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If you’re taking a drive through New England to Maine over the next few weeks, here are some ideas and tips to hit the autumn foliage at its peak.

When should I come?

Foliage times vary from year to year and from region to region. Luckily, you don’t need to visit a region at its exact peak; views are stunning for a week or two around the prime period. Color changes usually begin to happen in the northernmost sections of Aroostook County around the last few days of September or the first week in October, and the change eventually hits the coast around the 15th or 20th of October. (The photo shown above was captured on October 10 in central Maine, the following photo on October 19 in Acadia National Park, and the photo farther down in western Maine on October 21, but again, times vary from year to year.)

Where should I go?

All corners of Maine offer outstanding views of autumn foliage. My personal favorite spot for leaf peeping is the western lakes and mountains.

Start by heading up to Route 2 (Route 27 from Augusta or Route 201 from Waterville are both fairly straightforward from Interstate 95). Make sure to drive a stretch from Farmington west through the River Valley to Rumford and Newry. Many of the mountainside roads through that area are amazing in the fall.

Other ideas for a Maine foliage vacation:

• Visit one of Maine’s many state parks. Many of them are very easy to find and offer spectacular opportunities to enjoy nature in Maine.
• Are you a hiker? The Appalachian Trail crosses some of western Maine’s major roads on its way to Mount Katahdin. (Visit the Maine Appalachian Trail Club for more info. As with any other backcountry hiking, please prepare accordingly.)
• Other great spots for foliage include the wonderful Height of Land lookout near Rangeley, some of the mid-coastal towns like Wiscasset, and the carriage trails of Acadia National Park.

Want to see some more foliage photos? Check out our autumn photo collection. For more information and updates on Maine’s foliage, be sure to visit mainefoliage.com, a wonderful resource from the state of Maine that tracks color change by region. Hope to see you on the road!

I wasn’t really sure where I wanted to head on this trip. I started out at one of my new favorite places in the park, Jordan Pond. Jordan is great; it’s incredibly peaceful, impressively gorgeous, and there are a number of ways to enjoy it. Casual travelers can walk along a fairly level trail around the edge of the pond, while more advanced hikers can climb the iconic Bubble peaks alongside the pond. A stretch of the park’s carriage trails also run alongside the pond, offering hikers, bikers, and horseback riders the opportunity to see the pond from yet another angle.

I decided to take it easy and just hike alongside the pond on this trip. The views didn’t disappoint.

After going to Jordan, I headed to the spectacular vista at Cadillac Mountain. Cadillac offers gorgeous views of the entire horizon around Mount Desert Island. I particularly loved one of the cairns on the mountaintop, one of the many trail markers that dot Acadia’s hiking paths.

Finally, I headed to the other side of the island in hopes of reaching one of my favorite Maine lighthouses – Bass Harbor Head Light – in time for sunset. I’ve taken a number of pictures of the lighthouse in the past, but I’d never really had a chance to stay at the lighthouse’s edge for sunset. Luckily, I decided to stay this time.

Thank you, Acadia, for providing a wonderful Labor Day and the most gorgeous sunset I’ve ever witnessed.

I love taking short trips with no particular goal. A couple hours before sunset last night, I set off down Route 2 and tried to find a good pond for a sunset shot. Along the way I visited Hermon Pond and Etna Pond, but neither had the shot I wanted.

I did, however, manage to capture some Queen Anne’s Lace in the evening sun just outside of Hermon Pond:

After checking my DeLorme gazetteer (I never leave home without it), I found myself on the edge of the beautiful Sebasticook Lake in Newport. I reached the lake just in time to snap a few shots of the sun to the west.

Spontaneous trips are fun.

On the eve of the 2009 AFF, I thought I’d provide a few tips for festival photography and a few examples of AFF shots I’ve taken from past years (click on any photo for more info).

Make it close and sharp

Festivals abound with amazing opportunities to watch artists perform their craft. For photos of the artists themselves, move as close as you can (or use a lens with a high zoom) and capture the artist in a pose that will make their skill very clear. If possible, use a very fast shutter speed to reduce the amount of blurring in your image; a higher ISO setting might help capture the artist better, even in brighter outdoor festivals. (The photographer at the Canon workshop in Acadia recommended a shutter speed of 1/500 sec. for human action; I’ve found that’s a good general rule.)

If you’re capturing a musician, be patient as the song progresses. Try to predict a point in the song at which you think the artist will gesture, move, or really accentuate their skill and prepare for that moment.

Capture the experience

Festivals usually showcase musicians, craftsmen, or culinary artists, but a festival is more than just the music, crafts, and food. The festival experience is just as worthy of being captured. You may pass by a street-side musician playing between sets, a bird intently watching some freshly purchased food, or a couple dancing in the audience. Don’t be afraid to move your eyes away from the artist or performer; your best shots may be taken away from the stage.

Be respectful

Please remember that you’re not the only person at the festival. Be courteous to the artists by not constantly taking photos with a flash (or, better yet, any flash photos at all). Try to find a shooting location that does not interfere with others’ enjoyment of the festival. If you do need to move in front of someone in the audience to take a photo, excuse yourself and move back as quickly as possible. Be respectful of your subjects as well; if your photo focuses on a person at the festival or in the audience, ask their permission. And please, don’t intentionally take or upload embarrassing or inappropriate photos (those make more than just the subject look bad).

Rules are meant to be broken

One last wonderful aspect of a festival is that they often last for a long time and provide you with many chances to take great photographs. They’re a wonderful time to experiment and try new techniques. While there are many “rules” of photography (the Rule of Thirds, the 1/500 sec. human motion guideline, etc.), photographic rules were made to be broken. Be innovative.

Use the festival as a testing ground for new ways and styles of doing photography. The best way to improve your craft is through experience; just ask any of the artists at the festival.

Luckily, if you’re not able to join us on the waterfront this weekend, the number of people taking pictures at the AFF has grown every year. I’ll overload my personal Flickr account with as many pics as I can find the time to upload; I usually tend to focus on the artists and the festival experience. My friend Jeff is very talented at capturing not only the festival, but spontaneous portraits of festival-goers as well. The Bangor Daily, MPBN, and the AFF Flickr group will most likely have a bunch of other photos for you to peruse.

Enjoy the closing weekends of summer!

Marshall Point is one of the most beautiful yet under-appreciated lighthouses in Maine. Through its  years of service as a beacon on the Mid-Coast, its most memorable role may have been its inclusion in the film Forrest Gump as one of Forrest’s turnaround spots on his cross-country run.

If Forrest had ventured out to the light yesterday, he wouldn’t have left. The loud booming waves provided a spectacular show at the lighthouse and along the nearby coast. It was a great opportunity to see the power of Mother Nature first-hand.

Here are a few of my personal favorite spots to wrap up a day in Maine. All have easy parking opportunities and are right nearby some popular destinations.

Caterpillar Hill, Sargentville

The Deer Isle/Stonington region combines a thriving seafood and lobster industry with quaint New England towns in a uniquely Maine way. After coming back over the beautiful Deer Isle bridge, be sure to stop at the scenic turnout on Caterpillar Hill in Sargentville. You’ll be treated to a panoramic view of Penobscot Bay across to the Camden Hills, all behind a beautiful stretch of blueberry fields.

Ocean Point, Boothbay

If you decide to head to Ocean Point to the east of Boothbay Harbor,  you probably won’t be alone. Standing on the rocky Maine coastline at the edge of open ocean, you’ll be able to see the sun go down over land to the west. The combination of ocean waves with the setting sun can’t be beat!

Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor

Cadillac Mountain – the highest point on the eastern seaboard – is many things to many people. It’s hard to beat the sunsets there, too; with a view that features harbors, islands, and the Blue Hill area in the distance, the setting sun at Cadillac shows off a piece of Maine beauty that everyone will enjoy. Just be sure to turn into the Blue Hill Overlook before you reach the summit!

Have you found another great place to watch the sun set in Maine? Share your find in the comments. We also have a variety of sunset prints available from around the state.

They missed out.

I am not one of those people.

Over the last month I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Deer Isle/Stonington area twice. Unless you’ve got a boat, you’ll need to cross the Deer Isle Bridge (above) before you can explore the islands.  The Deer Isle Bridge is one of the most recognizable crossings in Maine, and it’s oft been noted for its similarity to the old Waldo-Hancock Bridge. I love it.

Of course, following Route 15 back from Deer Isle and Stonington leads you through Bucksport, the Penobscot Bay/River town across the water from the massive yet beautiful new Penobscot Narrows Bridge from Verona Island to Prospect.

That is why I do not cover my eyes.

I’ve taken a fair amount of bridge photos over the years. If you’d like to check out more from my trips to Stonington, take a look through the August 31st and September 14th sets.

I must’ve walked back and forth across the Railroad Stage field at least forty or fifty times over the span of the weekend. While Junk Yard Band was doing one of their sets, I saw the young girl above totally rocking out. Looked like fun.

Complimenting Hector del Curto’s Eternal Dance Quartet were Sara Grdan and Ivan Terrazas of Feraltango. On top of being wonderful dancers, they seemed like fun people in general.

When they weren’t in “costume,” I had a chance to watch them as part of the Perfect Partners panel. This collection of musicians and dancers explained how music and dance were intertwined in different genres. After Sara & Ivan did a little basic tango instruction, Haitian dancer and choreographer Sheila Anozier provided a short Haitian dance demonstration to the music of Bonga Jean Baptiste.

The photo of Sheila above is one of my very favorites from the Festival. I’ve always loved seeing musicians that appreciate other genres. This weekend, I saw a member of the Quebecois group Genticorum watching del Curto’s tango quartet perform. I saw members of the CASYM Steel Orchestra move to the sounds of Johnny Hiland’s country guitar. And I saw Sara intently watching and smiling at Sheila’s Haitian dancing. The Festival isn’t just an appreciation of music; it’s an appreciation of culture from around the world.

They, of course, managed to take some wonderful shots. I wouldn’t expect anything less from them.

I have a strange fascination with photographing photographers. It’s amazing to watch different techniques, especially when it involves watching the differences between a person with a $100 point-n-shoot camera compared to someone who does this for a living.

I’ve poked a fair amount of fun at Kevin for the access he gets around the festival in years past. I actually had a second to do the whole “hey, nice work,” thing to him this year, so now I don’t feel quite so bad about joking around… not that I really ever felt that bad about it in the first place.

My friend Jeff managed to get a very nice shot of the two superstars along with Bangor radio and business Jill-of-all-trades Deb Neuman. Jeff goes right up to people and asks to take pictures of them. I opt for a bit more of a candid approach. I’m just stealthy like that.

The first rule of the Folk Festival: if you don’t like crowds, go on Sunday. If you do, well…

That’s right! It’s almost time for the American Folk Festival. A week from tonight, I’ll join a five-digit number’s worth of other people cramming along the Bangor waterfront to see a ton of great music in three-day festival form. And preparations are already underway!

New this year: a moved Kenduskeag Dance Pavilion, a (finally) repaired wood fence along the railroad line, and a mysterious fenced area near the Heritage Stage. Want to see more? Check out some other pictures I took. If you’re going to the festival, don’t forget to add your photos to the AFF group on Flickr!

That’s right! It’s almost time for the American Folk Festival. A week from tonight, I’ll join a five-digit number’s worth of other people cramming along the Bangor waterfront to see a ton of great music in three-day festival form. And preparations are already underway!

New this year: a moved Kenduskeag Dance Pavilion, a (finally) repaired wood fence along the railroad line, and a mysterious fenced area near the Heritage Stage. Want to see more? Check out some other pictures I took. If you’re going to the festival, don’t forget to add your photos to the AFF group on Flickr!

The best parts of wedding photography: without fail, there are a couple of very cute kids, people in really beautiful outfits, and an opportunity to have lots of fun with posed pictures of the bride and groom. If it wasn’t for that pesky ceremony part…

Here’s my entry:

I know what you’re saying. Flowers? Aren’t flowers, y’know, overdone in just about every single possible way?

Well, yes. See, it was a pretty crappy day here in Bangor. It rained for a good portion of the day, and frankly I wasn’t prepared for it. I was hoping to catch a couple shots of the Penobscot Theatre’s outdoor production of “Guys & Dolls” this evening, but alas, it was moved inside. While I feel completely comfortable lugging my dSLR into, say, Hauck Auditorium at the University of Maine, I’ve always felt a bit uneasy about bringing it into the Bangor Opera House. (There would have been some great shots during and after the production that I at least should’ve captured with my point and shoot, but…)

So yes, flowers. I’m new to these photo project things. It’s something.

The weather lately has been unusual here… even by Maine standards. Strong thunderstorms, sudden heavy downpours, and skies that just can’t decide what they want. I, of course, had to take a couple pictures:

The skies tonight gave me a wonderful opportunity to try out my new Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS that I received after helping out Sara and Greg with their wedding. Thanks, guys! I’m loving the lens so far.

If it were still roaming the forests of Maine, it would most likely be letting out that famous cry of the moose; you know, the, um, “mooooooooose” sound, I guess.

While I drown myself in wedding photo enhancements, I thought I’d post a couple photos I took at the meetup this weekend.

We started our lighthouse tour at Pemaquid Point Light. While it’s not my favorite light on the coast, the rock formations leading to the light are amazing. It’s well worth the trip to see for yourself.

It has its drawbacks, though; the rocks at Pemaquid are one of the few places I can really see myself using an ultra-wide angle lens. Alas, there are other items on the list above it.

Why a photo blog, you ask?

As I was darting over Pemaquid Point and Marshall Point rocks this weekend at my first-ever Flickr meetup, I realized that a lot of the photos trapped on my computer at home had stories to tell. And doggone it, I was a pretty good person to tell those stories.

Welcome to my stories.