northwest in amounts of precipitation accrued annually.  Ice, fog, snow, rain, blizzards and pounding storms all influence the weather of Acadia.  If you’re traveling there, be prepared.

 

...and There He Sat

Driving to work this morning I spotted a Great Blue Heron squatted by the side of a pond. I had seen one there before, as I usually see them, stalking their prey like death from above. I was late so I hurried by but on my return an hour later it was still there. I was able to park and head in for a discreetly closer look. He turned to stare at me, looked away, looked back, but made no attempt to flee. Looking closer at his throat made me think he was dealing with a bad case of indigestion. I don't know what he ate, but from the size of his engorged esophagus maybe he was going to be there for a while trying to get it down. Maybe in this case his food was fighting back.

 ...and there he sat.

Nikon D4 Sigma 300m f/2.8 @ 300mm f/2.8 ISO 100 1/800 sec