Acadia National Park Photography, Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor is one of those places that earns its reputation. We'd booked ourselves onto a tour of Acadia National Park through a company called Oli's Trolleys — hard to forget the name when your son is called Oliver — and it turned out to be one of those happy accidents that travel occasionally throws at you.

Our driver was genuinely funny, the kind of commentary that makes a coach tour feel less like a coach tour. He was also a photographer, which meant the stops weren't just scenic viewpoints ticked off a list — there was some actual thought behind them. He mentioned shooting the park in winter when the crowds thin out and the light gets serious. I made a mental note and immediately forgot to follow through.

This shot was grabbed at one of the stops — phone camera, no ceremony, just the view across Jordan Pond towards the Bubble mountains. Acadia in autumn does most of the work for you.