Capturing The Depths of Autumn

  
Trapped by the Foliage Tour


Last weekend I participated in the Monadnock regions Fall Foliage Art Studio Tour. During Saturday and Sunday I hosted visitors to my home in Spofford and displayed over 30 of my pictures spread through the downstairs. It was gratifying to show-off my work to an appreciative crowd. I especially enjoyed meeting several Facebook fans, but the weather was perfect and the color nearing peak, and as a photographer I was jumping out of my skin to get out and shoot the amazing foliage. At 5pm each day, I catapulted out of the door to catch the last glimmers of evening light, but the last few minutes of the golden hour were scant compensation for missing most of what may be two of the best shooting days of the year.

But enough grumbling. Showing the work is an essential part of the deal, arguably as important as shooting the work.   Happily, on Monday, the colors were still building, the air was crisp and clear and I got out several times to grab the season's bounty.


 

 One Day of Autumn Glory

Surry Pasture

 

This article is a chance to share the images from just one day of shouting in our most spectacular time of year.  Monday was generally sunny, which provided its own challenges of shadows and reflections, but the colors showed to perfection especially when trans-illuminated and my polarizing filtered helped the rich hues shine through the reflected sunlight. I got some nice shots, and, in the process, I was reminded about how my shooting technique has evolved in recent time. Specifically how I have been expanding focus stacking to capture extreme depth of field.

Barn at the Bend

 Capturing Depth of Field

Md. Sherri Pond

As a landscape photographer, I often work to include sharply focused foreground elements into my grand vistas. In the past I have discussed using focus stacking to achieve a wide depth of field that would never be possible with a single image. In my early efforts, I routinely captured three images, one each focused on the foreground, middle ground and background and then combined the three using

Slipping Arches, Md. Sherri Castle

manually painted masks. This works well for simple images with a smooth gradient of focus from foreground to background, but it falls apart with more complicated images. The Auto-Blend tool in Photoshop does an amazing job on many of these images but some clean-up is usually required to remove areas of mismatch. Recently I've been impressed with the enhanced quality of the result of blending especially when the number of variably focused layers is increased.  
 

Bradley Hill Autumn

The opportunities provided by Auto-Blending have led me to routinely bracket the focus on most of my images.  On this one day of autumn shooting I returned with 240 images. Reviewing the collection I found that with all these images I captured only 45 different scenes, meaning that I took an average of just over five pictures per scene. This was almost entirely due to focus stacking.

 





 


Focus Stacking Gone Wild

Blended & Correction Layers

As an extreme example, in the picture of the ferns along Gulf Brook, I blended seven images to get sharpness from foreground to background. I used my usual technique. I edited the images together in Lightroom and then used the "Open as layers in Photoshop" option to bring them into a single file. After aligning the layers I copied them into a separate stack that I could use to correct errors in the blended result. I then ran the original stack through Photoshop's magic Auto-Blend tool. The more recent versions of Photshop finish

DOF

the blending process by creating a layer which merges the effects of all the selective focus masks. With the merged layer in hand, I can be discard the stack of blended layers leaving the copied, unblended stack for corrections. The final step was to carefully review the image for mistakes and use the layer copies to correct any problems. By increasing the number of layers I have found that the merged results are more accurate and require much fewer corrections. The whole process is surprisingly quick and makes impossible broad depth of field a reality. 





 

 
Monday was a great start on this year's local foliage season. There is no better time to revel in the glorious depth of color of New England. The images are piling up on my hard drives and I have lots of work to do. Thank goodness I have November coming on to allow me to catch up.










Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com

2014 Highlights

It is time again for all the "Best of 2014s", as we struggle to pick 10 or 20 or 100 of our best photographs of the year. This is a great tradition and an opportunity to see some wonderful images, but for me it is always agony to pick favorites among all my precious babies. Last year I finally realized that, for me, it was the experiences of the year and not the images that are worth celebrating. The images came as a bonus from the places, the people and the adventures I was privileged to experience exploring new aspects of photography. So again, I will list some of my favorite experiences that graced my photography over the last year.

Check out last year's
 The "Best" of 2013



Going Places

Alaska

Denali Wilderness

Unquestionably our most exciting travel this year was our nearly three week exploration in Alaska. It was a trip that we had promised ourselves for years and the experience more than met our expectations.

We started with a drive from Anchorage to Denali National Park and Preserve. We spent an 18 hour day on one of the buses which travel 90 miles on the single narrow dirt road into the center of the wilderness.  We saw Caribou, Moose, Dahl Sheep and Grizzly Bears. It was awesome and so remarkable that we didn't think to be exhausted until after we got back to our cabin.

The remainder of  the trip included a jet boat ride up the wild Susitna River,  and a cruise around the dramatic Kenai Peninsula outside of Seward. The last week was spent on an amazing cruise among the islands, fjords and waterways of Alaska's Southeast tail on board the National Graphic Ship Sea Bird. There were close encounters with Sea Lions, Puffins, Sea Otters, and Grizzlies.  Well also got up close to breaching and bubble netting Humpback Whales. I ended up with over 3000 pictures which are still far from being completely edited. I've published two blogs about the early parts of the trip, but there is a lot more to tell, and I am sure there will be at least two more articles to come. 

Fishing Grizzly, Pavlov Island, Alaska

Alaska Adventure
Alaska, Talkeetna and Devil's Gorge

I am also building an Alaska Image Gallery on my web site


Martha's Vineyard

Edgartown Light

I've been in love with Martha's Vineyard since I visited there as a child during summer cruises on my parents little 26 foot boat. I have fond memories of being fogged in at Edgartown and learning to sail on a tiny dingy in Vineyard Haven. Since then I have enjoyed my occasional opportunities to return. This fall a VERY good friend offered his island house, and Susan and I could not resist. I try never to miss an opportunity to leave my beautiful, but land-locked Monadnock Region to return to the sea and it was a wonderful several days. The weather was almost summer-like, the food was great, and, to top it off, our daughter Abigail and her boyfriend Grayson were able to join us for most of the stay. The photographic opportunities were wonderful and varied, but I decided to focus on trying to shoot all five of the island's lighthouses. I had good success capturing four of the five and lamely cheated on the fifth. I still say it counted!

Menemsha Sunset

I am often envious of my friends who live near the coast and can shoot the Milky Way across the open ocean, thus avoiding the intense light pollution with which we inland folks constantly struggle. While on the island I was blessed with one clear night to catch the unsullied sky and was rewarded with a few nice shots.


 



Photographing Martha's Vineyard's Five Lighthouses (Sort Of)

Martha's Vineyard Gallery


Exploring in My Backyard
After the expense of our Alaska trip, I found it prudent this year to limit the range of my other photographic expeditions. No problem. There is still so much wonderful stuff to explore in my own territory. This is New England for peat's sake


Vermont Country Store


It been a few years since I last visited the Vermont Country Store. It was great to return to a place that has all the charm of the traditional New England country store, but is actually a country store on steroids. My challenge was to try to capture the "landscape" of this endlessly fascinating place, while not forgetting the friendly people that make it all work. This was the perfect destination for a pre-Christmas outing.

The Vermont Country Store
 
The Vermont Country Store Gallery


Hancock
As much as I would like to think that I know my home region, when I focus a blog article on a specific town, I am always surprised by how much more there is to discover. This was certainly true of my recently exploration of the historic community of Hancock, New Hampshire. On that occasion, I was writing two articles about Hancock, one for the New England Photography Guild and a complementary photo album on my own blog. Fortunately there was more than enough to talk about, and to photograph. The town center is

Hancock's Eye on the Universe

filled with classic architecture, almost all on the National Registry of Historic Places. It has all the necessary pieces; an iconic white Meeting House with an 1825 Revere Bell, a village green with the required war memorial and gazebo, and a classic old country inn. All of this historic beauty is surrounded by wonderful rolling New England country-side. And, a ten story tall radio telescope. Yup, that was a surprise but you will need to read more about why a visit to Hancock is not only a trip back to our nations early history but also a window on the origin of the universe.

Hancock Inn

Hancock Photo Album

Hancock New Hampshire, A New England Time Machine

Hancock Image Gallery


Waterfalls

Ashuelot Gorge

This was definitely a waterfall year. I started with an article about the familiar waterfalls of Cheshire County, but, as I researched for the blog, I discovered that there were many falls that I had never visited. Actually, that I had never heard of. This could NOT be allowed to stand, so I set out to find and photograph some of the more obscure cascades. The crusade required numerous trips, a few false leads and considerable bush wracking, but I did find Fay Falls, Ashuelot Gorge and my

Catsbane Falls

favorite elusive hidden treasure, Pulpit Falls. This year was also marked by great improvements in the accessibility and visibility of the dramatic Chesterfield a Gorge, This was through the efforts of the dedicated volunteers of the Friends of the Gorge, who cleared the trail with the express purpose of opening up the best views on the cascades and thundering falls.

Pulpit Falls

Waterfalls of Cheshire County
 
Fay Falls and Ashuelot Gorge

Pulpit Falls, Finally

Noone Falls and My Sad Camera Bag

Gleason Falls and Fox Forest

Chesterfield Gorge Resurrected (NEPG Article)
 
Chesterfield Gorge Album


Bagging My Snowy
This was the year of the Snowy Owl eruption in New England. During the early winter, I first enjoyed, and then was a touch annoyed by the endless avalanche of Snowy pictures. Wonderful shots and none of them were mine! I finally knew that I could not let the season pass without bagging my Snowy. I contacted John Vos, a great bird photographer, and received advice about where to look. I headed for the coast and was luckier than I deserved. The Snowys were right were John had suggested. They are truly magnificent birds, and the trip gave me a chance to try out my new 2x Tele-Extender on my 400 mm lens.  I'm still not a birder at heart, but I hope to see them again this winter.

The Magic of the Snowy Owl


Madame Sherri's Photo Album

Stairway to Nowhere

As a member of the Chesterfield Conservation Commission I have been involved with the development and preservation of the Madame Sherri Forest. The legend of the French costume designer who came up from New York to build her summer retreat in the woods of Chesterfield is a local tradition. This year, through the efforts of fellow Conservation Commission member Lynn Borofsky, we learned more about the Madame's fascinating history and in the process dispelled a number of the more scandalous

Madame Sherri

rumors which have colored her story. All that is left of the Madame's "Castle" in the woods is a burned out foundation and a spiral staircase that still beckons to the sky. I have summarized some of the history of the site and the Madame in a blog for the New England Photography Guild, but I was most excited by the special opportunity to work on restoring photographs from Madame Sherri's personal photo albums. It offered a magical look into moments of her remarkable life.

Restoring the Fantasy, The Madame Could Rock a Hat

The Mystery of Madame Sherri's Castle (NEPG Article)

Madame Sherri's Album

Antique Photo Restoration



Landmarks
2015 was notable for several landmark events which are worth mentioning

200 Blogs

Anybody Listening?

Somehow I have managed to keep to a schedule of weekly blogs about photography and more specifically photography in New England. It it is a mystery to me how I have been able to come up with things to write about every week. I'm just not that chatty in real life. I fully expect that some Sunday my blog will read simply:

"I got nothing."

But on the occasion of my 200th blog I was able to reflect a bit on the process and why I keep going. First it is because there does seem to be a few people out there who appear to be interested or at least entertained by what I have to say. But the truth is that I do it mostly for myself. The process of blogging has forced me to explore new directions in my photography. It has made me more rigorous in my approach to the craft and has taught me much more about photography, especially in the digital world, than I have been able to teach in my weekly ramblings.




200 Bogs and Counting


Basics of Digital Photography One thing that I have learned from blogging and from lecturing is that I enjoy sharing my understanding of photography with others. A future goal is to start doing more formal teaching to hopefully include classes and workshops. The problem is were to start. I have received lots of requests to do courses on topics such as basic photography, composition or Photoshop, but I need to get some of that stuff "in the can", ready for presentation. I realize that my blog could be a ready source of material, but, with that in mind, I decided to start supplementing my often overly technical and obscure discussions with a series of more basic articles for beginners in digital photography. This year I started with articles about selecting a camera and then added a two part discussion on exposure. Again, I apologize for my thoroughly unnecessary discussion of the origin of f/stop numbers. Just recently I wadded awkwardly into white balance. I plan to do more basic articles in the coming year, but I have discovered that "simple" topics are often the most difficult to present. It is a challenge to formally describe how to do things that I have done largely without thinking for years, but, here too, the process always seems to force me to perfect my approach to my own photography.

Check That Histogram

Digital Photography Basics




Retirement
I expected that when I retired from 35 years of medical practice about 6 month ago, that I would have a nearly infinite amount of time to devote to my love of photography and the resulting business. I should have known better. My patients have always told me, "Since I've retired I have no time what-so-ever", and they were right. I will not go into the details, but I must say that it is amazing how even the simplest tasks seem to expand to fill the time available. Upon my retirement, I discussed my goals and resolutions and I can only say that those goals and resolutions remain pristinely intact. I vow to do better in 2015.

Retirement

I will add one additional goal to my list. I swear not to drone on for so long in my blogs. Yah, like that's going to happen.  Now, on to 2015!


Done! Retirement and Discipline



Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com

Madame Sherri’s Album

If you live in Chesterfield, New Hampshire you have most likely heard of Madame Sherri and her mysterious "Castle" in the woods along the Gulf Road. Madame Antoinette Sherri was an extravagant Broadway costume designer during the era of magnificently staged reviews such as the Ziegfeld Follies. The Madame had a varied and mysterious life which I outline in my article this week for the New England Photography Guild Blog (To be Published 3/24/14). Today, she is mostly remembered for the summer retreat that she built in 1931 to entertain her friends from the city. All that remains of her "Castle" is the foundation and a marvelous native stone spiral staircase, which now rises sadly to the sky.

 

 

Recently Madame Sherri’s colorful life history has been exhaustively explored by fellow Chesterfield Conservation Commission Member Lynne Borofsky.  I partnership with the Chesterfield Historical Society, Lynne has been able to answer many of the questions surrounding the Madame’s history, especially as related to her time in Chesterfield, but many mysteries remain.  Lynne has  also been fortunate to gain access to many photographs from Madame Sherri’s original photograph albums and it has been my privilege to work on the restoration of these images.  They provide a wonderfully personal window on the Madame’s life.  I have included some of the pictures in this week’s NEPG Blog, but since space was limited I decide to arrange more in this separate album.  

Young Madame

 

 

Andre & Madame



Madame & Andre Puerto Rico Wedding

Madame and Pigeons 

Chain Smoker

Charles Lamaire

 

Primrose Path

Furlone Farm, Madame's Home

 

Main Stairway

 

Rare Castle Interior Image

After the fire

 

The Ruins

 

Mystery of Madame Sherri NEPG Article
  (to be published 3/24/14)