The Power of Coming Back

All images from Roads End Farm in Chesterfield, New Hampshire

One of the exciting things about photography is that there are always new territory to explore. I love the opportunity to discover fresh locations and have found that touring with a camera in hand is the best way to fully appreciate the novelty of travel. It is not by accident that the most interesting and beautiful places to visit are also the best to photograph. The challenge of travel to distant locations is that the window of opportunity to catch interesting light is usually quite limited. I can't afford to return to Zion or Lake Louise 10 or 15 times to capture the perfect sunrise, but I can come back to my local sites as often as necessary to capture the magic and that is the power of coming back.

This weekend I went shooting at my favorite local farm and was freshly reminded of the power of coming back. Roads End is a unique horse farm just down the road in Chesterfield New Hampshire. During the summer it is a bustling girls riding camp, but throughout the year it is home to over 60 horses (and one fat cat) all in a varied and beautiful natural setting.  Tom Woodman has struggled in these hard economic times to keep the family farm running and his success has preserved 360 acres of lovely pastures and forest. I return to Roads End at least every week to look for new photographic opportunities. It is an unbreakable tradition for Nellie and I to visit after going to the dump every Saturday morning. The remarkable thing is that on almost every occasion, over the last 8-9 years, I have

found something new and interesting.  After all I live in New England; the weather and light is always changing and with over 60 horses as subjects I have yet to find a limit to the varying compositions of fields and fauna. Roads End also features a number of gorgeous pastures and glades which change in light and mood with each season.




I have my habitual favorites, but for some time, I had noticed an interesting, unexplored open glade just across from one of the larger pastures. The glade offered a tempting chance to shoot the horses in among the trees especially in the morning when the warm light knifes through the pines. I had never
ventured there in the past in part because it would involve wading through dozens of unfettered horses, some with serious
dominance issues, and also because it required slogging through yards of ankle deep mud. This weekend, however, I came with the right boots. I left the disappointed dog at home to avoid spooking the animals and made my way across the field. Early in the morning the horses were all anticipating the hay wagon. Their interest in me centered primarily on discovering whether my camera bag contained any hay or apples. The trick was to hang around long enough for the curious to stop nosing my bag and for the more timid to accept that I was not a threat. Once the horses resumed acting like horses the glade became a quiet magical place to experience and shoot. The light wasn't the best, but it was a good day to explore a new part of the farm. I will come back when the light is softer through the mist. After years, it is remarkable that I am STILL finding new opportunities I have learned the power of coming back.

As invigorating as travel can be to our photographic eye, don't neglect the special benefits of staying home. Become intimately familiar with the best of your local attractions. Learn the optimal seasons, light and angles for each location. I have several favorite farms in my region; each has it's own attractions, but even more importantly I have come to value the local farmers as friends and protectors of our region's fragile beauty.  I frequently share my images with them and they are invaluable sources of information and perspective. A good relation with landowners and farmers can open up a wealth of special opportunities for photography. It is all part of the power.

Check out my Roads End Farm Set on Flickr for more images

The Farm's Web Site is at : http://www.roadsendfarm.com/

Lessons from the Stream

"Snowliage" Canon 5D 16-35mm Lens

Canon G11

I am happy to report that I am now photographically whole after several weeks with my beloved Canon 5D Mark II and the workhorse 24-105 lens away at the Canon Service Center in New Jersey.  My friend and talented newspaper photographer Steve Hooper reassured me that accidents are bound to happen as a necessary price of getting out there for the shot, but I do seem to have a pathological tendency to regularly dunk my equipment in the beautiful streams and lakes of New England. This time I relearned the important rule that one should NEVER leave your tripod unattended. I swear I turned my back for a split second to adjust a branch and the tripod maliciously tipped my camera into the stream. The camera was only partially doused for a second, but it was enough to freeze the shutter button and for water to get on the front element of the lens.   


After it became evident that no amount of drying would restore reliable function, I sent the camera and lens off to New Jersey. The service center did a prompt and professional job. I got the camera back in about two weeks in "factory condition" which means that, in addition to the repairs, the camera and lens were cleaned and calibrated. It was of some consolation to discover that my first images had absolutely no dust on the sensor. That won't last.

Canon G11

The whole process provided an expensive lesson in the importance

of scrupulous care of the equipment. The fact that this disaster struck at the best moment of this year's fall foliage only magnified the impact. The late October snow spotlighted the previously dull color and provided a spectacular conclusion to the season that I was afraid I would miss in my crippled state. If there was one positive aspect of the experience, it was the fact that I was evicted from my usual comfort zone and forced to use back-up equipment. The great lesson turned out to be that it is refreshing to work within different restraints imposed by more limited resources and to be reminded that it is the light and not the equipment that is always most important. Of course I was not terribly impoverished when it came to equipment options. I didn't have to dig out my old Kodak Instamatic. 

Harvey Pond, Westmoreland, NH
Canon 5D, 16-35 mmm

My back-up Canon 5D is an incredibly capable camera that I have been recently using only for time-lapse.  Not a bad fall-back option, but with the loss of my 24-105mm lens, I had a large gap in my focal length range.  Everything from 35mm to 100mm was a dead zone.  The happy result was that I becaming more comfortable seeing through the perspective of my 16-35mm wide angle lens. Too often I get lazy about changing lenses and routinely accept 24mm as my widest view. It is always surprising what a big difference just a few millimeter can make in the structure of an wide angle image. At the other extreme of focal length, I had no trouble when I could use the reach of my 100-400mm telephoto lens to capture scenes such as the horses in the pastures of Roads End Farm. It turned out to be a creative jolt to be forced to visualize scenes only from the extremes of focal length, but I did have another option

Roads End Farm Pasture
Canon 5D, 400mm

 

Canon G11

.For more complete coverage, my other camera choice was my Canon G11. I got this camera as a relatively small "carry around" that I could keep with me whenever I didn't want to lug my trailer load of equipment.  The G11 is a surprisingly versatile camera with a full range of manual controls and raw capability. The image quality is also excellent especially in good light. During the last few weeks I have become more comfortable with the camera's occasionally confusing menus and buttons and found it liberating to have all that power in such a small package nestled in my hand. The G11 does not have the fine focus control, resolution, or low light capability of the Mark II, but I was surprised to find myself a little disappointed when I finally gave up the camera's easy portability for my massive, neck straining DSLR.

 

Multi image depth of field with the Canon G11

Canon G11

So the end result of giving my camera a chilly autumn bath was first that, thankfully, I was able to get my primary camera back freshly cleaned and fully functional.  I was also forced to approach photographic opportunities in fresh ways and the experience was eye opening.   I would not recommend drowning your camera to achieve these in-sights. Instead you might try going out on a shoot with self imposed, not disaster related, restrictions. Use only your wide angle lens or use a smaller camera in situations where your clumsy DSLR may be encumbering. You will be surprised how quickly you start seeing and working in creatively different ways.

Of course I am thrilled to have my camera back, but I should mention one final lesson from this episode. It was in fact a good thing that I bought camera insurance!

How Many Calendars Do You Want This Year?

I am excited to announce that my 2012 New England Reflections Calendar is out and at a store near you, I hope. It takes many hours to select the images and design the calendar, but the major effort always comes afterwards when I have to market it to the community. This is the time of year when my fall shooting is interrupted by frantic visits to local bookstores, card shops, galleries and any place else I can think of to get the calendar out for the brief prime sales period from now until New Years. This is also the time of year when my friends start looking the other way when I walk by, knowing that any eye contact will be immediately followed by, "So how many calendars do you want to buy this year". I am normally quite reluctant to push my work, but the fact that all the money goes to the Cheshire Medical Center Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program gives me license to be as obnoxious in my hard sell as possible.







The Pulmonary Rehab program has always been very special for me and not just because I have been the medical director since its creation. The treatment of chronic lung diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis and pulmonary fibrosis is frequently complex

2006 Better Breathers

 and challenging for both patients and those who care for them. Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene provides a comprehensive outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program to serve the needs of patients in our community. Our goal for those who struggle with these difficult diseases is to improve their understanding, comfort and functionality. Over several years the sale of the New England Reflections Calendar has raise over $40 thousand dollars to supplement the program and assist patients who need help covering the cost.

Brattleboro Vermont

The process of selecting the images and putting the calendar together every year is exciting, but challenging . It is still surprising to me that stores start selling next year's calendar in the middle of summer and I have never been good about getting the calendar completed early enough. I'm lucky if I get mine out by early fall. As each year goes by I find myself increasingly looking for the illusive perfect "calendar shots". In addition to being great images calendar shots need to tell an interesting story that I can relate in a couple of coherent sentences in the caption. It is always helpful if I

Sugar Hill, New Hampshire

can remember where I took the picture. Generally my photographic eye gravitates toward vertical images. I suspect this vertical preference comes from my attraction to a wide depth of field, but, given the calendar's format, my pictures must be in landscape orientation. As the calendar deadline approaches, I have a growing stimulus to rotate the camera looking for the horizontal perspectives. I have learned that, regardless of what appears to be the strongest composition, it is a valuable to routinely try to get both horizontal and vertical versions of attractive scenes.  You never can predict what a future client may prefer. In general the calendar images focus on my corner of New England. I know my audience. 

"Spofford" the Moose

I try to get a fair share of pictures from both the Monadnock Region and southern Vermont, and, of course, any picture which features Mt. Monadnock will sell. Typically I will also include one seacoast image and one wildlife portrait, but this year, with images of Seagulls, Blue Herons and "Spofford" the Moose, the animals rule. In the end the toughest part about image selection is all the pictures you have to leave out, but , happily, there is always next year. 

You can check out all the images in this year's calendar in the 2012 New England Reflections Flickr set.

So now for the shameless plug.
If you would like to purchase a spectacularly beautiful 2012 calendar and also support a wonderful cause, I would be happy to oblige. They are only $15 and make wonderful, and inexpensive holiday gifts. Send me an email or give me a call. If you are nearby, you can pick up calendars at many fine local stores, including (so far):

The Cheshire Medical Center Gift Shop, Keene, New Hampshire
Toadstool Bookstore, Keene, New Hampshire
Pocket Full of Rye, Keene, New Hampshire
Heidi's Hallmark, Keene, New Hampshire
Hannah Grimes, Keene, New Hampshire
Ingenuity Country Store, Keene, New Hampshire
Monadnock Imaging, Keene, New Hampshire
JJ Discount Store, Spofford, New Hampshire
Harrisville General Store, Harrisville, New Hampshire
Westmoreland General Store, Westmoreland, New Hampshire
Jingles Christmas Shop, Westmoreland, New Hampshire
East Hill Farm, Troy, New Hampshire, New Hampshire
Gilsum Village Store, Gilsum, New Hampshire
Vermont Artisans Designs, Brattleboro Vermont

So if in the next several weeks we should see each other on the street, just be warned, you WILL be asked "How many calendars would you like this year"

Click Here, for more information about the Cheshire Medical Center / Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program.

First Snow

Yesterday we had our first snow of the season here in southwestern New Hampshire.  No matter the date, first snows always seem to be a surprise, but when "measurable precipitation" occurs in October it is not only surprising , but also a visual treat.  Typically our first coating occurs sometime after the leaves have fallen in November,  when we are all desperate to cover the drabness of "stick season" with a pristine frosting of white.  When winter storms strike early they can blast the remaining fall foliage from the trees, but given the right conditions, they  can also spread a beautiful white frosting on the colorful leaves.  The stark contrast between vibrant reds and golds and the clean white of freshly fallen snow is fantastic, but short lived.

Roads End Farm, Chesterfield New Hampshire

Friday morning offered such a special opportunity.  We live in the hills between Keene New Hampshire and Brattleboro Vermont and had just enough snow to coat the trees without totally obscuring the foliage.  I was excited to get out to shoot, but was frustratingly tied to home waiting for the furnace guy to show up for our pre-winter cleaning.  As it turned out I was able to get some of my best shots around the house.  When I was finally able to leave I was happy to find that the snow was sticking longer than usual.  The time after a storm when the snow is still clinging to the trees is a winter "golden hour".  David Middleton, a great photographer and teacher from Vermont, calls these his "winter wonderland" shots.   It is the time when snow is the most magical, and it is often quite fleeting.  As the morning temperature raises above freezing it seems that the snow comes off the branches all at once with one disappointing plop, but yesterday things held together into the early afternoon.  

For much of today the "winter wonderland" was only a memory, actually a memory and about 200 images.  But this evening the snow has return with a vengeance.  By morning we may have over one foot.  I have to suspect that all this October winter must be in response to all the whining I have done about the terrible color this autumn.  Whatever the reason, in New England,  we all know that the only abnormal weather is normal weather and that's why it is such a great place for photography.  

Now let's see if I can get this posted before the power goes out!

The Pumpkin Festival Lives

Keene New Hampshire's 21st Annual Pumpkin Festival

Main Street Clock

Keene New Hampshire's Annual Pumpkin Festival was last weekend and as usual I avoided the mobs and came early. There are considerably fewer pumpkins at 7:30 AM but at that hour you can actually see the mass of gourds without the gaggle of gawkers. The packed crowds of people who show up later in the day tell a different story, but I've taken those pictures before. I'm usually gone by the time the festival officially begins around 10 AM. I have photographed at least ten of the past Pumpkin Festivals and it has become an increasing challenge to try to find something new and fresh to record from the event. I keep coming back because I love the atmosphere and because, against all odds, I generally do find something new every year. I guess this speaks to the value of returning to favorite locations. Conditions are never quite the same and with experience you can get the most from the light. Familiarity also breeds a willingness to experiment with different angles and techniques.  

Infrared Pumpkins

This year, by intention and by tragic accident I had the opportunity approach the fesitval from two different directions.  I continue to enjoy shooting with my IR converted 20D and It was especially interesting to apply infrared to scenes that I have photographed so many times before and which, in the past have always depended on brilliant color for their impact. Sadly, since I "bricked" my 5D earlier this week by dropping it into a stream, all my "straight" images came from my Canon G11. I usually use the G11 when I want a small unobtrusive "carry-around" camera that still allows full control and RAW format. It was trickier to get accurate focus compared to my DSLR, but it was interesting to use the camera in a more controlled landscape approach.  It was also nice to be reminded that with a smaller sensor you get a broader depth of field.  Overall I was pleased with how the images came through.

Church at the Head of the Square

This year's festival was, by design, a scaled down event. The goal was to bring it back to a celebration of our special community and away from artificial attempts to break records for pumpkins or people. Hopefully it will continue in this direction.

Bag of Leaves

Gazebo, Walpole, NH

For the last couple of days the fall colors have shown some modest signs of life although still quite inconsistent. I have no idea what the recent rain will do, but at least it will refresh streams and waterfalls for the next few days. With this year’s patchy show it reminds me of one other cheat that I use in autumn that can enrich images even in good color years, but which may be especially important with our current struggles.

I am sure some readers will be appalled, but when I see beautiful, brightly colored leaves on the ground my first thought is how best to capture the scene, but then my second thought is “where is my plastic bag”.  It is the nature of leaves to blow around on blustery autumn days and it is also their natural tendency to end up piling into low spots where they do little to enhance my carefully composed image. In these situations I have no reluctance about scooping up the recalcitrant foliage and redistributing it where it is supposed to be.  Sprinkling even just a few leaves on contrasting rocks, along stream banks or next to waterfalls provides a splash of color that can significantly brighten an image and communicate much more effectively what our autumn is all about. So what can be done when there are no conveniently located piles to harvest? This is where the innocent appearing plastic bag in my trunk comes in. When I see nice leaves on the ground I often collect them to use later when nature is not so bountiful. It is important to bag only dry leaves.  I don't want a moldy compost heap smoldering in the back of my vehicle.  I know I am revealing a shameful dark secret, but I’m among friends here and I know that no one reads this far into my blogs anyway.

Local Leaves

Personally I have recovered from the moral dilemma so my only concern is how to spread the leaves in a natural way. It is important to generate an appearance of randomness. Not all the leaves should be perfectly aligned or with only the colorful sides up. There should be scattered imperfect clumps of leaves. If I am spreading color on the important foreground regions, it is also important to send a few out to the more distant areas. To my eye one of the most obvious give-aways is when the leaves are only close by, looking like someone may had lazily dumped them only where they would have the best effect. My only challenge this year has been to actually find some colorful leaves to collect.

 

Noone Falls, Peterborough, NH

Stonewall Farm, Chesterfield, NH

I feel much better now. Confession is good for the soul, especially when the sinner plans to transgress again. When finished shooting I will often recollect the leaves to use again. Why should some other photographer steal the benefit of all my hard work? On other occasions I will just walk away. So the next time you find a beautiful fall scene complimented by a lovely carpet of colorful leaves, pause for a moment before you are warmed by a sense of purity. It is always possible that I had just been by spreading autumn’s bounty.

Where is the Color?

Where is the Color,  Putney Vermont

All during our recent trip to central Europe  my only recurring fear was that I might miss part of the spectacular fall foliage season. As a New England photographer, the couple of weeks of autumn’s riotous punctuation to summer is the one annual opportunity that simply can’t be missed. I had no notion that I would return to discover that autumn this year is either absent or hopefully just unusually delayed. In our region of southern New Hampshire and Vermont peak color is invariably around the Columbus Day holiday, but this year most trees are just beginning to change and the color is generally drab. Leaves seem to be turning brown and falling to the ground. My opinion is that any leaf which does not have the courtesy of transforming into a brilliant red or gold has no right to fall from its branch. It should hang there in shame and NOT force me to rake it into oblivion! Of course there are various retrospective theories on the cause of this year’s disappointing color. Gobal warming is often mentioned. I have been impressed with our early springs in the last few years, so it might be expected that our fall could be delayed as well. The difference this year, however, is so dramatic that factors beyond global climate change seem likely to be at play. The extremely damp late summer, including the disastrous impact of Hurricane Irene, would seem an obvious candidate. We have seen black fungus on many leaves which is undoubtedly caused by the moisture. I am confident that my right wing friends will insist that this, like every other natural disaster, is caused by President Obama.  The political theories probably have as much validity as any other, but in the final analysis the reasons for this disaster are not really important. The crucial question should be how do with deal with it. After being out a few times in the last week I can offer just a few suggestions.

First we can always wait in hopes that the coming cold snap will trigger a late blast of color. I have experienced delayed seasons before, but never this late. In the meantime what can be done to get the most out of what we have.

Fresh Today, Dummerston Vermont

 1) Shoot the Few Colorful Trees

Black Brook, Brattleboro, Vt

If you photograph a broad hillside the results will be uniformly dull and disappointing, but there are isolated patches of brilliant foliage. Zoom in on these and no one will know that you are surrounded by drech. Actually, even in good years, I prefer to focus on one or a few spectacular trees. Even at peak color I generally find broad landscapes colorful and crushingly boring.






 2) Look for Color in the Right Places

Stickney Falls, Dummerston Vermont

When looking for color the rule is always to; go north, go up or go wet. Obviously color tends to be earlier the further north you travel or when you go to elevation, but color also tends to cluster around wet areas. Marshes, streams and lakes are all good places to look. Stickney Falls in Dummerston Vermont displayed some nice color this weekend with the added advantage of the waterfall.










3) Don’t Photograph Trees

Golden Pumpkins, Golden Light, Westminster VT

In my picture of the pumpkins at Holton Farm in Westminster Vermont, there is not a tree in site, but the autumn gold still shines through. Autumn is prime time for local harvest festivals with lots of great opportunities for colorful shots. Don’t forget the Keene Pumpkin Festival coming up on October 22nd.






4) Spray the Dull Trees with Golden Light

Channel Light, Spofford New Hampshire

Even this year, morning and evening light is still warm and magical. The golden hours can enliven even drab foliage.











5) Transilluminate

Maple Pasture, Dummerston Vermont

It is always great to shoot the light coming through autumn foliage. This is especially helpful when forced to shoot in midday when the light is otherwise stark and flat, but it can also brighten this year’s marginally colorful foliage.






 6) Cheat

Golden Bend, Guilford Vt (Last Year)

Finally, as a last desperate resort, you can sit at home and pull images from previous years and claim them as new. I of course would never resort to such shady measures.

Sadly this was today.  The same date as last year.
Makes you want to cry

 So cross your fingers for a late bloom of color, but in the meantime look for special opportunities. We all love a challenge. From my office window I can see a fully blood red maple a few blocks away. Sadly it is in front of a gas station, but it does give me hope.