We survived!

Otter Point Leaves, copyright Karen Carll 2007
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Yes, we are still alive and well downeast in Maine!  We survived the intense and fast pace of our workshop and have some great photos to share with you!  They were accurate in their warnings that we would need a vacation after this workshop!  We had an incredible time working with world reknown photographers and met some really wonderful people who took amazing photographs.  It was really cool to see 30 people go to the same place and take completely different photos.  We learned so much it hasn't all sunk in yet to be sure.  We have both learned alot about photography - and know we need to learn so much more!  A Photoshop class is also on the horizon.

Leaves at Echo Lake, copyright Karen Carll 2007
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The weather has really cooperated.  The rain we were supposed to get Tuesday/Wednesday did not really materialize.  There was a light rain yesterday morning, which provides great lighting for photos!  If we have learned nothing else, it is you can take photos in any kind of weather.  On Tuesday morning we went to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park - the first place in the U.S. to see the sunrise.   (Yes, we were there for it).  It was completely fogged in and with the wind chill factor, had to be in the 20's!  My fingers were so numb that the only way I knew I had taken a photo was I could hear the shutter click!  One of our instructors, Joe McNally, told us to go out and make a photo and we did.  He's an amazing guy - more on him later.

We have survived!

Fall Color, copyright Karen Carll 2007
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It's so interesting to see all the businesses closing and getting ready for the winter.  Some of them keep weird hours, which aren't posted, and so you're never really sure if you will get what you want.  For example, the coffee place in the hotel is rarely open when we went there but tonight we found it opened and asked the hours - 6-12noon, then 4 to 10 p.m.  We've tried to get a sandwich in town from this shop that was highly recommended and everytime we go there it's closed.  There was a sign left in the window today that said they're open until 3 p.m. (which hasn't been there before) but it doesn't say when they open.  We were there yesterday at 10 and they weren't open.  It's like that all over town!  A much more relaxed way of life which we are enjoying immensely, but we wonder how people make enough to live on.  Tourists, we suspect.

Buoys, copyright Karen Carll, 2007
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Every food establishment advertises, heavily, Shipyard Ale, but for the life of us we haven't been able to get any.  It got to be a joke with our carpooling buddies, so for our final slide show last night we went to the market and bought a six pack.  It wasn't as good as the Leaf Peeper light ale that we had for dinner tonight, though.

There are sooo many cute little towns in this area.  Lots of small harbors too.  A big percentage of homes have lobster traps stacked somewhere on the property.  Today we drove around looking for Fall color and got some wonderful shots.  The color was really lacking when we got here, but it has definitely gotten better during the week.  It has been cold and windy and there is talk of an impending storm.  Once that hits we suspect the leaves will all be gone, so we came the perfect week. Yay!

Somesville Bridge, copyright Karen Carll 2007
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Well, it's way past my bedtime and you would probably like to see some photos.  Hope all is well - enjoy!