The Deepening

Am I an artist? It’s a question I’ve asked myself for years and for much of that time my answer has been no. I want to show you my vision, but I also want you to see my observations. My desire to document is so strong that calling myself an artist feels a bit contradictory. Observation is such an important part of my creative process and for that reason approaching photography as a documentarian feels a little safer. That said, I strive to document artistically, which makes the term artist feel a little less icky. Ultimately, I’ve found it easier just to call myself a photographer. That’s a safe place for me to be, probably because of how indecisive I am… or maybe I’m not? I can’t decide. Anyway, it’s a constant struggle for me. So, when a well-loved area of Acadia National Park had a once-in-a-lifetime flooding event for the third time in five years, I knew I had to photograph it… but I couldn’t decide how to photograph it, as a documentarian or artist.

The floods affected the Great Meadow and Sieur de Monts areas of the park which include several well-known sites such as the Wild Gardens of Acadia, the boardwalk along Jesup Path, and the section of the Hemlock Road trail that is lined on either side by birch trees. The natural flow of water through these areas was disrupted long ago by modifications to the landscape intended to make the area more accessible to visitors. That, combined with heavy precipitation and warmer winters in recent years have caused

one flooding event after another in this treasured area of the park, the most recent of which damaged a culvert, the primary drainage for the area, submerging it for weeks. With the trail system underwater, kayaking became the best way to explore, which opened up perspectives on familiar locations as well as hard-to-reach subjects that would have otherwise been almost impossible to get to. Despite the destruction caused by the flood, accessing the

meadow and trail systems by kayak sure was exciting, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I was not going to pass up. But there was a catch… the flooding may have lasted weeks but I only had four days. The due date of my second child was right around the corner and I wasn’t about to park myself in a kayak thirty minutes from home with the chance of that baby coming. And when she did come (she’s adorable, I’ll show you pictures later, she’s not weird looking at all I swear), I had responsibilities at home that kept me from getting out for photography. So, when I finally felt comfortable enough to venture out, the flooded Great Meadow was my first stop. That first day in a kayak was a scouting day, just to see what it all looked like and to search for photographic opportunities, which was successful, but that evening I learned that the National Park Service was beginning the process of unblocking the damaged culvert to allow the area to drain. Great news, but it meant my time was limited. Over the next two days the area was still kayakable (Is that a word? It means able to be kayaked). By the fourth morning, I could walk the flooded trails in my muck boots. Then it was over. Drained. With limited time to photograph this event, I feared I’d be stuck making the difficult decision of how to spend my time… documenting or making art?

What’s the difference? Well, how will the photos be used? To add factual context to a report or to create something beautiful to hang on a wall? To show something as it was or to show an interpretation of it? How is the story being told, factually or expressively? If the story I’m telling is about something factual does that make me a

documentarian? If it’s about something personal am I now an artist? Am I expected to be just one or the other? If my images were critiqued by a fine-art photographer and a photojournalist would one tell me I should have cloned out that stick while the other tells me I’m not allowed to clone out anything? Is there a middle ground? Can I be both at the same time? Yes, of course. Over the four days I had, I spent my time creating images that satisfied both my creativity and curiosity. The images in this collection are documentation. Some of the photos are accurate depictions without too much distortion or compression from the lens along with light edits intended to maintain color and contrast accuracy. Some are lightly edited, relying on composition and focal length as artistic tools. Some are heavily processed, using self-expression to communicate ideas. And one image was made with my iPhone and who knows what kind of creative decisions that thing made. So, am I an artist? Well, to be honest, I’m becoming a little more comfortable with that title… but ultimately I don’t care. As long as my work stays available to others, whether they see it as art, or as a representation of a place they’ve been, or as a memory, or as a profound metaphor, or as sculpted light, or as a rock… as long as I’m able to continue telling these stories and expressing my ideas through photography, I’ll be content.

Speaking of content (the other kind)… please enjoy these images and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the page, I’d love to read them.

Kayaker on Hemlock Road

Flooded Great Meadow from Dorr Mtn.

Great Meadow

Flooded Sieur de Monts Nature Center

Nature, Centered

The Deepening

Redwing Blackbird & Floodwater

Spider on Ice

Spider on Ice II

By the Edges

Flooded Jesup Path

Frozen Jesup Path

Refugees

Ripple Effect

Mutation

Cold Knees

Ice Settling

Maple Leaf Trapped in Ice

Flooded Hemlock Road

Sirens

Controlled Chaos

Uncontrolled Chaos

Refreshed

Self Portrait