Bar Harbor: National Geographic On Campus

Ashley Bryan on Little Cranberry Island

2009-07-06T12:12:00.005-04:00

One highlight of the trip for many was a visit to illustrator Ashley Bryan's "magical" home on Little Cranberry Island. We rode a mail boat ferry to the island and had the chance to meet Bryan, winner of the Coretta Scott King award and the Arbuthnot Prize. His home is filled with his art and warm spirit.

A group photo

2009-07-06T12:09:00.003-04:00

Our group poses for a photograph 520 feet up, after hiking the Beehive.

A Tired Blog!

2009-07-06T11:34:00.004-04:00

We are having a great time here in Maine. Today we took a boat ride, a hike to 'the Beehive', a lake swim, and we even topped it all off with pizza and the Pixar movie 'Up'.

After all this photography and fun, we're just plain tired! See our photos below!

Monday night we will present our best photographic work to the community at an event open to the public. Check out the flyer for more information. All are welcome!

A Blueberry Pancake Breakfast video

2009-07-04T07:06:00.001-04:00

Pancake Breakfast | NG On Campus: Bar Harbor from Elie Gardner on Vimeo.

Goodbye to Amy

2009-07-04T07:05:00.000-04:00

We said goodbye to Amy on Thursday night. We were so lucky to have someone as talented, humble, insightful and fun! Amy's words will echo in our minds as we finish out our On Assignment work in Bar Harbor. One of the most memorable - and we think important - lessons that she taught us was to engage. One dictionary defines the word engage as "to become involved." Our students have become very successful at going out into the community and asking questions, having conversations and, yes, engaging. We thank Amy for that important lesson.

. . . a few more student photos

2009-07-04T06:58:00.003-04:00

More Student Work

2009-07-03T10:55:00.007-04:00

Hello all,

Last night we did a short critique and show of our latest work. Wow! Look at the improvement! We are so proud of our students and believe that their thoughtful photos do justice to the Mount Desert Island community. Enjoy the photos!

-Elie and Mike

Up at dawn

2009-07-02T13:11:00.006-04:00

This morning everyone got out of bed at about 3:30 a.m. (yes, parents, it's true!). We headed to Sand Beach to watch the sunrise. Although the morning was mostly foggy (okay, all foggy) we learned a lesson in being prepared and always anticipating beautiful light. We also managed to make some great images of the sand, moving water, beach and each other!

Students in action

2009-07-02T09:19:00.003-04:00

Hello all,

We are filling our days with photography of all kinds. So far we've photographed Acadia National Park, both in the forests and along the shores, downtown Bar Harbor, sunset from the top of Cadillac Mountain, the Bass Harbor Lighthouse and the locals on Little Cranberry Island, to name a few.

The students are really learning about their cameras and becoming more open to approach people. Technically, they are using their shutter speeds and apertures to achieve the photos they want. We've been amazed with the improvement we've seen even since they arrived.

Today we made time for a bit of fun with swimming and a 10-mile bike ride on the beautiful carriage roads of the island. A few students rode bikes for the first time and loved it!

Expert Amy Toensing and more student photography

2009-07-01T10:44:00.005-04:00

Highlights from yesterday include expert Amy Toensing joining us and meeting Acadia Park Ranger Noreen Hogan at Seawall. We hope you enjoy the photographs (most of which are taken by students) below!

National Geographic Expert Amy Toensing

Acadia Park Ranger Noreen Hogan

photo by Jason

photo by Reed

photo by Leah Sheppard

photo by Emily

photo by Jonathan

photo by Leah Stansky

photo by Victoria

photo by Sean

photo by Sarah

A Video Hello to Moms and Dads

2009-07-01T09:36:00.002-04:00

Hi, Mom and Dad! | NG On Campus: Bar Harbor from Elie Gardner on Vimeo.

Student Photography

2009-06-30T09:20:00.003-04:00

Here are a few of the many, many great images captured by our students yesterday. We wish we could post all of them!

photo by Evan

photo by Madeline

photo by Mackenzie

photo by Natalie

photo by Samantha

photo by Valerie

Photos from the first day

2009-06-29T19:32:00.004-04:00

Hello all,

Today we started the day laying out ground rules and making goals for our time here in Bar Harbor. The students drew a circle (which turned into a rather cute bear, see photo below!) and together we brainstormed a list of qualities that we wanted in our circle, such as creativity, patience and love. We also decided on a few of the things we'd rather leave out, like disrespect and gossip. Afterward, we got out and played a few icebreaker games. In one of the photographs, we are playing a fun game called Evolution.

Then, after a technical talk, we turned the students loose in the Bar Harbor community. Tonight, we'll critique their first assignments. Look for some student photos on the blog soon!

-Elie and Mike

Greetings from College of the Atlantic

2009-06-29T09:26:00.005-04:00

Today all 15 students made it to the dorms at College of the Atlantic, our home base for the next 10 days. As the students arrived, card games began. We all shared dinner together at Take-a-Break, College of the Atlantic's dining hall which has been rated best college food by the Princeton Review.

After dinner we got to know one another by sharing pictures of our families, friends, pets and other interests. By the end of the day many of the students had found connections to each other. Two girls, who happen to be roommates, are both from towns called Wayne. Two girls have apple allergies. Another set of roommates both play field hockey.

It's a fantastic group of students, and we can't wait to get out into the Bar Harbor community tomorrow with our cameras.

Until soon,
Elie and Mike

A video welcome to Bar Harbor

2009-06-28T14:01:00.002-04:00

NG On Campus: Bar Harbor from Elie Gardner on Vimeo.

Meet the On Campus Leaders

2009-06-01T16:36:00.006-04:00

Photography

Elie Gardner. University of Missouri, B.J. Elie is an award-winning, St. Louis-based photojournalist and educator. She majored in Journalism at the University of Missouri and spent six months studying in San José, Costa Rica at the University of Costa Rica. She studied journalism and photography with the Associated Press’ Diverse Voices/Diverse Visions program and in a six-week fellowship at the Poynter Institute. Elie was a crew member for the Missouri Photo Workshop in 2003 and 2005, and directed the photo sequence at the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists’ Minority Journalism Workshop in 2007 and 2008, a position she will hold again in fall 2009. She completed photography internships with the Columbia Daily Tribune, the Grand Forks Herald, and The Tico Times in San José, Costa Rica, and worked as the online photo editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She is currently an adjunct professor at Webster University and a staff photographer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Elie is proficient in Spanish. Some of her photography, multimedia and editing work may be viewed online at www.eliegardner.com.

Photography

Mike Kautz. Middlebury College, B.A.; University of Montana, M.F.A. Mike majored in English and Environmental Studies at Middlebury, where he spent a semester at Lund University in Sweden and a winter term in the Dominican Republic on a traveling writing workshop with the author Julia Alvarez. After graduating he completed a semester program in documentary photography at the Salt Institute in Portland, Maine, where his subjects included moose hunters, French-Canadian musicians, and volunteer firefighters. Mike took on a photojournalism internship at the Salt Lake Tribune, spent three summers working as a publications photographer for Overland Adventures, LLC, in England, France, Switzerland, the Western U.S., and Alaska, and worked as an instructor at a National Geographic Photo Camp in Maine. He served as huts manager for the Appalachian Mountain Club in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, where he oversaw one hundred seasonal employees and managed the AMC’s High Mountain Search and Rescue operations. Mike recieved a Master of Fine Arts in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Montana. Some of his photography may be viewed on-line at www.quistphoto.com. Mike co-led the National Geographic Student Expedition to Tanzania in 2008.

Welcome!

2009-06-01T12:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome family and friends of National Geographic Student Expeditions participants!

We have created this blog in order to keep you updated on the progress of your child’s National Geographic Student Expedition this summer. We hope that occasional updates throughout the program will help keep you informed about the activities, projects and successes of the program. Please keep in mind that the leaders’ first priority is the students and the program. If updates are infrequent, it is likely due to the group’s very busy schedule. Please know that any important issues that arise during the program will be discussed and resolved with leaders and parents by phone, not through the blog.

Best wishes from us all at National Geographic Student Expeditions