I've been to Maine seven times since I was a kid, and every single time I wish I was allowed to use mommy's camera.
Since the first vacation I can remember, I recall an instinctual urge and desire to play with my parents' cameras. There was something fascinating and exciting about taking pictures that I wanted to be part of, almost as if everyone with a imaging device was part of a club I couldn't be a member of. Whenever I would ask, there would be a myriad of reasons why an irresponsible and klutzy me would only serve to break such expensive devices.
So I waited.
Here I am a decade older and with enough money saved up to afford a camera of my own. I got myself four lenses, a Sony A7 II, a tripod, and robust backpack to start adventures and make memories. First stop? My childhood.
There are very few things in life more satisfying to me than climbing Otter Cliff or watching the sun rise against the rocky shores of Acadia National Park. Maine is littered with picture-perfect scenery, and I was finally ready to take advantage of the beauty. Below, I've documented some of my favorite places and moments in the park. Hope you enjoy!
I, along with a few other members of The Odyssey at NYU, packed enough for a five-day, four-night camping/hiking trip. Starting in New York City on July 9, we drove nine hours to Bass Harbor campground, where we encountered our first aesthetic: The Bass Harbor Head Light.
Looks good, right? I hope it was worth the nine bug bites.
The following morning was a devastating blow. It didn't rain or anything, we just had to wake up at 4 a.m. This insanity was driven by my need to see the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain (the first sunrise in the United States).
Cool stuff, right?
We promptly turned around 10 minutes after those photos were taken to escape the cold. The summit is 1,500 feet above sea level!
The next destination was Jordan Pond.
We even stopped for a group photo along the way. It's a sad day when our "funny" photo was better than the serious one.
Featuring our own contributing editor, Jimi Stine, in the middle, photographer Erik Bartolon to the right, and me in the middle! The tall skinny dude to the left is a secret agent so we can't release his identity, unfortunately (just kidding ...or am I?).
The most exciting photo I took during our adventure happened that night. Living in Manhattan is amazing—I wouldn't trade it for the world—but sometimes there are huge perks of being in good ol' mother nature.
First attempt at shooting the Milky Way
Thanks technology!
Of course, you don't really enjoy Maine properly until you've had some of the famous blueberry pie and lobster! Unfortunately, I don't take pictures of the food I eat, so here's a shot of the view at the restaurant!
And to burn off the calories, we walked six miles down the coast. Check out some of the sweet jpegs:
The following was taken in a car. It was tough.
Some nice reflections.
And a postcard styled shot!
While we were exploring, we ran into a group from Massachusetts trying to get Acadia to ban water bottles and instead only provide tap water to reduce pollution. Here, they had us test three different kinds of water in unlabeled cups to see if we could taste the difference! (I nailed all three—Poland Spring, Dasani, and tap!)
Please help support their cause and read more at:
http://bangordailynews.com/2015/07/10/news/hancock...
To wrap up this travel journal, here's a photo of the whole gang together.
And so ends another odyssey.
Check out our staff photographer Eric's site at http://ericlhu.vsco.co/
