Land's End on Bailey Island. (Pepper Gross) |
Guests at The Daniel or visitors to the Coast Bar +Bistro can get a picturesque window into the soul of life on Maine’s coast and
they have local photographer Pepper Gross to thank. Gross is the perfect
example of the kind of local talent we want to use to inflect the spirit of the
region into the guest experience at our hotel.
A native of Brunswick, Gross is in her senior year at
Wheaton College in Chicago, studying international business with a minor in
fine art photography and digital arts.
The 21-year-old has a passion for travel and has visited
almost 30 countries throughout the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Africa, using
her keen eye for landscape and the essence of local environment to document her
travels with photos. She loves exploration, discovery and the use of
photography to capture the diverse people and landscapes that the world has to
offer.
For The Daniel, she turned this passion and vision toward
the coast of Maine and the places she grew up. She contributed about 60 photos
that are placed throughout The Daniel and the Coast Bar + Bistro.
The setting is mostly Harpswell, including Bailey Island,
Orr’s Island, and popular local spot Popham Beach.
“For these photos I focused on the coastal area of Maine.
I have grown up around here and I know all the scenic spots to take pictures,”
Gross says. “I tried to take pictures that will engage both the locals and
people who have not seen these types of places.”
The photos emphasize the variances of light in an oceanic
setting, the ocean’s interaction with nature and the infusion of man-made
objects representing the connection of people to the sea.
Gross calls the photos classic Maine images, similar to
travel photography with a mixture of landscapes and close ups. They incorporate
fine art, macro shot and still life photography techniques.
The motif of images connected to the ever-present lobster
industry is common throughout the photos, as is the capture of trivial tidbits
of the coast life set against the omnipresence of the ocean.
Gross’ favorite photo is a black and white capture of the
statue of a fisherman in Land’s End on Bailey Island. The statue is an ode to
fishermen, living and dead, and the lives they lead and the importance of their
contributions to the local culture.
“That kind of just typifies the area I grew up in,” she
says. “It is a classic statue that pays tribute to fishermen, who work hard all
their lives.”
Cribstone Bridge, Orr's Island. (Pepper Gross) |
“This picture shows the way that Maine-ards make a living
off of tourism and also shows what the locals do — it is a combination of these
two things,” Gross said.
The photos include both black and white, but Gross does
profess a particular affinity to the black and white images. “I really love
black and white. The ones that look best in black and white are generally my
favorites,” she says.
One of the things Gross also loved about the assignment
was the chance to revisit places familiar to her with a critical eye. “It was
really neat just kind of looking at what I have grown up with in a different
light,” she added.
At The Daniel we want to help our guests experience
coastal Maine living and the way Gross was able to walk through the region with
her photos helps them do just that. The photos have already received numerous
compliments and there is no doubt they will be a talking point for all our
visitors.
See below for more samples of Pepper Gross’ photos
currently at The Daniel and the Coast Bar + Bistro.
Lobsterman's wharf, Bailey Island. (Pepper Gross) |
Bailey Island. (Pepper Gross) |
Popham Beach. (Pepper Gross) |
To
check out some of Pepper Gross’ other photography visit: Pepperspray.
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