Photographic Preservation of New England's Visual Heritage

Market Basket's Memorial to the Bardwell Farm

Some years ago, I was picking up my tractor (sounds more manly than "lawn tractor") , at a shop on route 12 in Swanzey New Hampshire, and noticed a classic run down red barn across the street. The barn was massive with lots of interesting and seemingly superfluous additions, sprouting off in all directions , like an unruly shrub. The place was long deserted and seemed ready to collapse at any moment. The perfect photographic opportunity. Of course the light wasn't great and besides, I only had my old camera phone. I vowed to return on a better day with a better camera. I would love to show you images of this historic icon of our New England agrarian tradition, but, before I could get back to the site, the barn was sacrificed to modern commercialism and replaced by a sprawling and sterile Market Basket grocery store. You can find pictures of barn, by other photographer, scattered on the Internet, but I still have a sense of irrevocable loss. It all serves as strong reminder of the role photographers have in preserving the fleeting visual heritage of our unique corner of the world.

 



Whether we realize it at the time, our photographs are a treasure chest of traditional New England scenes that are slipping away, day by day. We have all seen the "Then and Now" features in newspapers and magazine using old photographs to show how things have changed. It is important to realize that our photographs today may soon become the "Then" images used to compare to some sadly diminished "Now" of the future.

Before we get hopelessly depressed by our dull, traditionless,

Harrisville, NH

future, it is important to remember that there is much we can do to protect our irreplaceable heritage. A great example is the work of the Harrisville Historic District. The residents of Harrisville, New Hampshire have done a remarkable job preserving their classic New England mill town. As photographers, our support of historical preservation protects the very fiber of what makes New England such a great place to live and to practice our art.


In the short time that I have been engaged more seriously in New England photography, I have seen many examples of the loss of our visual heritage. The causes are varied and often not as a result of the wrecking ball. Precious vistas have been lost due to natural decay, surrounding development, or overgrowth of natural and introduced vegetation. Often the intrusions seem small, but enough to disrupt a delicately balanced scene. We have all seen this, but it is important to remember that the photographer has a special opportunity and responsibility to capture these scenes before they slip away forever.

Then and Now

Decay
For years I had intended to capture a classic sugar shack along side Route 9 in Stoddard, New Hampshire. It never seemed to be the right time until one misty autumn morning in 2006, when I found myself stopped for road construction right in front of the shack. The Gods were obviously speaking to me and I had just enough time to leap from the car and grab a 4 image panorama. I love the shot, but since that time, the shack has fallen to neglect and now seems poised to crumble to the ground. Buildings in decay can be interesting subjects, but it is the sense of loss that is fundamental to their power.

 


Development
My parents lived in a condominium over-looking Paugus Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee. On the hill above their place was a lovely isolated pasture which featured a stately lone Sugar Maple standing

Encroaching Development, Laconia, NH

defiantly in the middle of the field. The tree and surrounding woods was a hidden treasure of peace and photographic opportunities, but a few years ago development invaded the pasture. The beautiful clean forest backgrounds were bulldozed and my noble Maple was made to stand against rows of monotonous gray buildings and a sprawling parking lot. I could still find a few angles on my tree, especially when morning fog obscured the development, but the sense of quiet solitude was lost. 





Ridge line development is a growing issue in New England. It is

Storms First Light

understandable that people want to build their houses on the slopes, where they can command broad views of the surrounding country, but these structures scar the beautiful forested hillsides. Stonewall Farm is nestled among low hills in Keene, New Hampshire. A few years ago I caught the first light after a storm, breaking above the mist on these hills. Now the same 
location is a warren of lovely but incongruous homes, lawns and steep driveways. It is a difficult 

Lost Ridge

problem not only esthetically, but also because these developments create erosion issues.
Happily, towns are beginning to recognize this problem and are creating "steep slope" ordinances to limit development in the most fragile areas.



 


Overgrowth
The Jenne Farm in Reading, Vermont is a world famous example of

Jenne Farm 2005

the classic New England farmstead. It is justly recognized as one of the most photographed farms in the country. On a perfect autumn morning it is a challenge to find an open piece of ground to set your tripod. It is amazing that the owners of this working farm deal with the crowds of
photographers with such patience and good humor. I have been visiting the farm for only a few years but have noticed the growth of bushes and small trees which are progressively obscuring the best

Growing Cover, September 2012

angles on the farm house and out building. The plantings are perfectly understandable as an attempt by the beleaguered residence to protect a little privacy, but for photographers it is a lesson in the constantly evolving nature of our landscape and in the importance of capturing it when we can.





Another example of the natural encroachment on our scenic

Weathersfield Birches

treasures is the "Weathersfield Birches". I had read about this lovely collection of birches in this central Vermont town, but by the time I found the grove it had become engulfed and smothered with young sapling. The good news was that during my search for this famous collection, I came across another grove of unobstructed birches nearby. 

My New Birches

Little Things
It isn't always dramatic changes that can diminish a classic composition. When I first captured one of my favorite red barns in Keene, New Hampshire, I was able to incorporate a classic pasture fence into the foreground. Today the fence is gone and the open gate leaves a hole in the composition. The owners of the property are friends and do a marvelous job maintaining their magnificent farm, but I will have to talk to them about that gate. I will be glad to provide the railing. 

Lost Rail

Enough depressing detail. The goal of this article is not to whine about lost opportunities, really. Rather, I wanted to drawn attention to the special role photographers play in preserving the visual history of our unique region. New England's great attraction is that development has been slower to sweep away our beautiful rural heritage than in most other parts of the country, but the forces are out there and we must continue to work to protect what we can. Sadly protection is not always possible and we as photographer's have the great responsibility and honor to, at least, preserve a visual record of our rural treasures. Shoot as if it matters, because it does.

Northeast Kingdom Fall Photography

Barnyard Maple Irasburg, Vermont

  
A Jump-Start on the Foliage and Some New Friends

The color is coming fast to my corner of central New England. It is clear that the autumn show will be much better than last year, but it also seems to be coming through like a freight train. Just over one week ago I was enjoying the near peak color in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and this weekend there are parts of my hometown Monadnock region and southern Vermont that are looking bit past prime. This time of year is always a breathless sprint, trying to get the most out of the New England's best visual moment, but this year it seems a bit more breathless than usual.
Given the frantic pace of this year's season, I am especially

Eden Lake, Eden, Vermont

glad that I got an early shot at the color, spending a lovely day exploring parts of the Northeast Kingdom with a group of new friends, all fellow members of the New England Photography Guild. The Guild is a group of 15 inspired photographers from throughout New England who focus on showing our region at its best. I was honored to be accepted to the group about one year ago and although I have enjoyed following the work of these talented folks, I had met only one. I stumbled into Jim Salge by accident in the predawn light of a Lupine field in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire. When I heard that several of the members were planning to meet in northern Vermont, I couldn't miss the opportunity to replace the static thumbnail head shots with actual animated faces.

Irasburg Barn, Irasburg, Vermont

Vermont's Northeast Kingdom is a collection of towns in the far Northeast corner of the state encompassing Essex, Orleans and Caledonia Counties. It is renowned for its classic New England beauty and atmosphere. In 2006, the National Geographic Society named the Northeast Kingdom as the most desirable place to visit in the country. I had been enchanted by the region during a summer visit a few years ago, and I was thrilled about to my first chance to sample the early autumn color.

Golden Swirl

The plan was for the group to meet early Friday morning in Eden, Vermont near the home of guild member Gustav W. Werderber. Gustav had agreed to be our guide to a number of his favorite spots. The "Kingdom" is about two and one half north of my home and, to be fresh, I drove up the night before, staying in a comfortable Bed and Breakfast in Lyndonville Vermont. I would show you a picture of the classically Victorian Moonlight Inn, but I arrived after dark and left before dawn. My greatest regret from the trip was that I missed the breakfast part of the B&B.







Needless to say there were the inevitable hassles of

Northeast Kingdom Sunrise, Barton, Vermont

assembling a group coming from throughout New England to a region known for its spotty cell phone reception. I had the advantage of starting close by and took the opportunity to catch some sunrise images. The day dawned overcast, but, on my way to Eden, the clouds broke just enough to project a few moments of golden light. I was late for the rendezvous, but I couldn't waste the light. As I drove, I was desperately looking for an interesting foreground to place in front of the dawn. A small farm pond finally filled my requirements nicely. The light remained warm and given all the wonderful farms and pastured hills, it is amazing that I made it to Eden at all.

Once assembled, our group of five had a great time

Kingdom Color

exploring a couple of Gustav's favorite water falls. I found much to learn from the vision and technique of these talented photographers. At each location, It was interesting to see how we all slipped , quietly, into our own zones of concentration on the task. When a group of photographers are faced with a beautiful subject, everyone gets very quiet, as they explore the scene. Like everyone else I am used to solo photography and I had to remind myself to look up to appreciate and learn from what others were doing.

Four Corners Falls, Troy Vermont

The weather was variable on this day. Partially sunny in the morning, progressing to clouds and drizzle in the afternoon. Each condition provided its own opportunities and challenges. At Four Corners Falls I used a graduated neutral density filter to tame the brutal contrast from bright sunlight to deep shadow. Later my essential piece of equipment was a towel to keep my gear protected from the penetrating rain. In all conditions, my circular polarizer was a essential tool, enriching the colors by blunting the reflection off the foliage.

Autumn Rain, Stowe Vermont

Our finally destination for the day was the lovely village of Peacham Vermont. I had been to Peacham only once before and never found the prime spot to capture the classic view of the village, with the white church and red barn. By the time we got there, it was dark and damp, but we did find the spot. Sadly some misguided non-photographer had replaced a large portion of the barn's rusted roof with a new horridly brilliant steel section. I could wait several years for the roof to weather, but I may be forgiven for doing a little weathering of my own.

THE Classic Peacham View

The Guild Team
L-R: John Vose, Jane Oglivie, Jeff Folger,
Gustav W. Werderber, and Jeff Newcomer

At the end of the day we were all happy, tired and damp. The day was full of great photography and a chance to get a heads start on autumn, but much more valuable was the chance to get to know a group of dedicated, talented photographers who share a commitment to celebrate the unique beauty of New England.



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