Spring Attractions 2025

West Guilford

Spring is progressing and I have been getting out trying to capture the beauty before it disappears.   For me, the season really comes to an end when the fresh, multi-toned green of the early foliage settles into the rather monotonous deep greens of summer. Surely, the bright spring flowers continue to explode, but once the variety of colors in the trees and scrubs begin to fade, I’m ready to move on to summer.

 

Guilford Vermont

Overall, it has been a good spring.  After a prolonged late winter “stick season”, the buds slowly began to pop.  As always, I love the variety of greens that decorate the hills and roadsides.  I call it our second “autumn” season of color and in many ways it is more interesting and longer lasting – with the  added benefit of no leaves to rake after it is all over.

 

Pleasant valley Farm Rockingham Vt

First there is the Flowing Water

Partridge Brook Chesterfield New Hampshire

Chesterfield NH

Of course, early spring isn’t only about the waves of color.  The second major attraction is the flowing water. Even without much melting snowpack the streams and waterfalls have been bursting with this years spring rains.  Waterfall photography is often an early spring gift even before the greens begin to grow.

 

Chesterfield Gorge

This year, I enjoyed a fun early waterfall exploration with a short workshop for a group from the Monadnock Garden Club.  I had planned to visit a number of waterfalls around Chesterfield area over a morning in early May.  I first brought the group to Chesterfield Gorge.  The Gorge has a wonderful variety of dramatic drops and babbling cascades and it turned out that location provided more than enough to keep the folks busy for the entire morning.  The group came with a wide range of experience and equipment, from sophisticated digital SLR’s to iPhones.  I was happy that everyone had a tripod, but some barely qualified for that designation.  There certainly were many opportunities for diplomatic instruction and the brisk flow of the stream provided all we needed to capture lovely images.

Saxon River Falls

Brockway Mills Falls Chester Vt

The waterfall photography has been great all spring and I have been out a number of times to catch the action.  I love it when I discover new waterfalls.  This year, my friend Lucky introduced me to a couple of dramatic falls around the Bellows Falls, Saxon River area in Vermont.  It is exciting that, no matter how long I wander about the roads of my corner of New England, I still can find fresh areas of beauty and wonder.

Partridge Brook Chesterfield NH

There are various ways that shutter speed can render the appearance of flowing water.  Rapid exposures freeze the splash capturing the turbulent energy of the water, but I continue to be enamored with the soft dreamy appearance created by long exposures.  Previously, I have discussed my view of the optimal shutter speed, but it depends on the rate of flow, the distance to the falls as well as your own taste.  My goal is to get a soft look without losing all the detail in the water.  There is no one “perfect” shutter speed, a bit of experimentation is usually required.

Partridge Brook Dam Spofford NH

Nearby, my local falls were all brimming with action.  Partridge Brook, which flows behind my house on its way to the Connecticut River, provided many interesting cascades as it ran through the old mill dam and down alongside the road toward Westmoreland.  The Gulf Road, in the southwest corner of Chesterfield, has a number of falls which are dependent on the fresh run-off, but when the rain is strong, the falls can be dramatic.   

 

Gulf Road Falls Chesterfield

Jelly Mill Falls Dummerston Vt

I also got across to Vermont for one of my favorite falling water spots in Dummerston, where Stickney Brook drops through the Jelly Mill Falls, with a series of lovely cascades to the West River.

 

Spring Green

Roads End Farm Chesterfield NH

As spring progresses, my attention is increasingly drawn to the evolving color of the bursting greenery.  It was great to have an excuse to explore around my familiar locations in both New Hampshire and Vermont.  

 

 

Each day, I found different shades of color as the season progressed.  I could also vary the colors by simply heading north or south, or by changing my altitude. The greens are settling out down here in far southern New Hampshire, but just last week I was able to catch some beautiful hillside greens on a misty afternoon farther north in Charlestown along the Connecticut River.  

 

Twin Peaks Charlestown NH

Every year, I am amazed at how quickly the leaves explode on the trees.  They must know how short a season they have to store energy for the long winter.  It is sad to see the multitude of shades of green settle out, but I do have a pile of images to work through, and I can sit back and enjoy the relaxing shade until the blast of autumn color shakes me from my summer lethargy.

Broad Brook Guilford Vt

 

Jeff Newcomer
www.partridgebrookreflections.com

 

2019 Spring Waterfall Workshop

Dummerston Falls Detail

John Overlooking Stickney Brook

My recent Spring Waterfall Workshop was a wonderful success.  As usual I was blessed with a great group of photographers.  We had the opportunity to visit many of my favorite waterfalls and explored other falls that I had not included in previous workshops.   New England springs can offer a broad array of weather and this year the conditions provided opportunities to show how to get the most from the challenges that nature can provide during this fickle season.  We had to contend with the horrors of a  classically difficult “beautiful sunny day” as well as spring downpours, before we finally were treated to soft overcast light.

Miniwawa Brook

Miniwawa Brook

We started with a drive to the great waterfalls in the Wilton/Milford area.  Along the way we stopped at Minwawa Brook in Keene. The brook was flowing strongly under the bridge and it was a chance to help the workshop members become more familiar with there equipment.  The sun was bright and shining into our cameras, but we were able to find trees to block the glare.

Steph and Robin at Miniwawa

Tucker Brook Falls

Tucker Brook Falls, Graduated ND

Outside of Wilton we took a short hike in Tucker Brook Town Forest to reach the Tucker Brook Falls.  The falls were flowing well, but the primary challenge was to deal with the dappled sunlight.  It was a great chance to demonstrate the use of neutral density filters, especially gradient NDs, that allowed us to cut the contrast between the brightly lit falls and the shaded brook.  I was excited to see my group enjoy the adventure of searching for fresh angles on the location, including small pools and interesting views downstream.

Robin's Detail at Tucker Brook

Lower Purgatory Falls

Lower Purgatory Polarizer and 3Stop ND

After another short hike we reached secluded Lower Purgatory Falls.  Again, the falls were bathed with unfortunately bright light, but ND filters allowed us to capture the falls with slow shutter speeds which were sufficient to soften the flow.  Despite the beautiful weather and the congested parking, we were surprised to find that the location was relatively free of crowds.  After an enjoyable stay in Purgatory, we were ready for lunch, descending upon the Rivermill Tavern in Wilton.

Garwin Denied!

Maybe Next Year for Garwin

After lunch, we headed to nearby Garwin Falls.  I had saved this as the special treat of our explorations in Wilton.  Garwin combines surging cascades with several dramatic drops.  It is my favorite choice among the Wilton/Milford falls, but sadly, we were denied.  Apparently, the Wilton town-folk have complained about the heavy concentration of visitors which have congested the near-by roads.  The Garwin trailhead only has room for 3-4 cars and everyone else must park along the road.  In response, the town has posted threatening No Parking signs in all directions.  It was a tragic loss, but we had no choice but to move on. I learned my lesson, and next year we will visit Garwin early in the morning.

Faye Measure Mill

Hana's Frye Measure Mill

Faye Measure Mill offers a combination of a lovely old mill falls and a unique store which features the mill’s exquisite (and expensive) shaker boxes.  I usually check out the “seconds” bin for something more within my budget.  This year I grabbed a box to organize the remotes in my studio.

Shaker Box

Harrisville Village

Since we were deprived of a long stay at Garwin Falls, on our way home, we were able to stop by at the magical New England manufacturing village of Harrisville.  Harrisville has classic views of the mill water racing under the factory buildings, but the conditions remained challenging.  Harrisville is really a “sunrise” location with the setting sun shining into lenses from most of the best locations.  Again, we used obstructing trees and ND filters to salvage what we could from the conditions.

Pizza and Pictures

Saturday evening, we gathered at our house for a light dinner and review of many of the day’s images.  Despite the terrible “beautiful” conditions, there were many nice shots.

Sunday’s Beautiful “Terrible” Conditions

Steph's Pond Brook Falls - In the Rain

Sunday began overcast with showers and occasional downpours – In other words, PERFECT waterfall weather.  In Chesterfield, at Pond Brook Falls and the Catsbane Cascades, we struggled with the rain, but once we headed to Vermont, the precipitation largely stopped.  We were left with a wonderful soft overcast for the remainder of the morning.

Dummerston Falls

Mike's view of Dummerston Falls

Dummerston Falls is a surprisingly dramatic waterfall along Route 30 in Dummerston Vermont.  It is just a few hundred yards down the road from the turn-off to Stickney Brook and Jelly Mill Falls.  Despite the endless times I have visited Stickney Brook, I never before noticed this beautiful drop.  I suspect that this is, at least in part, because the waterfall is variable in intensity, being more prominent after storms and during spring run-off.  The water was flowing well during our visit and pictures taken from locations just of the road made the waterfall’s impressive 25-foot drop appear as if it was nestled deep within the forest.  I almost felt guilty as we captured such great images with such little effort.

The Team at Dummerston Falls

Stickney Brook and Jelly Mill Falls

Rana at Stickney Brook

For years Stickney Brook has been my favorite cascades across the Connecticut River in Dummerston Vermont.  The area is also known as Jelly Mill Falls, with some of the mills original stonework still visible along the edge of the brook. Many photographic opportunities can be found on either side of the brook, with a succession of cascades weaving down to its terminus in the West River.  This was a great spot to finish our adventures and I was excited to see how the group showed greater confidence as they explored various locations.

Hana's Stickney Cascade

Stickney Brook 

I Hate to Have My PictureTaken!

This year’s waterfall workshop was unique, first because of the skill and enthusiasm of the participants, and second because the weather provided a range of challenges that the group seemed to enjoy confronting.  The pictures that I have seen posted on our special web gallery have shown how well these lessons have been embraced.

Great job guys !

Jeffrey Newcomer
\www.partridgebrookreflections.com
jeffn49@myfairpoint.net

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