Exploring Fall Colors in Acadia National Park through Time-Lapse and Video

This is the fifth film created as part of the "More Than Just Parks" project by Will and Jim Pattiz, who we've featured before on past films. This new short takes place all the way out east, in Acadia National Park during the fall, where the changing colors of leaves dot the landscape alongside cliffs, hills, and bodies of water.

Acadia has an upcoming centennial, and this film was produced as a part of a celebration of that. What really stood out to me in this film, relative to their others, was the music. A wonderfully varied score matches well with changing landscapes and the occasional spotting of wildlife.

From the MTJP blog, I found some information about the gear they used while traveling by both vehicle and foot to make it to many different shoot locations within the expansive park.

Video was shot with a Blackmagic Production Camera 4K while stills were captured on Canon gear, including the 5D Mark III, 70-200mm f/4L IS I, and 16-35mm f2.8L II. Motion time-lapses utlized a Dynamic Perception Stage One Slider along with an Alpine Labs Radian and Michron.

Here's the previous film created by this team, featuring Redwood National and State Parks.

To learn more about the More Than Just Parks project or to donate (this is all self-funded), head over to their website.

Mike Wilkinson's picture

Mike Wilkinson is an award-winning video director with his company Wilkinson Visual, currently based out of Lexington, Kentucky. Mike has been working in production for over 10 years as a shooter, editor, and producer. His passion lies in outdoor adventures, documentary filmmaking, photography, and locally-sourced food and beer.

Log in or register to post comments
3 Comments

Acadia is kind of a strange place when it comes to photography. As a national park, it's not as "dramatic" as what's out west. I would call it genuinely charming. It's better to "be there" than to come away with wall-worthy prints. Plus, getting a monster breakfast in Bar Harbor is just as important as the day hikes on the island.

If that means it's less crowded, count me in.

Go after Labor Day.