Spring At Last

Golden May Dummerston Vermont

West Guilford Valley Vermont

It was a long, cold and snowy winter, but happily spring has arrived with its spectacular explosion of wildly varied color. It always seems unfair that the best seasons for natural beauty in New England are the shortest. The period of maximal color in both spring and fall last for only a couple of weeks. In autumn the vibrant leaves crash to the ground burdening photographers with the torment of the long dull “stick season”. During spring, the leaves hang on, but the wonderful variety of colors that explode as the foliage arrives quickly transforms to the monochromatic shade of deep green that predominates for most of its photosynthetic life span. 

Black Mountain Cascade Brattleboro Vt

Spring Flow Dummerston Vermont

Ferns Uncoil Brattleboro Vermont

I love the colors of early spring that vary from glowing yellows to rich browns. The hillsides always take on a patchwork array of hues that I think rival the more garish colors of fall foliage. Also, as the fresh buds first open there are often bizarre forms of unfolding greenery to study with macro photography. It all pushes me to get out as often as possible to capture the brief sublime symphony of color. Included here are several of the images that I was able to collect during this year's special season. 

 

Spring Bloom Brattleboro Vt

This year my ability explore was limited by the fact that I was committed to participation in the spring concert of Keene Choral. We performed Mozart’s Requiem, a challenging piece that required intensive rehearsal and time taken up by practice at home. It was painful watching colors evolve from my studio, but I did get out shooting several times over the course of the season. We had I great concert on May first supported by a wonderful orchestra and soloist and since then I have had more time to devote to the remainder of the fresh color. 

Country Club Rainbow Keene NH

Partridge Brook Dam Spofford NH

 

Westmoreland NH

Early in the season I spent time exploring my local area, checking out some of my favorite locations including one of my favorite hilltop barns and the cascades of Partridge Brook as it flow through my village. I also was able to catch a lovely rainbow that predictably appeared as a spring storm passed over as we were having dinner at the Country Club in Keene NH. The shot shows again that, with care, great images can be obtained with the improved cameras in today’s iPhones. 

Against the Drop Brattleboro Vt

Stickney Drop Brattleboro Vt

Hillside spring Dummerston Vermont

Later in the season I was able to spend much of a day exploring many of my favorite spots in Southwestern Vermont, accompanied by Benji our very patient Golden Doodle. Benjamin loves to go for drives and on many of the quiet back roads I was ale to let him loose to explore, sniff and collect his allotment of ticks. We wandered through Dummerston, Brattleboro and Guilford. The weather varied from overcast to bright sun as I found views including overlooking the West River Valley, Stickney Brook Falls, and Guilford's Green River. Truly, even though it was a bit late, the colors were spectacular every where I looked.

Green River Bridge Guilford Vt

Green River Falls Guilford Vt

Miniwawa Gold Roxbury NH

Although the colors are calming down, just the other day when I had some time to kill in Keene, I was able to catch some nice sparkling backlit views along the upper Miniwawa Brook in Roxbury and finally the obligatory vista of Monadnock still framed by the spring gold. 

 

Monadnock in Shadow Keene NH

Ancient Cemetery Granite Spofford NH

Bonnyvale Vista Brattleboro Vt

The foliage is now rapidly settling into its mature hues, but I still have many images to work on and I must reconcile myself to enjoying the building warmth. Of course the spring rains are still filling the local waterfalls. That should keep me busy for awhile and I’m sure I’ll find something to shoot throughout the summer. Autumn will be here before you know it. 

Spring Home Spofford NH

Jeff Newcomer

 www.partridgebrookreflections.com

Summer Deluge

Another Gulf Road "Transient"

In New England, every season offers its special photographic opportunities.  Autumn’s spectacular colors and winter’s quiet white blanket provide obvious attractions, while late falls “stick season” … well we must nap sometime.  Spring typically is valued both for the beautiful and varied early foliage, and also for the waterfalls that surge in response to the seasonal rains and spring run-off.

Garwin Falls, 2018

In recent years, I have scheduled a spring waterfall workshop for mid-May.  It is the best time of year to celebrate the flowing water in my corner of New England, but this year I had to cancel my plans.  First because the pandemic was still limiting close interactions and secondly because our unusually dry spring reduced the streams to disappointing trickles.

• Spring WaterfallSeason and Workshop : 2002
  
  
• Spring WaterfallPhotography Weekend 2017 

We finished May and June with severe drought conditions, but since the weather in New England never stays the same for long, we have been drowned in July.  Suddenly our streams and waterfalls have gushing at a time when the water is usually drying up for the hot summer months.

Old Jelly Mill Falls, Dummerston Vt

Chesterfield Gorge 

For several weeks I have been enjoying the late season flowing water.  Familiar waterfalls such as the Old Jelly Mill falls on Stickney Brook in Dummerston Vermont and Chesterfield Gorge in my home town, have been as active as I have ever seen. And, of course, the water has found its way into our leaky stone-lined basement.  Happily, our sump pump has been working hard to reduce what might have been 4-6 inches to just about 1 inch of water.

An Inch in the Basement

Route 30 Falls

"Transient"Waterfalls

I have been particularly struck by the dramatic flow in what I think of as transient run-off waterfalls.  My area has numerous falls that only seem to bloom in response to heavy downpours.  The water produces beautiful falls that come quickly and largely disappear within a few hours to a day.  On Route 30 near where Stickney Brook enters the West River, a steep road-side drop-off creates a lovely falls in response to heavy rain.  Come back any other time and there is only a trickle.

Fallen Arch July 2021

MadameSherri Forest in Chesterfield New Hampshire is most famous for the arched stairway which is the only remains of the Madame 1920’s summer party house.  Sadly, and inevitably, the recent storms appear to have been the last straw, resulting just a couple of weeks ago in the collapse of the top-most arch.  Happily, the area continues to offer other points of interest.  Next to the parking lot is the pond which had been the guest’s swimming hole.  The pond normally drains slowly into Gulf Brook, but here as well, the rains have energized the outflow to a boiling surge.

Madame Sherri Pond Outflow

Gulf Road "Transient"

Gulf Road Transients

Down the road from Madame Sherri, along the Gulf Road, is my favorite collection of “transient” waterfalls.  The road cuts through a deep gorge adjacent to the Gulf Brook, on its way to the Connecticut River.  During heavy rains, at several spots along the way, waterfalls plunge down the hillside to disappear under the road and into the brook.  When the weather is right you only need to stand in the road to capture these dramatic cascades dropping to your feet.  It’s easy shooting, but you may be forced to dodge the heavy trucks and bucket loaders as they repair the washed-out dirt road.  

"Transient after a couple of dry days

The important thing is to time it right.  Within a day or so of dry weather the show is largely over and we are back to a dry stream bed, or at most a trickle.

Another Gulf Road Transient

Boiling Gulf Brook

Wilde Brook, Chesterfield Gorge

So, I got my waterfall season, just a month late.  July is almost over and the rain hasn’t stopped yet.  I don’t know if this is the new, globally warmed, normal, but with the rain pouring down today, I guess I’ll be out shooting the falling water again tomorrow.

So get out and capture the falling water whenever nature delivers, and keep track of the “Transient” waterfalls in your area.

Jeff Newcomer, NEPG
www.partridgebrookreflections.com

Spring Waterfall Workshop

Jelly Mill Falls Dummerston Vermont

Weekend of May 17-19

Every year, as winter starts to break, I begin to worry about my annual spring Waterfall Workshop.  Will there be enough spring run-off and rainfall to fill my favorite local waterfalls and will anyone sign-up to join me as I revile in our early spring’s greatest attraction, our spectacular falling waters.

The Flow

Dummerston Falls

This year a sparse winter snowfall has led to a sluggish run-off, but that has been thoroughly off-set by heavy and persistent spring rains. With my workshop just two weeks from now, I have begun scouting regional waterfalls, old favorites like Chesterfield Gorge and Pond Brook Falls as well as locations which will be new for this year’s workshop, such as Jelly Mill Falls in Dummerston Vermont.  So far, the water has been strong, but every year is different.  Heavy water flow can be dramatic but can also overwhelm the detail in some falls.  Seasons with slower flow provide the opportunity to appreciate sinuous patterns in the falls as the water weaves over and around the underlying rock. Conditions are looking great, but it is always about getting the most from whatever nature provides.

The Victims

My second worry is whether anyone will show up for the workshop.  I have never advertised my classes and workshops but have gotten the word out through Facebook and my blogs.  

Chesterfield Gorge Upper Cascade

I set a limit on my workshops of no more than 7-8 participants.  Sometimes I have fewer, often due to last minute cancellations, but I don’t take it personally.  I would enjoy shooting the falls even if I had only one participant.  It is always a great excuse to spend time exploring the falling waters and that one person would get a lot of attention!   That said, this year I have room for a couple more photographers and they are welcome to get in touch.  Here is the plan.

Frye's Measure Mill Wilton NH

Lower Purgatory Falls, Wilton NH

We will gather Friday evening, May 17th, around my dining room table, for a chance to meet everyone, and review our plans. It will be my opportunity to assess the varying levels of photographic experience among the participants and consider how everyone can be accommodated.  I will discuss key elements of the photography of flowing water, including the importance of a sturdy tripod, a cable release and, of course, a polarizing filter.  We will also have a chance to plan Saturday’s schedule.

Garwin Falls, Wilton NH

All day Saturday, and Sunday morning, we will explore some of our region’s most dramatic waterfalls, I typically devote much of Saturday to the marvelous group of falls in Wilton New Hampshire. Wilton has a wonderful collection of waterfalls all conveniently located, including Purgatory Falls, Tucker Falls the dramatic series of cascade at Garwin Falls.   Saturday evening, we will gather again around my dining room table for pizza and discussion of the day’s experiences. We will also have a chance for review and gently critique many of the images from the day’s shooting and plan Sunday morning’s explorations.

Stickney Brook Dummersto Vt

Sunday morning, we will gather again for more falling waters.  We will begin with waterfalls in Chesterfield.  Then, for the first time, we will venture over to Vermont exploring the falls in Dummerston and, if time permits, the waterfall in the quintessential New England village of Green River.  I will let you all escape, by noon, exhausted but with a camera full of wonderful waterfall images.

Pond Brook Falls Chesterfield NH

It should be an exciting weekend and I’m looking forward to sharing many of my favorite spots and techniques.

The entire program including snacks and an informal dinner will be $195.  Please get in touch if you want to get on the list for this year’s workshop, or if you have any questions.  In the meantime, I will be spending my days gleefully scouting the falls.

Jeff Newcomer
www.partridgebrookreflections.com

jeffn49@myfairpoint.net

603-363-8338

Fallen Eagles Gallery

Over the last four years I have been privileged to have my own pair of nesting bald eagles, returning every year to hunt and breed across the Connecticut River, from my town of Chesterfield New Hampshire.  They nested at the top of an old snag at the edge of the river, from which they could swoop down on food and eject their young for their first perilous flights.  I found a spot across the river on the New Hampshire side, from which I could watch the early season nest building and the appearance of one or two fledglings.  

This spring I was saddened to discover that the dead snag with the nest on top had fallen into the river.  As we get into the breeding season, I have been scouting up and down the river hoping that my eagles will build a new nest close to home, but, so far, I have no eagles or nests.  I will continue to patrol the river, but my loss has encouraged me to recall all the majestic beauty that I have been privileged to observe over the last four years.  I have covered this in my article for this week’s  New England Photography Blog, but here I would like to show some of the pictures of “my eagles” that didn’t fit in the NEPG article.

Photographing Bald Eagles, much like all birds, takes a great deal of patience.  Long periods of quiet nest sitting are punctuated every 40-50 minutes by the split-second excitement of a bird landing or taking off.  It is always fun to catch the eagles bringing nesting material or a morsel of food for the checks, but any excuse for them to spread their dramatic wings is exciting.

Occasionally, the interactions between the birds can be more interesting as the adults, or more mature juveniles, vie for dominance in the nest.

Enjoy the pictures in this gallery and those in my NEPG blog.  Also check out the links to other articles in my “Getting it Right in the Digital Camera Blog.  And, of course, join with me in calling my eagles home!

• Fallen Eagles (NEPG Article)
• TheTemptation of One Minute More
• The Eagles are Back


Controlling the Long Lens Shudder

Jeffrey Newcomer

www.partridgebrookreflections.com