Everyday moments in Maine documented by those who live in and love our state

Twenty years ago, I moved to Bar Harbor to attend College of the Atlantic. I immediately fell in love with Acadia National Park and stayed for over a decade. Since then, most of my time in Maine has been spent working as a carpenter on various islands—Mount Desert Island, Great Cranberry, and Peaks Island; the latter is where this photo was taken. I was waiting for the ferry home on one of the first days that felt like summer this year. The floats had just been put in the water and new boats were showing up every day—welcome sights after our long, cold winter. I loved the colors and textures of the wooden pylons and the rusting bollard with Little Diamond Island in the background.

I have always enjoyed taking photos, but the digital era of photography and the ability to take, store, sort, and edit a large volume of images has allowed me to practice and experiment. Also, as the quality of the cameras on our phones improves, it means I have a decent camera in my pocket at all times. Participating in photo-sharing communities like Instagram provides added motivation to take, edit, and share photos every day. That constant engagement has helped improve my skills. The landscape of Maine certainly helps too; there’s something beautiful everywhere you look.

During a typical year I’d be outdoors all the time—hiking, biking, running, and cross-country skiing. A temporary injury has forced me to slow down. The silver lining is that this slower speed has allowed for a deeper creative expression through photographs of the world around me.

Edward Muennich grew up in southwestern Ohio and has lived in Oregon, Alaska, and the Czech Republic, where he worked as a carpenter and a studio assistant for jewelers, potters, and other crafters. Currently he lives in Portland and works primarily as a carpenter on Peaks Island, and retreats to camp on a lake in northern Maine.