Martha’s Vineyard Escape

Oak Bluffs Channel

It has been a very busy summer.  We have enjoyed mini-vacations 

Abby and Grayson at Mayfair Farm, Harrisville NH

In New Port Rhode Island, Lake Morey Vermont as well as a lovely Independence Day family gathering with Jeremy and his significant other Gina and, of course, Abigail and her newly minted husband, Grayson.  In addition to working on the images and blogs from all these activities.

Future Studio

 I have been finishing the design of my 2019 New England Reflections Calendar and working with our builder Jason on the layout and facilities of my new studio/man cave.  Susan is so enthusiastic about getting me and my stuff out of the house that she actually agreed that I should convert a portion of our barn into my photographic escape.  I get a studio and she recovers an upstairs guest room.

Sounding Edgartown

Amid all this hustle, Susan and I just returned from a couple of days on Martha’s Vineyard where the focus was on some serious relaxation.  We spent two nights at our good friends Connie and John’s Vineyard retreat.  We relaxed at the beach, explored the quieter corners of the Island and ate exceptionally well. 

East Chop Light

On previous visits to the Vineyard, I have always felt pressure to run about seeking the classic shots especially around the magic golden hours.  My goal on one trip was to photograph all five of the islands lighthouses.  This time I relaxed and shot whatever came my way.  There were still plenty of wonderful images to be found.




To the Beach

Leaving our car behind, we took the Island Queen from Falmouth to Oak Bluffs and spent the first afternoon relaxing at the beach.  With temperatures in the mid 90s at home, we were quite comfortable sharing the ocean’s edge with the scavenging sea gulls.  

The Atlantic Edgartown Ma

Edgartown
Dinner was at the Atlantic in Edgartown – expensive, but great food and gigantic portions.  We all brought home provisions for lunch the next day.  The evening was warm and beautiful, great weather for a stroll along the waterfront.

The Atlantic Line

Evening Launch, Edgartown Ma

West Tisbury

The next day we explored some of the less congested back roads.  Even on one of the busiest weeks of the season, it was possible to find quiet roads, away from the craziness of the seaside towns. 






Menemsha

Menemsha Traps

Finally, we ended up in Menemsha.  This little fishing village is one of my favorite corners of the Vineyard, It is a great place to shoot active fishing and lobstering vessels among all the lines and lobster traps.  It is also one of the best places to buy fresh seafood - and we did.  Dinner was a quiet gathering of local friends at John and Connie’s house.

 

Sea Bass Fillet Menemsha

The next day, we had time for peaceful walks through the Scrub Oak forest before heading to Oak Bluffs and the cruise back to Falmouth.  

We had a lovely time on the Vineyard.  It was a chance to relax before the hectic excitement of the big family holiday.  

Falmouth Channel

I have added more images from our trip to my growing collection in my 

Martha’sVineyard Gallery.

Jeffrey Newcomer

www.partridgebrookreflections.com

Let Lightroom Pick the Lenses for Your Next Trip

Jetty Sunset, Menemsha, Martha's Vineyard



Female Anhinga Costa Rica

 

Before I headed out on our recent trip to Costa Rica, I was faced with the inevitable question, what photography gear to bring, and more specifically, what lenses to carry along. Over the years I have tended to simplify and lighten my kit, but it’s always difficult to decide what to bring and, more painfully, what to reluctantly leave behind. Fortunately, Lightroom provides some much needed guidance.

 







Lightroom Course

Mormon Barn, Tetons Wyoming

I've been struggling to get ready for my Introduction to Lightroom Course which starts in one week (March 10th). It looks like I will have a fun group. I have been using Lightroom as an essential part of my routine work-flow and, I have become comfortable with the features of the program that are most important for my process, but as usual, preparing to teach a class has introduced me to a mass of new tools and tricks. The challenge will be to cover much of this without confusing the hell out of my poor victims.

Parliament Flame, Budapest, Hungary

Given my time restrictions, I suspect that my next few blogs will be short and, like last week, consumed with the wondrous features of Lightroom. Last week I discussed the program’s Panorama Tool, and this week it is about using the program’s metadata features to help decide what lenses to bring on a shoot or more challenging on a trip from home.

Away From Home
 

Sea Lion Yawn, Galapagos Islands

My goal on longer trips, especially those requiring being jammed into an airplane, is to limit the amount of equipment. Specifically, what lenses will I most likely use. On early trips I solved the problem by packing everything. On our trip to the Galapagos Islands in 2009, I carried my; 24-105mm, 100-400mm, and 16-35mm. Thank goodness I didn’t yet own my 100mm Macro. Still with an extra body, a tripod, a pocket camera and all the necessary accessories my kit was massive and barely made it on the flights. 

Bartolome Peak Galapagos Islands

At Anchor, Galapagos Islands

Over the years I have become aware of the fact that there is some gear that I seldom use and could easily, although painfully,  leave behind. This is where Lightroom proves very educational. Lightroom provides easy access to the pile of information with is held within each image file.  It is all in the Metadata,  including the identity of the lens used for the pictures. Here’s how to get at it.


Lens Metadata
 

Galapagos Lenses

From the Grid view in the Library Module, the Library Filter Bar can be opened by pressing “\”.  Under “Metadata” there are a number of columns of searchable information, usually including “Lens”. If this isn’t visible, it can be selected by left clicking on any of the existing column headers, or a new column can be added by clicking on the small box on the right of any header. Just don’t replace the “Camera” column since you may need that later to narrow your search to just one camera. The lens column shows the number of images taken with each lens within the selected directory. For a quick idea of which lenses you use most often you can start by selecting “All Photographs” in the Catalog, but I was interested in my lens statistics from some of my favorite trips.

For this exercise I selected the directories for the Galapagos, Rockies, Danube, Alaska and Costa Rica. I also looked at one trip to Martha’s Vineyard that was by car and therefore didn’t have the restrictions imposed by plane flight. I didn’t carry all my lenses on every trip, but the results were still interesting.

The Numbers Don't Lie 

The Results

Alaska Lenses

  The results, summarized on a Spread Sheet, were not surprising. They showed that, by far, my most used lenses were my 24-105mm and the 100-400mm. Together I depended on this wide range of coverage 98% of the time. Importantly I used my wide angle or macro lens for only about 2-3% of the shots. Of course I didn’t have these lenses on every trip, but taking the trips individually the 24-105 / 100-400 combination was used between 95-100% of the time. 

Grizzly Fishing, Pavlov Island, Alaska

Breach, Alaska

My minimal use of the other lenses could be attributed to my inherent laziness, but more likely it has to do with the broad range covered by my two favorites pieces of glass. I also try to limit sensor contamination by switching lenses only when it is absolutely necessary.

 



Going Light in Costa Rica


Costa Rican Lenses

I was not surprised by the results of this exercise, but it did make me feel more comfortable about my decision to pack only my 24-105, the 100-400 and my 2x tele-extender on our trip to Costa Rica. I never felt short changed on capabilities and I was pleased that I could carry my gear in my light and capable Rotation  Panorama 180 pack. 

East Chop Light Martha's Vineyard




Martha's Vineyard Lenses

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not listing my Macro and 16-35mm lenses on eBay. These are marvelous tools and I enjoy using them in many situations, but it is good to know that, when necessary, I can go light.

You can learn a lot about your photography from data available in Lightroom’ s metadata screens. In addition to your lens preference you can select from a long list of information including, ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, Location, and Keywords.   So get out there and go to school on Lightroom.

Jeffrey Newcomer
partridgebrookreflections.com

Calendar Time

Peacham Sunrise : September

The season is changing. There is a cool nip in the air and the trees are beginning to show a hint of the brilliant color to come, hopefully. Along with the other signs of autumn, this is the time for me to start my obnoxious marketing of my New England Reflections Calendar. People start avoiding me on the street and in every local shop I am greeted with, "Oh, Is it that time again". To be fair to myself, the calendar has become a

Birth Spiral : April

tradition for many in my region of New England, and people often approach asking "When is the new calendar coming out?" I've discovered that many of my calendars are purchased as gifts, often being sent far from New England, ranging from Germany to Japan. There seems to be a desire to show family and friends the special beauty of our small corner of the world. Most importantly there is an appreciation of the important cause that is supported by each calendar.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation
For more than 10 years I have been publishing the New England

Storm's Border : February

Reflections Calendar to benefit the Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Program at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene New Hampshire. For many of those years I served as the medical director of the program, but now that I'm retired, I'm thrilled to be able to continue to support this important work. Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary program of exercise and education to help people

East Chop Sunrise : August

struggling with the challenges of chronic lung disease, including Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis and Pulmonary Fibrosis, to live fuller, and more comfortable lives. All of the profits from the calendars are used to assist patients who would otherwise be unable to afford the program and has made possible special events that have added to the experience for many needy participants.



 Size Matters
This year's calendar is special for a number of reasons. First, as is true every year, I am confident that the pictures are the best ever. Secondly we have increased the format size from 8.5x11 to 10.5x 13 inches. The change was triggered by many requests to make the calendar more functional. The larger format makes it easier to enter dates and, most importantly, the images have grown to the size that they truly deserve. As always, I have included images from both New Hampshire and Vermont and have included one picture from our beautiful sea coast. You can check out all of the big images in my web site gallery. 

Calendar Gallery

Sweet Nellie

Sweat Nellie
Finally this year's calendar is dedicated to our sweat dog Nellie. I hope I will be excused for remembering my wonderful photography companion who patiently joined me on so many of the shoots throughout the region.

 

Pond Brook Falls : January

I've been spending the last couple of weeks distributing to the many local stores who generously agree to sell the calendars. It is a testimony to the spirit of our community that so many retailers are willing to contribute valuable counter space to support our efforts. I have completed much of my distribution tasks, but there are a few more I have to reach, and I'm always searching for new venues. If you are looking for this year's calendar, never fear. Here is a partial list of the wonderful places you can visit to satisfy your calendar cravings. And don't forget to thank the owners for supporting Pulmonary Rehabilitation in our region. 



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Toadstool Bookstore, Keene and Peterborough New Hampshire

Hannah Grimes, Keene New Hampshire

Ingenuity Country Store, Keene New Hampshire

Ingenuity Country Store

Monadnock Imaging, Keene New Hampshire

The Cheshire Medical Center Gift Shop, Keene New Hampshire

Leon's Auto Repair, Keene New Hampshire

Nicole & Bonnie's Salon, Keene New Hampshire

J&J Discount, Chesterfield, New Hampshire

Chesterfield Inn, Chesterfield, New Hampshire

Hancock Inn, Hancock New Hampshire

Hancock Inn

Jingles Christmas and Country Shop, Westmoreland New Hampshire

Gilsum Village Store, Gilsum New Hampshire


Walpole Grocery Store, Walpole New Hampshire

Apryl's Orchard, Walpole, New Hampshire

Chesterfield Inn

Drewsville General Store, Drewsville New Hampshire

Sharon Arts Center, Peterborough New Hampshire 

Vermont Artisans Design, Brattleboro, Vermont 

Harlows Sugar House, Putney Vermont 

Putney General Store, Putney Vermont 

Green Mountain Orchard, Putney Vermont

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The calendar can also be purchased on-line at the  
Cheshire Medical Center web site 

(With free shipping!) :

And of course I always have a bunch in the back seat of my car and, if we meet on the street, be prepared to either buy calendars our sprint desperately away.


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