#Boys in Bristol Photography

[lovewales]

Wild Horses, Libanus | by Boys in Bristol Photography

[twinkandwink]

Blueboy haven't played together for 30 years but they came out tonight to celebrate the launch of @jane_duffus book on the history of Sarah Records - These Things Happen.

Really sweet acoustic set. Here's The Joy of Living (full version)

Blueboy - Rough Trade, Bristol 11th Oct 2023

[thejournalisttintin]

I am also doing a few drawings of canon Tintin characters. But with schoolwork and stuff, I only have so little time…! 😩

First things first, here is my boy Chang!

I wasn’t sure how I would go about drawing him, since it’s been so long since I’ve drawn him.

Thanks to a post that @professorcalculusstanaccount made before on how to draw Chang, I was able to try my hand at drawing him. But with this one, I added my own drawing style.

So here he is!

And with a drawing, there will also be headcanons!

Headcanons for my interpretation of Chang:

After the events of Tintin in Tibet, Chang had stayed with Tintin and Haddock for a while before he eventually made the trip to London to visit his uncle. He took a train instead of a plane, as he had developed some trauma from having survived the plane crash in the Himalayas.

Several years later, Chang went to college in Bristol, where he took classes in classic English literature and world history, as well as art history.

He also took photography, as he’s always wanted to do something along the lines of Tintin’s work.

During his first semester, he befriended Hanna(my Tintin OC), who was in his art history class.

The two hit it off pretty well as friends, since Hanna thought Chang was very sweet. She was also the first person whom he opened up to about surviving alone in the Himalayas.

When Hanna told Chang about her desire to go into acting and singing, Chang thought she had a very solid goal in mind.

Chang learned much of his photography from Hanna's sister Maxine, who showed him how to operate a camera. She even showed him how to take action shots.

After some time, Hanna and Chang's friendship bloomed into a romance. They dated for about a year or so, with Chang keeping a few photo records of their time together.

Chang would frequently visit Tintin and Haddock in Brussels for about or week or two as part of a cultural exchange.

During the weeks in which he visited, Tintin began to develop a crush on Chang. Any time he visited, his feelings toward him became more obvious.

At some point, Hanna had caught on when she and Maxine were invited to Brussels, as well as Chang.

She knew Tintin often got flustered whenever Chang visited him, so she pulled him aside and told him about it. She wanted him to feel comfier with someone he truly felt happy with.

So Hanna and Chang made the decision to silently break up. Chang was worried Hanna wouldn't be able to move on, but she assured him everything would be okay.

So these are just my headcanons for Chang within my Tintin story interpretation. I might also do a fanstory about Chang visiting Tintin. Because I plan to include him in some of my future stories 😁

But this will be written, as my best strength is writing fanfics, lol...

Stay tuned for more characters and OCs to come!

[thy-valhallen]

I don't think we talk enough about Tim being the first Robin who was fully from a time in which, from being a child with concrete memory onwards, the Batman and Robin were known entities.

Jason was alive and around, yes, but for Tim, Batman and Robin have been a solid fact of life throughout most of his existence. Tim doesn't remember a world without Batman and Robin, and he grew up in this golden age, really: his days of photography and true obsession with the Batfam were squarely in those perfect years where Batman and Robin patrolled Gotham and Nightwing was out in Bludhaven, carving out his own territory and name for himself. Sure, not great for them behind the scenes, but Robin #1/Nightwing was so obviously incredible at fighting crime that it literally inspired the rest of his generation of heroes. To be a kid, growing up in that era, had to have been wildly intoxicating, honestly-- to see your heroes at their very best, the peak of their performance?

And how much would it hurt to see a cornerstone of your reality crumble when a boy died in an Ethiopian warehouse? Suddenly, the pillars of Tim's life-- Batman and Robin-- were utterly out of balance, and he was so desperate to fix it, he happily stepped into that spot, regardless of how prepared he was to fill it. He's just so sure that it needs filling, by any means necessary.

I mean, even just thinking about his infamous line: Batman needs Robin. He's too young to remember that there was, in fact, a time were Batman operated alone. In reality, I think it's a bit less accurate to say that Batman needs Robin than it is to say that Tim believes Batman needs Robin.

And all this, in contrast to that fact that he should've been the one with a completely normal life. I mean, Dick, Jason, and Duke were pulled in by their tragedies, Steph, Damian, and Cass by their families. Tim though? He should've been a rich kid from Bristol forever. He should've stumbled on the truth of the Batfam and stumbled on past it, let it go. He should've become the head of Drake Industries someday, his parents uninvolved with the Rogues or any other madness of the city. But he didn't. Instead, this boy, who could've lived a perfect, happy life, abandoned all of that because he saw his heroes needed saving and had to try. Even when his idols turned him away and brutally denied him, he fought for it anyway, simply because he saw an imbalance that needed correcting.

doesn't it make it feel much more... predetermined, that Tim ended up becoming a Robin, knowing that this was all he knew? That Tim was inspired by this era of heroes, surrounded by it, to such a degree that-- being Tim-- he didn't have any choice but to follow in their footsteps?

I dunno, something about the idea of Tim being fated to be Robin, that he grew up surrounded, entranced by heroism to the point that, when an insane opportunity knocked, he answered without hesitation... i really like it

[robintherobiner]

This is an interactive story. The next part will be based on what you guys choose.

Warning, the story heavily revolves around dark topics, like suicide, abuse (all types), bullying, all that jazz. It's an au, HEAVILY canon divergent. So, idk proceed carefully

"If you're watching this, it means I'm dead."

Suddenly, Jason wished he'd never bought the sticker covered camera. He'd seen it in a charity shop, looking all lonely on it own little table. All the other camera were old, and had dents and scratches, but this one looked almost new and bursting with personality.

It had cost a lot, of course, and Jason had considered putting it back down. After all, he didn't need a camera. He was pretty sure Bruce had one at home anyways.

But then he'd seen a sticker, right under the shutter button, and he'd recognized his own costume. Whoever had owned this camera had liked Robin, his Robin, with curly hair and freckles instead of tanned skin and sparkly shorts. He had to buy it now, he thought, and so he did.

Jason pressed the play button again, and stared at the kid on the screen. He looked pale, and far too skinny for someone who, if his Bristol accent was anything to go off of, clearly had enough money to buy food.

"Sorry. I realize that was probably, like, a really big thing to say. Or, not big, I guess, it was only eight words. Tough? No.. Eh, whatever." The kid shrugged. "Point is, sorry. You picked up my camera though, so you have three options."

The whole situation is bizarre. He sort of assumed there would be pictures of nature, or videos of some cool tricks if the skateboard stickers are anything to go off of. Not a fucking death announcement.

Still, Jason is curious. Is the kid in danger, and thats why he thinks he's going to die? Or is he sad? Jason lived on the streets, he's not a stranger to people who's heads are clouded, people who think things will never get better. He's never felt that way personally, but he's known lots of people who ended up hurting themselves.

"First, you could just throw the camera away. A bit of a waste, since it's pretty good quality, but whatever. Second, you could delete everything on here and just use it yourself. I'd be okay with that. Photography is fun. Or, if you wanted, you could watch these videos."

Here, his cheeks flush, as though embarrassed. Its hard to hear, but Jason thinks he can hear the boy mutter something along the lines of what a dumb thing to say.

"Even though I'm going to die, I still sort of want to do cool things. Have a coming-of-age movie moment, you know? But I can't have one, so the next best thing is to try give it to someone else." Camera Kid paused. "I think coming-of-age movies are only for teens, though. It would be cooler if I, like, changed the life of someone who's already an adult. Cuz people my age aren't fully developed. That's shaping a life, not changing it. Changing a life would be much harder than shaping one."

Hm. Maybe Jason should give the camera to Dickhead. He's an adult, legally. Give the kid, whoever he is, his wish to try change a life.

Jason would never admit it, but he can't help but snicker. There's no way some random kid can shape or change a life. Especially not with a... Jason checked. Not with a one and half minute video.

"But if that doesn't happen, it's fine. Not like I'll know anyways. I like this camera, so I'll only give it away just before I die. Unless I come back as a ghost who's like, tethered to this camera, I'll never know if anyone watches these videos."

With those words, Jason sobered. It didn't feel funny once he remembered that whoever this kid was, dumb hopes aside, was clearly certain he'd die. If what he said was true, then he already was. That made Jason feel really bad for laughing, and even a little sick.

He'd seen dead bodies before, even his own mom's. He'd watched, smelt, and heard people die. He'd talked people off the ledge, both metaphorically and literally. But this? Holding the beloved camera of a boy who was most likely dead? It made death feel melancholy in a way Jason had never felt before.

"So, yeah. You have three options." The boy says, and reaches out to end the video.

Jason didn't know what to do. Really, he has four options.

[imzsuzsis-blog]

"I'm fucking gay" I said to myself sometimes louder, sometimes quietly, unfortunately I think several people heard the loud part because they were looking at me, especially Danny was running after me. "Lando, are you grumpy for saying that? Because everyone hears it.” "I am, and when we broke up I was even grumpier, leave me alone, if you want me to, I'm still pregnant with twins from Ollie." Ollie Bearman? What the hell have you been doing?” Danny stopped me from speaking, then tears appeared on my face and I ran away crying. ,,Lokiii where are you????? I want to go back to the fucking fucking hotel!!!!! I can not stand!!!!" I started hitting his chest shaking and throwing up again. "Relax Lando, there are only free training sessions with a break between them." ,, BELIEVE I'M NOT EXCITED I WANT TO GO BACK THERE I HATE IT HERE FUCK ME!!!!" "Deep air says I can do it in myself." "I can do it, I believe in myself, even if I carry two beans Jankó." "MR Norris, we need to talk about beans after training." "No, and I will not have an abortion, this is the final decision, sir." "If he plays for the suspension, then the game has begun." "I'm afraid, Loki, they're not only idiots, they're also strict and they give diets that are impossible or borderline impossible to follow, on top of that they constantly measure our weight and check how much we exercise every day, it's no longer sick, it's fucking pathological."

I leaned against the wall with tears in my eyes and could only scream at the top of my lungs. Leave it!!!! I won't get into that fucking car if they force me to do so at gunpoint." "Well, come in." "Will, Jon, no, these fuckers up there don't even know what I want or what I feel, so no, I'm going to have someone else take my place today and this year." "Leave him for real." "Dude, what will happen to me? We had such a good time together, but what about the photography?" "I'll take photos of the little ones or I don't know if we move to the new place, but the fact that I won't stay in Monaco is fixed." "Do you want to move?" "Yes, everyone has been obsessed with me for a long time, when they see a girl next to me, the tabloids say she's my new girl, when I fuck the boys I loved it, I hate being there." "We understand. Where?" Burying my face in my hands, I started to cry even more and shook my head. "I don't have the faintest idea where America might come into question, I don't know, New York especially Upper, Miami, Los Angeles, but back to England and Bristol and its surroundings or London, I don't have an idea yet, but it's far from there and from the people there."

The news made my fucking blood run cold, I went to see Lando through the journalists because he just said all this in public. ,,A thousand apologies... Fuck you Lando, you said everything openly, even what you shouldn't have!!!! Now you're going to be all over the headlines because of your breakout!!!! "Osc, who excites the bitch, fuck them, they need to know what a fucking little world Formula 1 is and what a fucking little puppet we are for them that they can play with as they please and like, they can suck my dick." We didn't even pay attention, but all the cameras took us and everyone took pictures of us, and even Lando gave them the fucking horse. ,,This is serious? You know you can't say." "Yes, fuck me, just like I'm tired of shit, I'm not acting anymore here, if that's what I want, I'll go to a fucking casting and I don't care how many weeks I am, I'll do it if I get in, okay, but no, as a child, if you didn't know, I was a child actor . Stupid child and I would choose this place over the shitty place right now. Get it.” I ran after him and slapped him. "You know, I was also a child actor, but now it's not about that, it's about what you said shouldn't have happened."

"Child actor, Child actor" I muttered to myself and looked for a cigarette in my back pocket, and for my lip ink, "mhhh Benefit is expensive but... How seriously did you take Oscar from me and throw it away?" Your good fucking mother!!!!!!” I took it out and imitated a fake kick in the ass, and he showed me how the hell you put on makeup if you can't see it. "Because if only you knew that I've been doing this since I was fourteen." ,,Landooooo fuck fourteen???? Are you screwed???? Good tests, huh?” I showed him it was full of liquid flavoring, it was undrinkable and the color was strange, it didn't smell like anything, but it did have a sparkle. "Liquid highliter and put it down, it flows very well." ,,This? It has bristles, but it's also cool." ,,That mascara and eyebrow gel, put my fucking make-up stuff down Osc this is fucking not funny!!!!! That's my contour stick, my foundation, concealer, bronzer, that's my fucking blush, that's my eyeshadow palette, and put it all down. Damn" "Good, okay..." I left Lando, who was just putting some cream on himself. "MR Piastri, where is his teammate?" "I don't know, I think he's already gone with him boyfriend, he has a date today, he said he went there, sir, I can't give him an interview, I'm sorry." I ran back panting with messy hair. ,,What's wrong?" "Fuck the fucking gossip press and they're asking about you." We looked outside and a good number of people gathered, none of us dared to go outside when ten minutes later we heard a knock. "I'm Loki, may I come in?" ,.Of course it is." "This is a fucking crowd, what the hell happened?" "I don't know either, except that some asshole asked me where Lando was, and I lied and saved the best and said that he was on a date with his friend, so I thought he wasn't here anymore." "Oscar, you bastard, we're going down because of you, everyone will know that me and Lando are a couple!!!" "Good, but I didn't tell you he was pregnant." "You wordy bastard Australian, can't you be like that?" "Get me, I'm confessing to them, you scumbags" I ran out angrily, slammed the door behind me and instead did everything against myself, kept my mouth shut, "I'm telling you he's on a date with his partner, leave him alone and on top of that, Lando Norris is gay, so he's not with a girl if they ask you idiots !!!!!” I looked in my phone and all the gossip sites were full of me, "Formula 1 driver Lando Norris is gay." I ran after Oscar, but I didn't really see spit anywhere, "Kill Oscar Piastri, you're bisexual or stupid!!!!" I felt Loki's palm on my back, bit my lip and killed him, "Fucking big scandal and it started as I predicted." "Yes, but I think we should go because I have a reservation at the restaurant at nine in the evening."

[mikeorazzi]

Behind the Scenes Portrait Photo Shoot Nikon D850 Nikon D3 Photography B...A little behind the scenes from spending some time photographing members of the Bristol Eastern High School Boys & Girls Basketball teams. Fun times, good luck the rest of the season. #sports #basketball #BEHS #connecticut #portraits 

[thebullitimes]

City centre to be filled with festive spirit for Carols

Picture: Boys in Bristol Photography on Pexels.com IT WILL be anything but a silent night on Thursday 12 December when Wollongong’s city centre is filled with festive spirit for Carols in MacCabe Park. The Carols in MacCabe Park event is being presented by Wollongong City Council and is expected to attract families keen to celebrate the most wonderful time of year. “This free event is open to…

[ulkaralakbarova]

Will is looking for an escape from his family when he encounters Lee, the school bully. Armed with a video camera and a copy of Rambo, Lee plans to make his own action-packed video epic. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Will Proudfoot: Bill Milner Lee Carter: Will Poulter Mary Proudfoot: Jessica Hynes Didier Revol: Jules Sitruk Joshua: Neil Dudgeon Lawrence Carter: Ed Westwick Grandma: Anna Wing Jess Proudfoot: Tallulah Evans French Teacher: Emilie Chesnais Geography Teacher: Paul Ritter Science Teacher: Adam Buxton Brethren Leader: Adam Godley Brethren Boy: Asa Butterfield Metal Work Teacher: Edgar Wright Lawrence’s Henchman: Adam Paul Harvey Rambo Double: Atila Emirali Nurse: Louise Jennings Film Crew: Associate Producer: Peter Nadermann Associate Producer: Michel Reilhac Associate Producer: Meinolf Zurhorst Music: Joby Talbot Director: Garth Jennings Executive Producer: Hengameh Panahi Associate Producer: Christian Baute Line Producer: Jane Robertson Director of Photography: Jess Hall Executive Producer: Benjamin Goldhirsh Producer: Trevor Evans Executive Producer: Bristol Baughan Editor: Dominic Leung Producer: Nick Goldsmith Sound Effects Editor: Joe Mount Movie Reviews:

[crubeens]

Foxglove

Photo by Boys in Bristol Photography on Pexels.com Foxglove is No Accidental Weed Ramble down any boreen, past stone walls,  farm fields, and cottages. You’ll often find foxglove standing sentinel, a sacred presence, sacred to the Old Ones, that is. Each bell-shaped bloom along the stalk invites bees to burrow in and gather food for it’s own hive. They hum in harmony, making music for the…

[chrisryanspeaks]

PORCHES Announces New Album Shirt Watch the Video for New Single “Joker” + Announces Fall North American Tour

Porches, the recording project of NYC’s Aaron Maine, announces his sixth studio album, Shirt, set for release on September 13 via Domino. Shirt blends angsty fantasy with confessional melodrama, oscillating between reality and make-believe to reflect both the innocence of suburban youth and the complexities of adulthood. The album is a fusion of chaotic impulses, insatiable desires, and a perpetual yearning, exploring the tension between one's personal identity and public persona. The result is a familiar yet uncanny rock album, featuring anthemic tributes to this intrinsic duality, built on a mix of crashing and caressing sounds. Check out “Joker” below: Today, Porches releases the new single “Joker,” characterized by an intoxicating kick and clap rhythm. The track repeats "God's grace" like a mantra, evoking pastoral Americana imagery, such as a boy and his dog, or a flag on a pole, while hinting at darker themes beneath the surface. The accompanying video for “Joker” is directed by Nick Harwood, with Ben Carey as the director of photography. PORCHES ON TOUR UK/EU 9/18 - Munich, DE @ Kranhalle 9/19 - Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club 9/20-21 - Hamburg, DE @ Reeperbahn Festival 9/22 - Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet 9/23 - Bruxelles, BE @ Botanique 9/24 - Paris, FR @ Point Éphémère 9/26 - Brighton, UK @ Chalk 9/27 - Bristol, UK @ Thekla 9/28 - Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall 9/30 - Glasgow, UK @ Stereo 10/1 - Birmingham, UK @ Mama Roux’s 10/2 - London, UK @ Heaven NORTH AMERICA 10/15 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair 10/16 – Washington, DC @ Atlantis 10/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts 10/18 – Durham, NC @ Motorco 10/19 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) 10/21 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In 10/22 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall 10/24 – St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam 10/25 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar 10/26 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge 10/28 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater 10/29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge 10/31 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom 11/1 – Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre 11/2 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza 11/6 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 11/7 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre 11/9 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar 11/12 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada 11/13 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s 11/15 - Birmingham, AL @ Workplay Theatre 11/16 - Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi 11/20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel Read the full article

[lovewales]

Libanus | by Boys in Bristol Photography

[thejournalisttintin]

I was going to put these in the order that I published, but ultimately decided to deviate a little from the original lineup.

For my next timeline, I've decided to do Chang, my baby goober 🥰 And this is also the first time I do a timeline with five pics, because there’s so much to discuss about this boy 😁

Headcanon info below!

Kid: As a child, Chang lived a relatively normal life. He had a nice home, and a loving family that took great care of him. His father was once a silk farmer and his mother was really into nature and enjoyed planting trees and flowers all around the house. Much of Chang’s childhood was spent exploring his family’s garden, and he was also wildly imaginative.

Chang also loved to draw a lot. He would spend time drawing pictures of plants and animals that passed by his home every day. So his family decided to save up money to get him his very own sketchbook and pencils to draw on.

(These are just my headcanons about his birth parents, I don’t know much else. If anyone can help me out, I’m open to suggestions…)

Early Preteen: Before the events of The Blue Lotus.

When the Japanese occupy Shanghai, Chang and his parents had to go into hiding. However, it wasn't enough to protect his parents from Japanese soldiers who broke into his home. Chang's mother told him to go hide in the closet once they heard loud banging on their door. Of course, Chang would have never imagined that those would be his mother's final words before she and her husband were shot at gunpoint.

After his parents were killed, young Chang wound up living on the streets, destitute and homeless. Left starving and vulnerable, Chang had to get creative in surviving on his own. He resorted to pickpocketing to get money for food, and in some cases, would steal food to feed himself. He managed to get away with it for a while, until he was eventually caught by local policemen. So Chang was later sent to an orphanage in the hopes that the people there would straighten him out.

Early teen: During the events of The Blue Lotus

Chang has been living in the orphanage for some time, after he was sent there by police to be straightened out. However, he didn’t exactly fit in with the other kids. He found it hard to adapt to a new environment, as he was plucked from the streets. He often had a habit of sneaking out, but as always, he wound getting caught and sent back.

And as if by ironic coincidence, the orphanage ends up being destroyed during a flood. Chang was the unlucky one and wound up getting swept away by the flood, nearly drowning. He is immediately rescued by Tintin, and they soon become friends after reflecting on each other’s experiences of how the world perceives them.

Teen: Chang is now living with his newly adopted family, the Wangs. Even if they had met for a short time, Chang kept thinking of Tintin and wrote to him every day. However, he still feels a bit apprehensive about the sudden change in environment, seeing how he first lived on the streets, then an institutional facility, and wound up nearly drowning.

Mr. and Mrs. Wang start noticing this affecting Chang’s personal life and education, so they decide to send him to London to live with his uncle for some time. However, along the way, his plane ends up crashing in the Himalayas while en route to Kathmandu. Once again left to survive on his own, Chang becomes hopeless thinking that no one will ever rescue him. Until a chance encounter with the yeti (also Tintin nearly risking life and limb to save him!) gave him some sliver of hope.

Current: Chang is now a college student in London, studying art history in Bristol. He also decides to get into photography, suggested by his friend Maxine(my OC). It took him a while to get used to using a camera, but with help from Maxine, he got very good at photography. He is also best friends with her younger sister Hanna, with whom he had a brief fling with.

He also takes part in a cultural study exchange program, which let him travel around. Of course, he couldn’t believe his luck when he found that he was heading to Brussels for this exchange. He and Tintin finally meet up again, and catch up on everything that has happened since they last met. And soon enough, their friendship starts to grow into something more…

There are a few more timelines I want to get through, so stay tuned!

[audiofuzz]

PORCHES Announces New Album Shirt Watch the Video for New Single “Joker” + Announces Fall North American Tour

Porches, the recording project of NYC’s Aaron Maine, announces his sixth studio album, Shirt, set for release on September 13 via Domino. Shirt blends angsty fantasy with confessional melodrama, oscillating between reality and make-believe to reflect both the innocence of suburban youth and the complexities of adulthood. The album is a fusion of chaotic impulses, insatiable desires, and a perpetual yearning, exploring the tension between one's personal identity and public persona. The result is a familiar yet uncanny rock album, featuring anthemic tributes to this intrinsic duality, built on a mix of crashing and caressing sounds. Check out “Joker” below: Today, Porches releases the new single “Joker,” characterized by an intoxicating kick and clap rhythm. The track repeats "God's grace" like a mantra, evoking pastoral Americana imagery, such as a boy and his dog, or a flag on a pole, while hinting at darker themes beneath the surface. The accompanying video for “Joker” is directed by Nick Harwood, with Ben Carey as the director of photography. PORCHES ON TOUR UK/EU 9/18 - Munich, DE @ Kranhalle 9/19 - Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club 9/20-21 - Hamburg, DE @ Reeperbahn Festival 9/22 - Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet 9/23 - Bruxelles, BE @ Botanique 9/24 - Paris, FR @ Point Éphémère 9/26 - Brighton, UK @ Chalk 9/27 - Bristol, UK @ Thekla 9/28 - Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall 9/30 - Glasgow, UK @ Stereo 10/1 - Birmingham, UK @ Mama Roux’s 10/2 - London, UK @ Heaven NORTH AMERICA 10/15 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair 10/16 – Washington, DC @ Atlantis 10/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts 10/18 – Durham, NC @ Motorco 10/19 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) 10/21 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In 10/22 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall 10/24 – St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam 10/25 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar 10/26 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge 10/28 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater 10/29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge 10/31 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom 11/1 – Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre 11/2 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza 11/6 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 11/7 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre 11/9 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar 11/12 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada 11/13 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s 11/15 - Birmingham, AL @ Workplay Theatre 11/16 - Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi 11/20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel Read the full article

[peach-and-cherryblossom]

[xtruss]

Fireflies and Lighthouses: A Tour of Maine’s MidCoast

Photographer Acacia Johnson savors oysters, retreats to a lakeside cabin, and captures the magic of Maine in a statewide tour.

— By Christina Nuñez | Photographs By Acadia Johnson | June 28, 2023

Joel Osgood fishes on the shore of Pemaquid Pond at Otyokwa near Bremen, Maine.

There's something about the light in Maine. During the day, sunshine reflects off crisp blue waters, casts angles across tidy seaside cottages, and illuminates curious creatures in tide pools.

The shoreline of Pemaquid Pond in Bremen, Maine at Otyokwa.

But it's the darker twilight and clear night skies that captivated Acacia Johnson when she first visited Maine as a photography student. Spending the summer in Rockport as an intern with Maine Media workshops, she experienced nights dotted with fireflies and stars, warm enough to take a lake swim. For Johnson, who grew up in Anchorage, Alaska—where summer is midnight sun season—it was a revelation.

"When I think back on that first summer in Maine, it was this experience of childlike wonder at things in the natural world that were actually very simple but, to me, seemed totally magical," Johnson says. The documentary photographer recently revisited Maine for a statewide tour. The journey reminded her, among other things, of what it was like to play with that remarkable light as a photography student years earlier.

"Being able to have these dreamy blue hours and colorful transitional light experiences almost every day in a variety of landscapes, everything from coastlines to mountains to pine forests and lakes—there was just so much there," she recalls. "It was very inspiring to me at the time."

Fresh, Delicious Wonders Along the Coast

Johnson's trip began in Maine's MidCoast and Islands region, where she boarded an oyster boat in the village of Pemaquid with knowledgeable captains to learn how Johns River Oyster brings its oysters from nursery to market. The farm tour is one of many available along the Maine Oyster Trail, where visitors learn and taste their way through the state's four oyster-producing regions.

Oyster farmers David Cheney and Charles Rose collect oysters at the Johns River Farm South Bristol, Maine. The two lifelong friends have been working in seafood here their whole lives.

The trail encompasses at least 75 businesses and offers oyster lovers rewards as they wend their way through raw bars, shuck trucks, and tours accessible both by boat and on foot at riverside farms.

"I had no idea how little I knew about oysters before this experience," Johnson says. "It was fun spending time with people who had a lifetime connection to the place where they live and work. It added a layer of depth to the time there."

A Peaceful Lakeside Retreat

Johnson also loved staying at Otyokwa, a former boys' camp for city kids established in 1935. Today, the 40-acre property next to Pemaquid Pond offers stays at its lakeside cabins, farmhouse, and two houseboats.

“My favorite photos were from the edge of the water at Otyokwa during an evening there. At twilight, the surface of the water turned silky and reflective, merging the clouds with the colors and depth of the lake. It was serene.” — Acacia Johnson National Geographic Photographer

The stay at Otyokwa, with the chance to go canoeing and swimming and just generally be immersed in that incredible light, Johnson notes, is part of what made the spot so special.

A historic boys camp established in 1935, this group of cabins has now been transformed into a lakeside retreat.

Special as it is, Otyokwa is one of many lodging options that give Maine visitors a way to slow down and appreciate the views. You can pitch a tent on spectacular campgrounds, stay at a bed and breakfast, or take on an outdoor adventure resort.

The scenes took Johnson back to that first formative trip to Maine. At the end of that summer, she channeled that "blue hour experience energy," as she calls it, into an Arctic photography expedition that became her first successful project.

"It was this immersive sensory experience that, in many ways, sparked so much of the rest of what happened in my photo career," Johnson says.

Lighthouse Views

At 3,478 miles, Maine has more coastline than any other state in the contiguous United States, giving it a wealth of both vistas and delicious seafood. Visitors to MidCoast and Islands find not only oysters but lobster shacks, storied dining destinations like The Lost Kitchen, and classic spots like Wasses, famed for its hot dogs.

Johnson also visited Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Park, with its Fishermen’s Museum and a light tower originally commissioned by John Quincy Adams in 1827 that is still active today. The museum preserves the fishing and marine heritage of the Bristol area, including captains’ logs and photos.

The Pemaquid Point Lighthouse faces out towards the sea in Bristol, Maine.

Pemaquid Point’s tower is one of more than 60 historic lighthouses in the state. Some of them are only accessible on Maine Open Lighthouse Day, which is held annually in September.