Last updated: December 5, 2024
Article
Portraits of Acadia: Brady Richards
NPS photo by Brady Richards
I was a seasonal Visual Information Specialist at Acadia National Park. This was my first season at Acadia, but I have been working for the National Park Service since 2021. My two previous parks were Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve and Mesa Verde National Park—where I worked as an interpretive park ranger, giving ranger programs and staffing the visitor center information desk.
I always dreamed of working for the National Park Service since I was a child. I have fond memories of my family’s annual summer vacations, where instead of visiting beaches and cities. My family’s vacations always consisted of driving across the country to explore various national parks. I have seen dozens and dozens of them over the years, and I always admire and find a source of inspiration about how unique each park is. No two parks are alike.
My love of photography began around the same time. I first tried using my parents camera during a trip to Badlands National Park in South Dakota when I asked if I could borrow their Nikon D60. Later as a high school senior, I bought my first camera—Canon Rebel T6. And well, that officially began my journey in photography.
NPS photos by Brady Richards
Throughout the season, I dedicated much of my time to photographing and documenting various activities and events within Acadia National Park from the park’s perspective. I captured the work of numerous departments, taking thousands of images that ranged from prescribed burns and children participating in educational programs to invasive plant species removal on smaller park-owned islands. These images will enhance the park’s image library for years to come, raising the overall quality of its imagery. I am proud of my contributions and look forward to seeing how these images will be used in the future.
I regularly updated the park’s website and contributed to Acadia National Park’s social media accounts, including Facebook and Instagram. Over the summer, I wrote and published more than 50 posts, covering topics such as educational content, safety reminders, and event recaps.
Photos courtesy of Brady Richards, used with permission.
My two favorite memories from working at Acadia both involved late, chilly nights spent with friends by my side, capturing unforgettable moments. I photographed the aurora borealis dancing over Jordan Pond and the Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS shining brightly overhead at Seawall. Documenting these once-in-a-lifetime events and sharing them with the world through social media are experiences I am incredibly proud to have added to my portfolio and are memories that I will never forget.
One of my proudest achievements at Acadia was expanding the Portraits of Acadia page. When I started, the page featured personal testimonies from just ten park staff, many of whom had since moved on to other parks. These profiles had been created six years prior to my contributions. As I began working on the page, I reviewed who was currently featured and their roles, making a list of additional positions and partners to highlight within the time I had remaining in the season.
I am proud to have broadened the scope of Portraits of Acadia, creating a fuller, more well-rounded depiction of the people who help run the park and make everything possible.
– Brady Richards, Visual Information Specialist
NPS photo by Brady Richards
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