We are now firmly in our second "stick" season. The air is warming but the trees are showing only the swelling buds that promise the glory to come. Like in November after the leaf drop, we are in the middle of a few weeks of tough sledding for New England photography. Sadly, our spring stick season has the added disadvantage of being the mud season as well, but given the generous spring run-off, it has the major advantage of being one of the best times to enjoy and shoot our regional waterfalls.
The waterfalls are the primary savior of this time of year. I've been out shooting some of my local favorites and I'm reminded of the benefits and challenges of capturing the flowing water in the early spring.
The Benefits
The
obvious advantage of shooting spring waterfalls is the generous flow of the
spring run-off. At no other time of the year is the strength of the cascading
water as predictably powerful. New England is full of small brooks which, for
much of the year display only a trickle or go completely dry, but in the spring
these reluctant streams burst into life. In my home village of Spofford New
Hampshire there is a tiny nameless rivulet which generally has an unimpressive
flow as it drains down a steep set of cliffs from the main road above. I
regularly check the status of the stream as I drive by on my way into the
village, and predictably, it has blossomed this spring into a lovely cascade. The
brook is difficult to approach with the usual steep banks, slick rocks and damp
leaves, but with permission from the owner, I was able to find a few stable
places to grabbed my shots.
A little later I will moan about the lack of
colorful foliage to decorate our falls, but an advantage of the bare branches is
that waterfalls are less obstructed, becoming more completely visible. The
trails are also easier to find in the spring with a great expansion of the range
of sight through the forest. It is for this reason that we on the Chesterfield
Conservation Commission often use the early spring and the late fall to survey
and set out new trails.
Ok, a couple of days ago I crushed my first Black
Fly of the season. Within a week or so the miserable plague will be fully upon
us, but for a few weeks in the early spring we able able to clomp through the
underbrush without constant attack. It is a great joy to settle by an isolated
forest brook and enjoy the freshness without the pure air being poisoned by the
DEET saturated fumes from my bug repellent. On a recent visit to Merriam Brook
in Surry New Hampshire, I explored downstream from the more familiar Forty Foot
Falls and, with the increased flow, I found some lovely cascades. Unfortunately
the sky was bright, bathing the falls with highly contrasting dappled light. Fortunately, without the clouds of bugs, I was comfortable waiting the couple of hours that it
took for the sun to drop behind the trees. I was rewarded with soft even
lighting to capture the flow, and during the wait I was able to plan my shots and
also write part of this blog.
The Challenges
The wonderful thing about photography in New England is that
despite the variable conditions of our seasons and the constantly changing
weather, there is always something interesting and beautiful to shoot. I am a
sucker for the languid lacy beauty of failing water when captured with long
exposures, but regardless of the season, the secret is to get out there and
celebrate whatever nature chooses to provide. After all early spring is also the beginning of Milky Way season and brave little crocuses are already bursting though the cold soil.
Jeffrey Newcomer
partridgebrookreflections.com
The Roaring Catsbane |
Chesterfield Gorge Spring |
We are now firmly in our second "stick" season. The air is warming but the trees are showing only the swelling buds that promise the glory to come. Like in November after the leaf drop, we are in the middle of a few weeks of tough sledding for New England photography. Sadly, our spring stick season has the added disadvantage of being the mud season as well, but given the generous spring run-off, it has the major advantage of being one of the best times to enjoy and shoot our regional waterfalls.
The waterfalls are the primary savior of this time of year. I've been out shooting some of my local favorites and I'm reminded of the benefits and challenges of capturing the flowing water in the early spring.
The Benefits
Spofford Cascade |
Catsbane Brook Falls, West Chesterfield, NH |
Awaiting the Light on Merriam Brook |
The Challenges
For me the
biggest difficulty of shooting waterfalls in the early spring is dealing with
the drab, grey and uninteresting backgrounds. This time of year the dramatic,
roaring falls are surrounded by bare trees and skeletal bushes. Even the brave
little ferns are only beginning to pop their delicate heads from the soil. A few
sharply outlined branches can add an effective bit of contrast against the soft
path of a flowing cascade, but in general I focus on tightly framing my images,
including as little of the bare surroundings as possible. Occasionally I'm able
to find a waterfall nestle among evergreens to provided some desperately needed
color, but, in general, the attention needs to be directed to the
water.
Access
The other major challenge of early spring waterfalls is the
difficulty of access. The combination of the last of the winter's snow and ice
and the mud slicked leaves can make approaching the falls a potentially
disastrous adventure. Hubbard Falls in Chesterfield features two dramatic drops, but both are are nestled at the bottom of steep gorges. The key is to take things very slowly and to plan ahead.
Whenever possible, I avoid steep slopes and slick rocks. I carefully pack away
my equipment and, with one or two sturdy walking sticks, I pick my way one step
at a time. I don't pull out my camera and tripod until I am on reliably stable
ground.
I previously discussed the special importance of protecting the equipment when photographing near water, where one misstep could send your expensive gear tumbling down stream. I always recall previous disasters and keep my camera strap safely around my neck, even when the camera is attached to the tripod.
Pulpit Falls
Early this week I had the chance to guide my friend Steve Hooper
to beautiful Pulpit Falls in Winchester New Hampshire. The weather was not ideal
with bright sunlight bathing the gorge with excessive contrast, but the strong
flow showed the falls at its dramatic best. A little HDR helped with the light,
but as Steve explored near the falls, I climbed up the cliffs around the gorge
looking for a new and loftier perspective. My adrenalin surged as I picked my
way carefully along the barest hint of a trail which only intermittently cut
into the steep bank. I finally found an opening in the trees and managed a
nicely
elevated view of the falls that was only partially obstructed. I could
have grabbed a cleaner view by sliding further down the steep bank, but with
nothing separating me from the precipitous cliff and sure oblivion except a few
damp leaves and pine needles, I decided that I would would concentrate on the
task of finding my way back to the "trail". Waterfall photography in the early
spring often means taking what you can reasonable get and living to shoot
another day.
Mist Fed Moss, Merriam Brook, Surry NH |
Access
Hubbard Falls Steep Bank |
Hubbard Gorge, Chesterfield NH |
I previously discussed the special importance of protecting the equipment when photographing near water, where one misstep could send your expensive gear tumbling down stream. I always recall previous disasters and keep my camera strap safely around my neck, even when the camera is attached to the tripod.
Ashuelot Dam Falls, Keene NH |
Pulpit Falls
Pulpit Falls in HDR |
Pulpit Falls from Above |
Arch Over Spofford Lake |
The wonderful thing about photography in New England is that
Campus Crocuses |
Jeffrey Newcomer
partridgebrookreflections.com
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