Tags
Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Coast, Maine, morning, National Park, New England, Road Trip, Tourism, travel
In the distance is Acadia National Park’s Beehive, photographed on a cool late November morning from Sand Beach.
08 Tuesday Mar 2016
Posted Landscapes, Photo of the Day, Photography, Travel Photography
inTags
Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Coast, Maine, morning, National Park, New England, Road Trip, Tourism, travel
In the distance is Acadia National Park’s Beehive, photographed on a cool late November morning from Sand Beach.
03 Thursday Mar 2016
Posted Landscapes, Photo of the Day, Photography, Travel Photography
inTags
Acadia, Acadia National Park, Coast, Granite, Maine, ME, National Park, New England, Road Trip, Rocks, Rocky Coastline, travel, Travel Photography
Camera: Canon 6D
Lens: 24-105mm f 4 L
Focal Length: 24mm
Aperture: f 8.0
Shutter speed: 1/125 of a second
ISO: 100
02 Wednesday Mar 2016
Posted Landscapes, Photography, Travel Photography
inTags
Acadia, Acadia National Park, Coast, Maine, Moss, National Park, New England, Rocks, Rocky Coastline, Seaweed, Surf, travel
Camera: Canon 6D
Lens: 24-105mm f4 L
Focal Length: 47mm
Aperture: f 8
Shutter speed: 1/200 of a second
ISO: 100
27 Saturday Feb 2016
Posted Landscapes, Photo of the Day, Photography, Travel Photography
inTags
Acadia, Acadia National Park, autumn, Coast, Cove, fall, Maine, Monument Cove, morning, National Park, New England, Road Trip, Rocks, Rocky Coastline, travel
We visited the family last Thanksgiving and rather than spending the weekend in a shopping center, I decided to head to Acadia National Park. It was an eerie experience. I tend to visit the park during the summer months. The park is full of people. While the park’s facilities are closed after late October, the Park Loop Road and most trails are still open to visitors. I literally had the park to myself. I probably saw four people all day. So here is a little tip, if you are thinking of visiting Acadia National Park and you can’t get there in the summer, an option is to visit during the fall.
24 Wednesday Feb 2016
Posted Landscapes, Photo of the Day, Photography, Travel Photography
inTags
Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Cadillac Mountain, Eagle Lake, Granite, Maine, ME, Mount Desert Island, National Park, Summer, Sunset, travel
Most wake-up early to get a glimpse of the sunrise on the summit of Cadillac Mountain in Maine’s Acadia National Park.
But here is a little secret. Seeing the sunset on top of Cadillac is a pretty amazing experience too.
During the sunrise, you have to fight the crowds and it is sometimes difficult to get a wide angle shot without people in the frame. This is not a problem during the sunset.
Next you time are planning to visit Acadia consider experiencing the “Cadillac Sunset” . Bring a sweater, a picnic blanket, some food, and a sturdy tripod. Stick around for an hour after the sun sets and you could also photograph the the Milky Way.
Camera: Canon 6D
Lens: EF 24-105mm f4 L
Focal Length: 24mm
Aperture: f 5.6
Shutter: 1/100 of a second
ISO: 100
12 Friday Feb 2016
Tags
Acadia National Park, Bernie Sanders, Bernie2016, delegates, Democratic, Democratic National Committee, Establishment, Feelthebern, Fundraising, Hillary Clinton, Hillary2016, imwithher, Liberal, New Hampshire, Primary, Progressive, superdelegates
Bernie Sanders’ victory in the New Hampshire democratic primary was nothing short of impressive. The Vermont Senator’s win has raised serious questions about Hillary Clinton’s electability. This does not mean that Sanders will secure the nomination. But, the fact that he beat the former Secretary of State by 22% signals two crucial things. First, his message is gaining traction with many Americans. Second, Sanders has been able to raise the necessary funding to a establish very nimble campaign that has outperformed Clinton’s more expensive political organization. While Sanders still faces some serious challenges going into Nevada and South Carolina, his win demonstrates that Sanders is not a mere fringe candidate.
It would be foolhardy to dismiss his victory as “a matter of geography” – an explanation peddled by Clinton’s surrogates in the closing days of the race. It is true that the majority of New Hampshire primary-goers have supported the presidential aspirations of candidates of neighboring states. But this justification insults New Hampshire voters’ intellect. In New Hampshire, voters study their candidates very carefully, they expect the candidates to spend a lot of time answering their questions, and they usually make-up their minds late in the game.
While both of them were well known in the state, New Hampshire voters have been instrumental in “Clintonworld”. Who can forget the 1992 primary when New Hampshirites helped Bill Clinton secure an improbable second place finish, reenergizing his campaign. Or Hillary Clinton’s 2008 come-from-behind victory in a crowded race, stunning Barack Obama’s campaign and giving her campaign a needed boost. While Sanders was well known in the Granite State, Clinton had the upper hand in terms of name recognition.
In addition, Clinton’s support from the state’s Democratic establishment was a huge advantage. And while it is true that voters across the nation are frustrated with the political establishment, candidates spend a lot of time trying to gain these endorsements. For starters, these endorsements can reduce the costs of setting up a campaign. More importantly, and this point relates to the Democratic nomination process, candidates are not only competing for popular votes but also for superdelegates’ support.
A Little Side Note | How big of an advantage are endorsements? Before New Hampshire primary-goers casted their ballots, Clinton had already won the support of six out of the Granite State’s eight superdelegates. Thus, although Sanders won the popular vote by 22%, earning 15 pledge delegates, Clinton still managed to secure 15 total delegates – nine pledge delegates plus the aforementioned six superdelegates. Superdelegates can change their minds in the future. Although given the divisions in the party, it is unlikely that this will happen until later in the nomination process. |
Given these advantages, Clinton should not have lost by 22%.In fact, a few days before the primary, Jeff Woodburn, one of the state’s top democratic leader, told the National Review’s Brenan Borderlon, that Clinton was going to do better than people expected, saying: “This is not going to be a 20-point race. I think it is going to be closer than that, and I think she’s going to get the momentum to go forward.” Like I said in earlier posts (here and here), she could have claimed a moral victory had she been able to win the vote of registered Democrats or close his lead to under 10%.
In the end, Sanders’ impressive victory is not only connected to the strength of his message but his campaign’s ground operations. The fact that he was able to build a political organization that rivaled Clinton’s is a noteworthy accomplishment. Let’s look at some facts.
An ABC News report shows that the Sanders campaigned opened 18 field offices, while the Clinton campaign only open 11. In terms of get-out-of-the-vote centers, the Clinton campaign had eight to Sanders’ 30. A Politico story also noted that the Sanders campaign spent $8.5 million and the Clinton campaign spent $7.8 million. In terms of media buys in the closing weeks before the primary, the Clinton camp spent $800,000, while team Sanders spent $2.8 million. While these numbers suggest that the Clinton campaign was outspent, these figures do not take into account SuperPAC spending on behalf of the Clinton campaign. According to Reid Nielson of Morning Consult, total Clinton spending was closer to $10.8 million.
While each campaign’s spending totals demonstrate the importance each placed on winning New Hampshire, these figures obscure the fact that the Sanders campaign’s fundraising prowess trumped the Clinton campaign’s strategy. It seems that in the closing days of the campaign, the Clinton campaign did not have the resources to match its rival’s efforts and the result was a big loss that has not only raised questions about her electability, but also about her campaign’s ability to adapt to the new contours of the race.
While Sanders’ message has energized liberals in the United States, what sets him apart from other fringe candidates is that his campaign has the resources to mount a national campaign. In Iowa and New Hampshire, voters expect the candidates to spend a lot of time in their states talking about the issues. But because the upcoming schedule of caucus and primaries prevent this type of politicking, media advertising will be even more important. The Sanders campaign’s ability to raise more than $30 million since 1 January in small donors contributions must be keeping Clinton and her advisers awake at night.
So far, the Sanders campaign has proven to be more nimble that Clinton’s. Indeed, the Sanders campaign’s overhead costs are lower. Based on campaign finance records, the Washington Post recently reported that in 2015 Sanders “spent $5.4 million on payroll to her $25.4 million and $400,402 on travel to Clinton’s $1.8 million.” According to an article in the Hufftington Post, the Sanders campaign spent less than $1 million polling, while the Clinton campaign seems to have spent between $2.8 to $3.3 million for these services.
Difference between each campaign’s expenses can be explained by each campaign’s fundraising strategies. Off her reported 700 staffers, a lot of them are dedicated to fundraising. This contrasts with Sanders’ decision not to build a fundraising team, primarily relying on online donations. Because she has mostly relied on big donors, Clinton has spent a lot more time on the road fundraising than Sanders has – hence her higher travel budget.
So not only did Sanders bringing in more money than the Clinton campaign, but because his campaign has less overhead costs, he can dedicate more resources to advertising, travel and ground operations. This reality will force the Clinton campaign to increase fundraising efforts and take her out of the campaign trail. The last thing she wants to do is meet with her big donors, which have strong connections to Wall Street or corporate America. Attending opulent fundraising parties will also send the wrong signal to many voters who think Clinton is an out of touch politician who does not understand the struggles of middle class and working class Americans.
So why did Sanders’ win the New Hampshire by such a big margin? His campaign did what many political commentators thought impossible. It outspent the Clinton campaign and it built a very nimble political organization that has the financial resources and capacity to develop sophisticated ground operations to target voters and to get them out to vote. Can he replicate this formula in the upcoming caucuses and primaries? Will the Clinton campaign adapt to Sanders’ strategy? Only time will tell. But Sander’s impressive victory in New Hampshire demonstrates, that his campaign has all the elements of a winning strategy – a clear message, energized supporters, lots of money, and the capacity to organize a sophisticated ground game.
10 Wednesday Feb 2016
Tags
Acadia National Park, Cadillac Mountain, Galactic Core, Light trails, Maine, Milky Way, National Park, Summit
For the last year, I have been learning how to photograph the night sky. Early last year, I was in Maine visiting my in-laws and I decided to venture out in the middle night to take some images of the starry night. I was in search of the Milky Way and little did I know it was not visible at that time of the year.
I visited Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks in June 2015. One of my goals was to take a few photos of the Milky Way. While I had no problem finding the constellation’s galactic core, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although Wyoming has some pretty dark skies, at 3:30am the Milky Way was on top of Jackson and my composition was not that great. The night was not a complete loss. I did take some nice photos of the Teton Range at night and I got some amazing shots of the sunrise.
I returned once again to Maine during the Perseid meteor shower in mid-August of 2015. By this time, I had a better idea of what I was doing. I downloaded an app that helped me track the movement of the Milky Way and I captured some pretty nice photos of its galactic core in Acadia National Park.
I am still learning how to post-process photos of the night sky. I recently acquired a Rokinon 14mm f 2.8 lens which will help me get sharper images of the stars and wider compositions that will capture the Milky Way in one frame. I am eagerly waiting for April when the Milky Way will be visible once again in my neck of the woods.
Today’s photo is an accident of sorts. I was on the summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park to photograph the sunset and to take some photos of the Milky Way. When I got to the top of the mountain, there was virtually no wind. But once the sun set, the winds started to pick up, making long-exposure photography quite difficult. I did have a heavy tripod and few sand bags to provide more stability but those 25 miles per hour winds were slightly shaking the camera. Needless to say, I was pretty annoyed. I decided to regroup and head to another location where the wind would be less strong.
As I was driving down the mountain, I decided to pull over the side of the road to test my luck. While the wind was not as strong, my challenge was the many cars driving up down the road. These cars did ruin many shots, but this one came out OK. I think I will try to recreate this photo this summer, but I may try to use a graduated neutral density filter to balance the dark sky with the light trails made by the cars.
Camera: Canon 6D
Lens: EF 24-105mm f4 L
Focal Length: 24mm
Aperture: f 4
Shutter: 20 seconds
ISO: 6400
Post-processing: Edited in Lightroom and Perfect Effects 9.0.
09 Tuesday Feb 2016
Posted Landscapes, Photo of the Day, Photography, Travel Photography
inTags
Acadia, Acadia National Park, autumn, beach, fall, Maine, morning, National Park, Path, Sand Beach, sunburst, sunrise, Trail
This is the trail leading to Acadia National Park’s Sand Beach in an a late autumn morning, captured with a Sigma 10-20mm (f 4.5-56) lens on my old, but trusty Canon T2i. Here are some details on the exposure: f 14, 1/4oth of a second, and ISO 200.