About Me

My photo
Spofford, New Hampshire, United States
Jeff Newcomer had been a physician practicing in New Hampshire and Vermont for over 30 years. Over that time, as a member of the Conservation Commission in his home of Chesterfield New Hampshire, he has used his photography to promote the protection and appreciation of the town's wild lands. In recent years he has been transitioning his focus from medicine to photography, writing and teaching. Jeff enjoys photographing throughout New England, but has concentrated on the Monadnock Region and southern Vermont and has had a long term artistic relationship with Mount Monadnock. He is a featured artist in a number of local galleries and his work is often seen in regional print, web publications and in business installations throughout the country. For years Jeff has published a calendar celebrating the beauty of The New England country-side in all seasons. All of the proceeds from his New England Reflections Calendar have gone to support the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at the Cheshire Medical Center. Jeff has a strong commitment to sharing his excitement about the special beauty of our region and publishes a blog about photography in New England.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Last Buds




I hope everyone is doing well and using your photographic explorations to help manage your way through the maddening pandemic isolation.  Our exuberant New England spring has displayed a widely varied supply of color and new growth.  The inspiration seems endless, from bursting new buds to spreading young leaves, in a riotous array of shades of green.  For me, all I have to do is grab my camera and head, socially distant, out of the door, and that has been my sad problem.



Over this last, gloriously perfect, week of the spring, I have been completely crippled by a severe pre-patellar bursitis and cellulitis. The result has been that, while the spring colors have evolved, I have been hobbled with a walker and limited from bed to chair.  I thought my Covid isolation was a problem enough, but at least I could get out for nice long walks and drives, but now I have been limited to gazing longingly out my window or up into the trees from my porch. 


Westmoreland New Hampshire on my last drive before the lay-up


I was able to limp to my Orchard across the street
The good news is that, with a combination of surgical drainage, strong antibiotics and a knee restricting brace, I am feeling better, and I have reason to hope for improved mobility in the next several days. Susan will readily tell you that, whenever I am sick, I am prone to pitiful whining.  Ok that is true, but I promise that complaining only comes from a sincere desire to encourage all of you who are not “mobility challenged” to get outside and capture all the spring beauty that you can, before it is too late. There is only a week or so left before the dull drab summer colors descends.





Seven  Layer Focus Stack
Fortunately, before I was laid-up, I was able to capture much of the spring buds and a taste of the emergence of the early May leaves. This week I share a few of my later buds and early blossom photography, captured both outside and in the studio.  My next article will be dedicated to the varied shades of green that make the New England spring our “second Autumn”.  Again, it will be all about encouraging you shut-ins to get outside and enjoy what has been a wonderful spring.  And I’ll try not to be more than a just little jealous.









Lessons Learned
I have largely finished my in-studio macro photography and as I have been packing away my improvised gear,  I wanted to share a couple of tips that I have learned through my usual technique of “painful trial and error”.

Holding Tight
First, I have experimented with various ways to securely attach my subjects in the studio.  For the sturdy, woody branches, one of my old surgical clamps worked well, but these devices proved too sharp and tight for the delicate ferns.  They cut right through, and the greens quickly flopped.  On one occasion, I was struggling to maintain focus and then realized that the plant was slowly bending under the pressure.   I found that the solution was to tape the stems to a piece of mat board which could then be securely attached to the clamp. 



Manual Exposure
Even on Manual a few flares come through
In all of my early, focus stacked, shots, I set my camera on aperture priority, but even with the lighting and composition fixed, I saw some slight differences in exposure between layers which led, to areas of flaring around the subject in the blended composite.  I finally realized the problem was that, as the focus point moved towards the back of the subject, its size within the frame became subtly larger, with the dark background contributing proportionately less to the exposure and resulting in a darker overall image.  I could have narrowed the field of exposure to be restricted to the brighter subject, but the simplest solution was to switch to manual exposure. With the exposure fixed, the flaring disappeared, and without the clouding, my edges were much sharper.

Just a little rim light
Balancing the Light
Finally, as my subjects became more mature, and thicker, trans illumination became less effective.  Increasingly I relied on my large studio box to light the subject from the front, adjusting the angle to provide nice contrast.  I still used back-lighting, but in these cases, I adjusted the intensity to provide a nice bit of rim lighting to highlight the edges.




Spring is rainy season and I love droplet lenses


Ok, this is the last time I will say this.  Get out and enjoy the spring colors. I have seen some nice work on Facebook from many of my friends, but if you are still hiding in your house, you are missing out AND it is NOT my fault!

Check out my growing
Spring 2020 Gallery

Jeffrey Newcomer

www.partridgebrookreflections.com



15 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing some beautiful spring buds macro photography. It's a great opportunity for photographers to take some breathtaking spring images.
    Best Regards,
    Clipping Path Services
    Clipping Path

    ReplyDelete
  2. Superb blog and really great topic you choose. Helping students in need help for my assignment is a good idea. We also offer cheap assignment help to students who are working part time and could not complete their assignment on time. We assign the subject specialist to each student who will write the assignment content and deliver it before the deadline arrives. Rest assured the content is always unique and plagiarism free. The process to raise a request is simple. Visit the website and drop the query and our team will connect with you. We provide the best services in the market at affordable rates. So, every student can get our online assignment writing services online.
    Homework help online | Help me with my coursework

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looking for a reliable assignment help online provider in UAE? Don’t worry we got the solution to your problem. We offer all academic assignment services for students within the budget. Visit our website to learn more.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Students in Malaysia can get our assignment help online  from experts who have years of experience and knowledge in curating top-notch quality assignments from students across the world. All we professionals have high qualifications such as a Ph.D. or master's degree from renowned colleges and universities worldwide. They know what the university or college guidelines demand, and accordingly, they composed the assignment for students to get top marks and improve their overall grades. We make sure to provide our assistance at a low cost so that it is accessible to all with no hassle!

    ReplyDelete
  5. As indicated by contract law,, an agreement made between two people or business substances, in which there is a probability to achieve something for expansion or benefit, is genuinely required. Agreement law is the midpoint of different business contacts, and anybody going into an arrangement ought to have the essentials set up to recognize it. Any misstep in this administration, even inadvertently, could impact glitches. assignment help
    assignment provider

    ReplyDelete
  6. Those images are really marvelous. I liked your macro photography. It's a great opportunity for beginners photographers.

    Best regards:

    clipping path services

    ReplyDelete
  7. I’m really inspired together with your writing skills and also with the structure
    on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself?
    Anyway keep up the nice high quality writing, it is
    rare to see a nice blog like this one nowadays..

    Please Visit My homepage ➤ 부산오피

    (freaky)

    ReplyDelete
  8. share more engaging content like this I'm a huge fan of your art work keep it up
    take my online exam for me check for assignment help

    ReplyDelete

  9. One of most complex challenges that students will face are included in the Business Finance Assignment. The majority of students struggle to finish an assignment. Our experts are able to assist you. Our professionals give students with engaging and well-written Business Finance Assignment solutions that are easy to understand and help them achieve their academic goals through a system of attainable goals. Visit now:- Business Finance Assignment Help

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dear Jeff, the images you have posted are really great. I like flowers and natural images, especially that image titled "Spring is rainy season and I love droplet lenses"!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dating for everyone is here: ❤❤❤ Link 1 ❤❤❤


    Direct sexchat: ❤❤❤ Link 2 ❤❤❤

    XM. .

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dating for everyone is here: ❤❤❤ Link 1 ❤❤❤


    Direct sexchat: ❤❤❤ Link 2 ❤❤❤

    0X...

    ReplyDelete
  13. I really enjoyed reading your blog post about getting it right in the digital camera. I've never considered focusing on getting the photo "right" and that's always been my downfall. I love how you take the time to share what Hair Masking Provider you've learned with others.

    ReplyDelete
  14. If you are looking for action, comedy, and drama in one movie review, I will recommend you all the Game Night Movie Review. In this movie, you will get all types of entertainment, like action, comedy, drama, and much more. This movie is so funny and entertaining to watch with friends and family because, in it, every character's role is very funny, and everybody really adds to the comedy in every moment and other gaming points. Game Night is a movie directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.

    ReplyDelete