Acadia National Park in Maine…

…is one of the most beautiful places in America. Artist and photographer Michael Hudson is the author of The Photographer's Guide to Acadia and the coffee table photography book, Under October Skies (Autumn in Acadia). He has spent seventeen years photographing the essence of Acadia– its coastline, mountains, ponds, woods and autumn colors, not just as a photographer, but with an artist’s eye.

Sunset at Mitchell Cove, Lopaus Point Road, Mount Desert Island, (Copy)

Autumn foliage along the Hemlock Road, Acadia National Park, Mai (Copy)

Sunrise at Acadia National Park, Maine, USA (Copy)

Autumn foliage near the Great Meadow, Acadia National Park, Main (Copy)

Acadia is a photographer's paradise. It has everything on one small island– mountains, woods, lakes, rivers, streams, trails, waterfalls, a wide sandy beach, and miles and miles of rugged ocean coastline. I use a bulky and heavy– but wonderful– medium format camera with a digital sensor up to four times the size of smaller D-SLR cameras, along with some of the sharpest lenses available to create my images of Acadia. The resulting prints have to be seen to be believed– they're often so clear you can see every blade of grass in a landscape image, or the individual drops of water in a wave shattering against the rocks.

Along the Kane Path, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA (Copy)

Quaking aspen leaves, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA (Copy)

Early morning on Gorham Mountain, Acadia National Park, Maine, U (Copy)

Every time I visit Acadia, I find new things to photograph, new subjects and locations– as well as old favorites in new light– that get me out of bed in the darkness at 5am, and keeps me going until night falls. My goal is to create the most beautiful, artistic and creative images of Acadia– to create art, not simply a photographic record of where I’ve been.

Photography literally means 'light drawing' and without the right light, a photograph usually fails. Light is absolutely crucial to my images. I could stand in front of the most beautiful location in the national park, but not make a picture if the light isn’t right. I've been known to hike endlessly for hours, go all day without eating, or to return to the same place year after year to photograph it in the best light. Light defines the land. And the right light can transform an average scene into something extraordinary, if only for a few moments. And when I've been able to record those moments with my camera, it's magic.

Sunrise, Hunters Head, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA (Copy)

Waterfall Bridge and stream, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA (Copy)

Early morning near the Kane Path, Acadia National Park, Maine, U (Copy)

Ripples and rocks, Hunters Beach, Acadia National Park, Maine, U (Copy)

Many of my landscape images are made during the early hours of the day, or at the end of the day, when the light is best. Acadia has a wonderful quality to its light, specially during sunrise and sunset. You never know what might happen when you set up your camera, but when the conditions are right, the results can be amazing.

I use the rest of each day to explore the park, looking for locations to re-visit when the light is better. I also look for colors, reflections and interesting forms; I love the never-ending quest for beauty in the landscape.

Dawn, Hunters Head on the Atlantic Ocean at Acadia National Park (Copy)

Rocky coastline of Acadia National Park, Maine, USA (Copy)

Sunrise at Little Hunters Head, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA (Copy)

Seeing a great photo is nice on a phone or on the internet, but nothing compares to seeing a big, beautiful print enlarged and hanging on your wall. It can influence the mood of a room, fill the space with life, and literally color your surroundings. Every part of my picture making is directed towards producing the ultimate print, from the high quality camera and lenses I use, to the post-processing I do on my images to make them as clean and sharp as possible, to the luxurious, archival paper or high grade aluminum that I make my prints on.

Sure, Facebook and Instagram are good for looking at pictures, but wall prints are the ultimate way to appreciate art.

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