Acadia National Park Lessons Learned
Last week I had the great opportunity to spend four days on Mount Desert Island (MDI), with my travel buddy Ted Morgan. We planned the trip in January, picked the dates, figuring we get what we get for weather. Of course both of us were hoping for a winter Nor’easter. Which happened but it was the day we drove home.
The plan was to learn as much as possible, and see what we could capture in Acadia National Park, and all of MDI. It is a very quiet time of year in Bar Harbor where we stayed. At night you had to hunt for a place to eat. This is just what we were hoping for since during the high season MDI is packed.
For me I had a bag of all new Sony gear within the last few weeks. So there was a lot to learn, and work to be proficient with while having fun. Each day we arrived on the East side of MDI for sunrise. Well one day we had a sunrise, and the rest of the days it was overcast.
Ted also had a new camera body, his first mirrorless so he dove into learning, and enjoying the new way of shooting compared to a DSLR. Ted is a Nikon shooter and loves birds, wildlife, but has shooting skills way beyond just animals. His passion for shooting helped spark mine and we had a great time.
Here are six of the lessons I learned during the week;
One: Push beyond your limits with new gear, and be happy making mistakes. I find there is no other way to learn your gear. And this is not just photography/filming, but also sailing, SUP, foiling, and now model boats. Push into your uncomfortable zone, and go after your weak points.
Two: Use a two-camera setup all the time. One camera might be on a tripod and other around your neck or in a shoulder bag ready to go, or both cameras on tripods. This opens up a lot of options. Two focal lengths, two scenes, one overview, one detail, it goes on and on. And again it is part of lesson one, push yourself make the mistakes, and you will learn.
Three: It should not always be about the money shot. Be happy to throw out most of what you shoot. I do not condone this on a commercial shoot where you need to nail the shots/videos all day long. But that is not what this week was about. If it caught my eye, I shot it, and at two focal lengths. Then once back home on the computer developing the lessons continue in earnest. Remember great baseball players fail 70% of the time at the plate, and are the top in the league. Be happy to fail.
Four: Slow down. All of my best shots have always been when I was in the moment. Do not rush it. If you don’t like the location, give it 15 minutes. Just like sailing, make sure the wind is really changing before doing a sail change. This keeps you tuned into the moment, and the changing conditions. Opening your eyes to the details of the world around you.
Five: Share; it was such a pleasure to do this shoot with Ted. We think alike and both have a driving passion for photography. We shared our thoughts, and both improved over the week. When I look at my shots from the first morning to the last it makes me smile. By myself I would have improved but not at the same rate as being with Ted. Ted opened my eyes to different angles and locations. And of course our conversations opened my mind to freethinking. Talk about it and you learn, keep it in your head and you learn slower.
Six: Don’t miss what is right in front of you. I missed the town of Bar Harbor on a cold dry (4 degrees F) night. All I had to do was take a night walk and shoot the town. It has great night lighting and cool buildings. I missed it and did not think of it until I was driving home. I also missed spending more time in boat yards. Can you believe I am saying that, boat yards and Paul, just fit together. So be excited about your planned locations, but don’t miss what is right in front of you.
I look forward to my next trip this month, and future trips with Ted. Not sure where I am going yet this month besides all of my local trips, but I have a lot of ideas. I will make sure each night I take my notes, to keep my learning curve going. Don’t stop learning! It is so much fun to learn every day.
Be safe and be kind to all, live your passion: See you soon, Paul