The Hip Explorer by Kevin

Exploring Maine one step at a time. Photography, stories, and the journey that inspired The Hip Explorer.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

The Footbridge on the Belfast Harbor Walk, a little before dawn.

Give it a few hours and it’ll be dog walkers, joggers, and somebody stopping dead in the middle for a selfie.

Right now, it’s just me, the lamps, and a few geese who clearly have somewhere better to be.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

Grab your coffee and come sit with me.

I know. It's too damn early. Watch your footing on those rocks, because I'm not hauling anybody out before I've had my coffee.

The sun's coming up. In an hour, the world will want something from us.

But right now? It can wait.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

Started editing this one and somehow ended up with something that looks more like a painting than a photograph.

Wasn't exactly the plan, but I kind of like where it ended up.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

I’ve always liked the way fog changes a familiar place.

A harbor that’s usually full of color and noise turns into something else. The shoreline fades, the houses go, and all that’s left are a couple of lobster boats sitting quietly on the water.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

Penobscot Narrows Bridge & Observatory.

I've been to the top. Once.

The view is incredible, but this grumpy old man prefers having solid ground a little closer to his feet.

Who's made the trip up? Were you enjoying the view or wondering what the hell you were thinking?

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

I've looked at this damn sunrise a hundred times, and it still screws with my eyes. 😂

The clouds and reflections almost blend together. Then I start noticing the little stuff, like the bubbles on the water and tiny lights along the shore.

What catches your eye first?

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

Maine weather has always been deeply suspicious of happiness.

Weeks of gray skies, cold, and general misery.

Then it pulls something like this.

Apparently, somebody forgot to tell the sky we're supposed to be miserable.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

Remember when Maine was green and we could go outside without freezing something off? 😂

A few favorites from this summer's wandering. Back roads, rocky coastlines, flowers, and some pretty incredible skies.

Covered a lot of ground. Hit a lot of potholes.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

My joints complain, my back complains, and the weather rarely cooperates. Yet I keep heading into the woods.

The camera comes along, but it's not why I go.

Sometimes I just need a little quiet to clear my head.

And a view like this doesn't exactly hurt.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

Alone, Beneath the Weight of the Sky

One lone tree beneath an enormous, restless sky. No brilliant colors. No spectacular sunset. Just a small, fragile shape standing against something much larger than itself.

The Hip Explorer | Monochrome Collection

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

Apparently, even the sun wakes up pissed off sometimes.

I watched it push through the dark clouds, turning everything a ridiculous shade of red.

Just one big, angry yellow ball looking like it had a serious problem with the world.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

Maine really has no business looking this damn good before breakfast.

Just a little fog drifting across still water, trees showing off their autumn colors, and a pond that looks like the rest of the world hasn't woken up yet.

📍 Knight Pond | Northport, Maine

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

Halfway to Belfast when I realized I'd left my coffee sitting on the kitchen counter.

Wonderful. Off to a great start.

After a few photos in Belfast, I stopped at Knight Pond on the way home. The water was perfectly still, with morning mist drifting across it.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

If you're ever in Belfast around sunrise, take a stroll along the Harbor Walk.

Even if you're not a morning person, it's worth dragging yourself out of bed for.

📍 Belfast, Maine

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

A foggy Monday morning in an old cemetery. Gravestones disappearing into the mist, not a soul around.

At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

Beautiful place. Peaceful, too. Until you start hearing things.

Probably just my imagination.

📍 Waterville, Maine

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

What are you afraid of?

There's something about an old cemetery in October. The fading leaves, weathered stones, and the uneasy feeling that you're not quite alone.

I gave this photograph a darker, more sinister edit. No ghosts added. Didn't need them.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

Last night's Moon, photographed with my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL and a small tripod.

Not bad for a cell phone. 🌕📱

#MadeByGoogle #TeamPixel #GooglePixel #Pixel10ProXL #MoonPhotography

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

I shared a picture of Theo last night, but I figured this little guy deserved a post all to himself.

I mean, look at that face.

Those eyes, those cheeks, and that expression. He's already got the whole world figured out, and the rest of us are just here to entertain him.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

Thirty degrees this morning, and somehow I convinced myself that standing beside a pond with a camera was a perfectly reasonable way to spend a Sunday.

Made a stop at Knight Pond after sunrise, hoping to catch a little autumn color and maybe some lingering fog.

[The Hip Explorer by Kevin @HipExplorer]

Went to the Curtis Island Overlook in Camden Saturday morning hoping for a peaceful sunrise.

Instead, I got a diesel truck, a backhoe, screeching tracks, and chunks of concrete being dropped onto a trailer.

I suppose we both had a productive Saturday morning.