Our friend Jamie Watkins is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer based in Brooklyn. When not in the big city, he’s typically shucking fresh oysters and enjoying a cold one at his place on Nantucket. With an adventurous spirit and a passion for shooting film, Jamie doesn’t hesitate to go off the grid.

We rounded up one of his recent trips to Maine shot on a Sony A7sii, a Mamiya 100DTL (35mm), and a Nikon N70 (35mm). It’s safe to say, he’s no stranger to The Way Life Should Be. Enjoy!

“The great Maine wilderness writer Edmund Ware Smith once wrote a piece titled “One Lane Roads to Nowhere” about Maine’s logging roads, and their history dating back to the days of horse-drawn logging. About 20 minutes into my drive that title felt quite accurate. This entire area is connected through a series of logging roads and ATV/snowmobile trails. Seemingly endless stretches of unforgiving dirt roads scattered with jagged rocks, some the size of softballs, ready to shred tires and leave you stranded in the woods.” - Jamie Watkins

Wabassus Lake

“It was a long day, but ending up at this site felt like fate. It was so beautiful! A gorgeous lakefront site with an amazing natural fire pit carved into a seven foot tall boulder that blocked all wind blowing off the lake and into camp.” - Jamie Watkins

Grand Lake Stream

“I dumped my gear in my cabin, 'The Den’, and headed out to Grand Lake Stream to get a little fishing in before enjoying my first home-cooked dinner in days. This trip was my first experience fishing for landlocked salmon so my expectations were moderate, but my curiosity was high and I was eager to learn everything I could. I didn’t have any luck that afternoon swinging streamers at the Hatchery Pool or Little Falls.” - Jamie Watkins

Third Machias Lake & The Machias River

“After a home-cooked breakfast, I was ready to head out for a day of fishing with my guide for the day, Todd. The plan was to fish for smallmouth bass during the morning on Third Machias Lake, find a the primitive campsite on one of the lake’s small islands to make a guide’s lunch over an open fire, then head back out to split the afternoon between fishing the lake for smallmouth and the Machias River for bass and Brookies. It sounded like an awesome day to me!

The afternoon was definitely more productive fishing-wise. We got into dozens of smallmouth bass — both on fly rods and spinning, drifting into little coves and around rock structures, casting our lines at hungry bass.” - Jamie Watkins

DOWNEAST

“Forgoing the more popular Mount Desert Island side of Acadia National Park I had decided to get a campsite at the Schoodic Woods campground on Schoodic Peninsula for the night. For a long time I had wanted to find a spot along the Schoodic Loop Road called the Raven’s Nest. That was my day’s mission.” - Jamie Watkins

“After packing up at Schoodic I was headed south towards Deer Isle for the night. On the drive south along the coast, it’s hard to miss the significance that lobster serves this area. Every passing harbor is filled with lobster boats, most front lawns have at least a handful of traps stacked up. One senses how much of a point of pride it is, and a fabric of these coastal communities.

Perhaps none more so than Stonington. As I walked the town and its piers, it’s difficult to picture a more quintessentially New England lobster community.” - Jamie Watkins