Acadia national park

[Bruce Barlow]

In my experience, Schoodic Point (the next "finger" east of Acadia) is a far better place for "nature" subjects, and more accessible than many scenic places in the park. Wonderful rocks and shoreline. I spent five days there and didn't wear the place out - 8x10 in the morning when I felt strong, 4x5 in the afternoon.

A nearby town (can't remember the name) has a great place for a clam roll lunch. Motels on the Acadia "finger" but before Bar Harbor will have lower rates - we were there just after Labor Day, and the rates had already dropped. We found the cafe in Bar Harbor that opens at 5:30 for breakfast - excellent and cheap. There was a place we went for a lobster every night overlooking the harbor in Bar Harbor that was excellent, and reasonably priced. Lobster, fries, salad, and Chardonnay. Drool.

Came back with over 80 8x10 negs and almost 200 4x5s...and a lot of wonderful memories. I also learned that 16 8x10 holders was at least one too few. Bought 8 more when I got back.

Heck, maybe I'll see you there!

[eric black]

I do most of my shooting at Acadia in the second week of October and have found that plenty of fall color still exists at that time. If you are planning on staying at a hotel/motel up there check for availability as many shut down for the winter season then. The last time I was there (3 years ago, I think?) temps were about 50 F in the morning with highs of about 60 during the day. I had to contend with fog the entire stay which made for some dramatic photography but kept sites like Cadillac Mtn off the iteneray dur to no visibility. Good luck and enjoy!

[John Powers]

My wife and I spent a week, mid July in a cottage hanging out over Bass Harbor, in the SW corner of the island, three years ago. She is a water colorist and I was working an 8x10. We left there and enjoyed Chip Forelli's Landscape Photo course at the Maine Photo Workshops. In answer to question # two, at my present age of 67, based on what we found, I would be very happy to shoot there another 20 years. Good shoots there are more a limit of the operator's imagination than the weather, topography, biology and geology. Enjoy what you can get.

John

[Nathan Potter]

I've spent a lot of time in this area from Boothbay Harbor north to Eastport. First week in Oct. or either the week before or after is very good. With luck you'll hit patches of color in the form of red maples and blueberry barrens. There are terrific bluberry barrens scattered along Rt. 1 north and south of Ellsworth. Crowds will be reduced. I've found the summit of Cadilac Mtn. outstanding late in the day for landscapes. I like the beach area out south of Bar Harbor. As Bruce mentioned above Schoodic subsection for cobble barrier beach is really an outstanding spot with an infinitude of land and seascape opportunities. My most visited site for shoreline rock studies is certainly Grindstone Neck out beyond Winter Harbor north of Acadia, (ask directions in town). IT'll be deserted so you can concentrate. Here you'll find a stunning composition of two granitic fault cracks filled with jet black basalt that come to a needle sharp point facing each other just along the shoreline. It is a great compositional challenge in form and texture. I'll be there for a month in Sept. Good luck.

Nate Potter

[JPlomley]

I went last year and was awed by Wonderland. It was my first and last excursion with digital (Error 99 plagued the whole trip). This year I am going back with my new Arca 4x5 and some kick ass Rodenstock glass. No more error 99, and what my wife refers to as "hissy fits" (who would be p$%$%ed after dropping 8K on a camera only to have Error 99 appear everytime you egaged mirror lock-up). I am looking forward to truly bonding with Acadia this year without technology getting in the way.

[Ted Harris]

Look for the next issue of "View Camera" where the cover and a portfolio feature the work of Larry Vanier, all but one image shot along the upper Maine coast, Grand Manan Island and Nova Scotia. Larry has been shooting in that area every year for the past 15 and you will see some really great color that will make you want to pack up and make the trip right away. The cover picture should be up on the magazine website in the next day or two.

[alanps]

Check the weather before you go - I was there for thanksgiving a couple of years back (cousin lives in Bar Harbor) and was frozen stiff - damp wet freezing cold - very difficult to deal with..

[manjo]

My experience with Acadia is that it is a pretty small national park with LOTS of tourists. Your LF gear will get in the way of many photographers. The light houses in Acadia are hyped IMHO you have better nicer light houses in MA.

[Bill_1856]

I was lucky enough to live for some time in Bar Harbor while managing an outlying clinic, and drove to and from the park twice a day. From April to November there is no such thing as a bad time to go. October should be excellent, although the fall color is nothing compared with that in Vermont and New hampshire.
A week would be wonderful, 10 days even better. After that you'll be repeating yourself (which isn't necessarily bad). The whole place isn't all that big.
Start every day before dawn at the cafe on the Main Street where all the locals eat. After a few days, leave your car at the foot of Cadillac Mountain and hitch a ride to the top, then walk back down to your car.