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| Monhegan Pier |
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| Fe4lls View to Lake Sunapee |
Last
week I listed some of the educational highlights of my 2016. This
included what I have learned from organizing and presenting courses on digital
photography and on the processing of images in Lightroom. This week I
want to celebrate some of the opportunities I had in 2016 to extend my
photographic experiences, both throughout New England and outside of my
comfortable home ground.
Christmas
at the Fells
This
year friends Carrie and Jeff introduced us to the beautiful summer retreat
built by John Hay, former secretary to Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State
to William McKinley and Theodor Roosevelt. The estate now sits on land
preserved as a wildlife refuge along the shores of Lake Sunapee in Newbury New
Hampshire. 
The occasion for our visit was the Annual Christmas at the
Fells, when local designers decorate the rooms of the mansion with their own
style of holiday finery. It was a great time to tour the house and,
although the estate is now closed for the winter, we will be back, especially
to wander the beautiful grounds and flower gardens.
Super
Moon 11/20
It
seems like there is a “Super Moon” every other month. The overhyped
occurrences of a full moon when the moon is closest in its elliptical orbit (at
perigee) is usually advertised as an opportunity to see the orb at its most
dramatic. The actual size increase is quite minor, but this fall, we
were treated to a “super” super moon when it was the biggest since 1948.
My blog article about this event was mostly dedicated to debunking all
the excitement about this barely noticeable increase in lunar diameter, but I
couldn’t resist the opportunity to dust off my Photographer’s Ephemeris to find
the perfect spot to catch the “super” event rising above Mount Monadnock.
It was a lovely evening and I was excited to invite fellow regional
photographer Steve Hooper for company. The moon rose exactly where it was
predicted and, with the help of a long lens, I was able to make it look as
super as advertised.
2017
New England Reflections Calendar 10/24
Choosing
the pictures for my annual New England Reflections Calendar is an agonizing
task, but it is always exciting to create a work which both celebrates the
beauty of our region and benefits the patients at The Cheshire Medical Center
who daily struggle with the challenges of living with chronic lung disease.
Photographing
the DeMar Marathon 10/12
It
is unfortunate that Keene’s famous Pumpkin Festival has passed away. It was
always a great opportunity for me to shoot a unique community event, but the
pumpkin festival had grown to unsustainable proportions and succumbed to the
effects of its own success. It was a remarkable run, but not the only
event that represents autumn in our quiet corner of New England.
Happily,
the Monadnock Region’s strong sense of community has expressed itself in other
ways. Keene’s DeMar Marathon has become one of the region’s most
important autumn events, bringing the community together to energetically
celebrate the health of our people. Supplementing the beautiful 26-mile
course, are events for the entire family.  |
| Along the Cold River |
A half marathon, and shorter
runs for children and seniors are all part of the event.
This
year I was asked by the Marathon organizers to help by photographing the race
route and recording some of the excitement during race day. I had a great time
and I didn’t even have to break a sweat.
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| Kids and Senior Marathoners |
Magical
Monhegan Island 9/26
Monhegan
Island lies about twelve miles off the coast of Maine. It is an artist
colony and quiet retreat that I visited for a day trip about seven years ago.
I had always wanted to return of a longer stay, and last fall, I finally
convinced Susan to join me for a few days of isolation in the middle of the Gulf
of Maine. I wanted a week, she agreed to three days. The island is
just 1.75 miles long and .75 miles wide. On one side is a tiny village of
artist bungalows, a few guest B&Bs and a couple of small hotels. The other
side of the 
island faces the open Atlantic. It is largely a wild,
undeveloped seacoast with hardy pine forests and stark rocky cliffs.
There are wonderful hiking trails and endless opportunities to photograph
the natural flora and fauna of our northern seacoast. This was my first
chance to get out on a serious shoot with my new 5D Mark II and to try-out my
new titanium hip. I had a great time and
was pleased that I handled the rocky trails without difficulty.
Art
in the Park 9/4
I
generally don’t do art fairs, but the one exception is Keene’s Art in the Park.
Once every year I pull out my old EZ-Up tent and show my work at this
local event. It is amazing how exhausting it can be to spend two days
sitting in a lawn chair doing nothing, but, at the Keene event, I get to see
lots of local friends and that makes it all worthwhile – I guess. This
year we continued our remarkable string of good weather. Art in the Park
is always scheduled for the Memorial Day weekend and when the late summer
weather is nice it can be VERY nice.
Exploring
the Cheshire Fair 8/14
I
have lived in the Monadnock Region for over thirty-five years. During that time
my photography has taken me everywhere, but, for some reason, this year was the
first time I have ever visited the Cheshire Fair,
The
fair, which was in its 78th year, had all the traditional attractions,
including Four-H competitions, tractor and oxen pulls, a rodeo, and a
demolition derby. Of course, there is the full variety of terrible food,
most of which involves frying things that were never intended to be fried. It
was a great, self-imposed, photo assignment. I especially enjoyed
shooting the color and action of the gut-retching carnival rides, which I
observed but would NEVER consider trying. In just a few hours I captured
a wide range of activities and humanity and it all ended with a respectable
fireworks display. I’m sure I will be back – perhaps in another 35 years.
Chasing
Rainbows 7/2
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| Rainbow First Discovered |
Like
everyone, I have always enjoyed the magical beauty of rainbows, especially when
I was lucky enough to have a camera in hand. As I studied the
physics of rainbow formation, I learned that their occurrence and behavior
could be predicted and that finding these seemingly random swaths of color need
not be totally a matter of luck. I have written about the rules of
rainbows, and this year I had a chance to test my understanding.
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| Lucky Rainbow, Rye Beach NH |
I
was sitting in my office last July, enjoying the power of a passing
thunderstorm. There was no rainbow, but I knew that, with the receding
storm bank to the east and the setting sun to the west, a rainbow was likely to
form. I climbed into the car and set out to chase the edge of the storm.
By the time I got to Keene, the rainbow was before me and, as I moved
along the storm’s track to the southeast, I was able to capture multiple occurrences
of the colorful display. I finally ended up getting a full arch over a
cemetery in Troy New Hampshire. It was an exciting evening of photography
and a great chance to confirm what I learned about rainbow chasing.
Natural
Wonder of Costa Rica 1/24
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| Anhinga |
Last
year we managed one major trip away from New England. We joined a small
group, including our friends Jeff, Carrie, on a natural history tour of Costa
Rica. It was great to escape the January cold, to experience the widely diverse
tropical wonders of this lovely Central American country. Obviously,
there were endless subjects for photography, including varied range of
ecosystems, from the tropical rain forests to the mountainous highlands.
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| Sangerado Valley Mist |
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| Blue-Crowned Motmot |
On our many hikes, we discovered a wide
variety of native and migratory birds. Over our two week tour we recorded
over 70 different species and I was fortunate to capture much of this amazing
diversity. The experience has not converted me into a dedicated birder,
but I do have a fuller understanding of what attracts some to this pursuit.
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| Teal-biled Toucan |
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| Prospect Hill Reflection, 2017 Calendar |
This
is only a quick summary of a few of the highlights of 2016. In a year
that had more than its fair share of depressing news, It is helpful to that my
photography continues to provide opportunities for distraction and to rejoice
in the beauty of our world.
Jeff Newcomer
partridgebrookreflections.com
603-363-8338
