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

 

Catsbane Brook

I often talk about grand locations, tall mountains, restless ocean shores, or classically appointed New England villages.  Certainly, New England offers an abundance of such attractions, but I live in a quieter slice of the region and I revel in the simple beauty of our “Currier and Ives” corner of New Hampshire and Vermont.     

Meandering Catsbane

The Monadnock region in southwestern New Hampshire and also the southeastern part of Vermont are my prime photographic territories.  It is a country of rolling hills, with sweet little villages nestled in its hollows, and featuring classic farms, looking and working much as they did 150 years ago.  We glory in Mount Monadnock, our one big mountain, but as the archetypal “Mountain that Stands Alone”, Mt Monadnock does not dominate the countryside.  Rather, it contrasts and compliments the surrounding hills and fields.  

Catsbane Falls and Cascades

Gently flowing brooks punctuated by cascades and waterfalls are another feature of our region.  Spring is a great time to enjoy the flowing water and, since my second annual Spring Waterfall Workshop is coming up in a couple of weeks, I thought this would be an appropriate time to celebrate one lovely little brook in my home town of Chesterfield New Hampshire, the Catsbane Brook

Catsbane Brook winds its way through Chesterfield, meandering north and finally emptying into the Connecticut River in West Chesterfield.  It stretches though most of the town and is the longest brook within Chesterfield’s borders, but what is a Catsbane?

Catsbane Brook, What’s in a Name

 I have searched for a good definition of “Catsbane” and have found that it is a colloquial name for a variety of Orchid that may be especially toxic to felines, but why was this brook named after a poisonous flower?  A good question and, for an answer, I went to Audrey and Neil at the Chesterfield Historical Society.  These wonderful ladies possess a wealth of knowledge about our town, and very quickly, they were able to direct me to Oran Randall’s History of Chesterfield, published in 1882.  On page eleven I found a story from the town’s early history, in which two scouts rested along the brook for lunch.  When one lingered a bit too long to drink the water, his companion wished that the water was poisonous Catsbane, or perhaps “Rats-Bane” (Arsenic). Possibly just a dusty old folk-lore, but whether or not this story is true, it makes a nice tale.  You can read the story and decide for yourself.

Finding the Source

Beaver Pond , Catsbane Origin

My first goal was to find the point of origin of Brook.  Over its course, several streams contribute to the Catsbane’s flow, but its most notable origin is from a large beaver pond in the south of town. 

Beaver Dam

Beaver Dam Spring

The pond features an impressive system of well-maintained dams and the brook begins its travels as a modest stream, trickling under the logs. This week I explored the course of the brook and supplemented the many photographs that I have taken of the Catsbane over the years.

Hubbard Falls and Town Brook 

Hubbard Falls

Of the many contributors to the Catsbane’s flow, Hubbard Brook is likely the most significant.  My experience with the Hubbard Brook has primarily been of its dramatic waterfalls found before it crosses the Gulf Road and mingles in a substantial wetland.  With the addition of the waters of Town Brook, the brook eventually becomes the Catsbane before it crosses under Route Nine and flows into West Chesterfield.

Town Brook

Town Brook to the Catsbane

Through West Chesterfield

Pond Brook Falls

West Chesterfield is one of the villages making up the town of Chesterfield and it is here that the Catsbane Brook shows its most dramatic faces.  The Catsbane’s journey through West Chesterfield is marked by frequent waterfalls and cascades.  Early on, the brook is joined by Pond Brook with a lovely little waterfall.  

A number of other waterfalls can be found as the Catsbane drops though West Chesterfield’s little village, but the most dramatic no longer exists.  What I called the Catsbane’s “Little Niagara”Falls was formed as the brook passed over an old mill dam, but sadly, in the last couple of years, the dam has been by-passed.  For now there remains only a powerful jet of water feeding cascades, but I won’t object if some trees washed downstream to block the sluice way.

The Catsbane "Little Niagara"

Sluice Under the Dam

The Catsbane finishes it course meandering through flats to a broad opening into the Connecticut River.

Catsbane into the Connecticut River

For years I have enjoyed photographing the Catsbane’s beautiful features, but it was instructive to follow the water from its modest origins to the dramatic flow at it terminus.  It made me appreciate that towns throughout New England are cut by intricate webs of water, which generally go unnoticed, but are critical to the health of the ecosystem.  Take some time to explore the patterns of water in your own community, and maybe even take a picture or two.

Jeffrey Newcomer

www.partridgebrookreflections.com

Essential for Waterfall Photography

Garwin Falls Veil

I’m getting things together for my Spring Waterfall Workshop, coming up this weekend.  I have been scouting many of my favorite regional waterfalls, and although I know that some of the more ephemeral falls can dry up quickly, so far, the flows are looking good.  Still I am praying for a little more rain this week. 

The workshop begins Friday night with a meet and great at the house We will plan our rough itinerary for Saturday and I will have a chance to review some of the essential elements of waterfall photography.  So here is a review  are a few essentials for capturing falling water.

1 ) Being There

It should be obvious, but the first step is to get out to the falls when there is a vigorous flow of water.  The spring run-off can be a reliable source, but later, the results are usually best following a significant rain storm.

Polarizer & Graduated ND Filter
Arethusa Falls, Livermore NH

As always, the right conditions are critical. Overcast or rainy weather is often best. Bright sunlight produces brilliant reflections and hot spots that can make exposure impossible without heavy application of HDR techniques. Soft diffuse light allows all of the detail in the rocks and water to shine through and the lower illumination makes it much easier to use long exposures that create the soft look that is so popular. In brilliant sunshine, even your smallest aperture and slowest ISO will not be enough to adequately slow the shutter speed. A fully applied polarizing filter can take away a couple of stops, but when more light reduction is needed a neutral density filter may be needed to extend the shutter duration to render that magical, cotton candy, effect.

2) Getting Steady

It seems silly to have to say this, but waterfall photography requires a sturdy tripod. My only advice about tripods is spend the money to get a good one. If you buy a cheap tripod, you will be replacing it every few years and all you will ever have is a CHEAP tripod. An expensive tripod will be the only one you will ever need. It will save money in the long run and you will always have a GREAT tripod.

3) Filters

The one essential photographic filter is the polarizer, and this is

especially true for waterfall photography. The polarizer performs the magic of blunting the reflection on rocks and water allowing the native colors to shine through, but the maximum effect is not always the best. Some reflection may be helpful to add definition to the flowing water. Experimentation is the best way to

Non-Polarized

find the right amount, but at times the optimal polarization for the rocks may be too much for the water. Here is where the fun of stacked images and masking can come in, but, seriously, you can drive yourself crazy with this stuff. Most of the time a comfortable compromise is available. Finally, as I mentioned above, the polarizer blocks one or two stops of light making it easier to capture the  long exposure required to "velvetize" (my word, feel free to steal it) the water.

Polarized

4) Shutter Speed

I am often ask about the correct shutter speed for waterfall photography, and I have struggled to find a simple rule that can be generally applied.

Forty Foot Falls Cascade

  A few years ago, I tried to apply some scientific rigor to the problem.  I spent a couple of hours at one of my favorite local collection of falls and cascades, Forty Foot Falls, along Merriman Brook in Surry New Hampshire. These falls, include drops of varying heights and can be easily approached from different distances. I took multiple images from various locations with shutter speeds in increments from 1/30th  to 4 seconds. The weather was perfect, a dark overcast shortly following a significant rain storm. After careful analysis, the results of this non- randomized, single blinded study were conclusive and a failure.  

Forty Foot Falls Test

The best shutter for any waterfall is dependent on too many factors to surrender to a simple formula.  The most important confounding factor, of course, is individual taste.  We all have our own preferences for the degree of "velvetization".  My overall goal for waterfalls is a shutter speed which is long enough to provide the velvety look without being so long as to render the water without any texture and interest.  On average I find this to range between 0.25 and 1 second, but the best result is dependent on a number of factors, including the speed of the water, the depth, interruptions to flow and the distance from the falls. I love the soft look, but a fast shutter can work to freeze the random calamity of a boiling cascade

The Speed of the flow depends on the height and steepness of the falls and the degree to which the water falls unobstructed.  Faster flows are best captured with faster shutter speeds to preserve a sense of texture. 

Deep falls obscure the underlining rocks and depend on the water detail for visual interest, making faster shutter speeds necessary.

 
Obstructions such as rocks and ledges slow the flow, diverting and fanning the water into streams that can be captured at longer shutters before detail is lost. 

Pond Brook Falls in Time

Moss Glen Falls

All of these effects are blunted by greater distance from the subject.  My more distant image from Moss Glen Falls in Granville, Vermont was taken with full polarization and a 10 second exposure, but from this distant the interest came from the streaming and fanning of the water and was not weaken by the loss of surface texture.

5 ) Exposure

It can be challenging to achieve good exposure for both the bright

Gentle HDR : Catsbane Brook

falling water and the surrounding dark rocks.  Multi-image HDR techniques can work well, but capturing the full dynamic range in a single image is more difficult.  The best compromise is one that results in an image that allows the salvaging of both the highlights and shadows.  In this  situation, “exposing to the right” (ETTR) can be critical.  Increasing the exposure as far as possible, without blowing out the highlights, will allow for better detail in the shadows as the image is processed.  It is important to avoid blowing out the highlights.  Even a small area of pure white, without detail, can shine out awkwardly and no amount of processing can retrieve detail where none exists

To allow for long shutter speeds, the f stops are typically quite high.  I usually try to avoid the diffraction caused by extremely small apertures, but waterfall photography often forces me to accept f stops in the 18-22 range.  

6) Safety (This should really be number one)

Steep banks below
the Ashuelot Arch Bridge

Special attention to safety is seldom more critical than when standing precariously on slippery rocks, inches from a precipitous drop to raging water, or while sliding down a steep bank to reach a roaring brook.  The basic rules are the same.

First: Most of the best shots are seen from difficult to reach locations, where your life may be in danger.  More importantly, your equipment will be at risk of loss or damage.  Start by assuming the worst WILL happen.

Second: A few simple precautions, faithfully followed, can substantially reduce the risk of disaster. The key is to slow down and focus on your gear and your feet. Generally, the beautiful stuff will still be there once everything is secure.

Slow Down

Scary spot over Lower Purgatory Falls

Think before you move and never assume that your foot will hold on the leaves and wet rocks.  Have a back-up, a tree, a hiking pole or just your other foot.  When adjusting your equipment try to keep at least two points of control, two hands, a hand and a neck strap or hands and the tripod.  

Never fully trust the tripod.  Whenever my camera and tripod are over water, I always keep my neck strap on.  At times it can be awkward, all it takes is a gust of wind or a slipping leg for your camera to end up in the brook.  A few years ago, I was shooting by a stream in Harrisville.  I turned away for a second to grab something from my bag and my tripod toppled over dunking my camera in the icy water. It was a costly way to learn an important lesson.

 

Painful experience has also taught me to keep the holder under my filter as I unscrew.  The filter always seems to come off as you re-grip.

 

Changing lenses can be especially scary.  When I am in a vulnerable position, I try to avoid switching, but, if absolutely necessary, I stop, put everything down and try not to juggle more than one thing at a time. I secure one lens before taking another out, and position myself to screen everything from the mist.

Waterfall photography provides many exciting opportunities and challenges.  Hopefully these suggestions will help encourage you to get out there and enjoy one of this season’s greatest attractions.

Jeff Newcomer
partridgebrookreflections.com

603-363-8338