Atmosphere

Still Morning, Beaver Dam Pond

Someone once told me that they had a bad time in Acadia– the sun rarely came out and they rarely saw any blue sky days. While I love sunny days, I prefer overcast and still when I'm in Acadia. Specially when I'm photographing very early in the morning, I love the complete stillness that a somber day brings.

On the day I made this image in 2008, I had spent the first hour of the day at Otter Cliff photographing the early morning light. Away from the coast, the air was very still and quiet, so I made my way to Beaver Dam Pond to see what I'd find. Fortunately, it was one of those rare mornings where there was a mist hanging over the water. As the air warmed, the mist began to move and grow. It didn't last more than a few minutes, but I was able to make several images, including a long panoramic image before it evaporated.

I've photographed Beaver Dam Pond probably twenty times over the years, and it's just not the same place in bright sunlight. I embrace whatever light I find– of course I don't have any control over it– but given the choice, I'll take a quiet, atmospheric, gray day any day.