I'm DONE !

Daffodil Barn, Keene, NH

Enough with the Glorious Winter Already

Cold Franconia Sunrise

I had nearly completed my blog article for this week about the restoration of antique photographs and then it hit me.  I’M DONE.

I have always loved winter, especially the unique photographic opportunities that the pristine white blanket provides in the sparse angular light of the season.  We had a good share of snow this winter, but it is this year’s persistent body and soul numbing cold that has finally wrecked my spirit.  Perhaps it is my aging circulation that makes the cold more difficult to tolerate, but all would agree that this winter has been unusually frigid and without the occasional thaws that normally serve to trigger at least a breath of hope for nature’s resurrection.   I am hoping that by this weekend when I publish this article the temperatures may have moderated a bit,

Perkins Pond Spring, Troy, NH

 but at this moment I REALLY need spring and I suspect that there are many out there that share my desperate longing.   So I have decided to drop everything and spend some time strolling through my spring images, selecting a few of my favorites to share with my frozen neighbors.  These may not be my most artistic images, but rather ones that speak strongly to me of the warmth and burgeoning new  life that is the essence of spring.

I hope that these few images provide a brief respite from the chill, but if not, that's ok, this one is for me.  Feel free to prolong your vernal escape by browsing the Spring Archive on my web site.

St Matthew's Lupine, Sugar Hill, NH

The Annual Lupine Festival in Sugar Hill New Hampshire, just north of Franconia Ridge, is a blast of spring color is a spectacular setting, but for me, the real attraction of spring is the endless variety and richness of the newly erupted greens. 

Fresh Green, Brattleboro, Vermont

Too soon the soft colors become fixed in their deeper shade of summer green.

Huntington Cascade, Dixville Notch, NH

Early spring is waterfall season, with the vigorous winter run-off being the main attraction until the leaves start popping out. The season comes late to New Hampshire's North Country and it is possible to follow the early spring north much like the fall colors can be tract as they move from north to south.

Table Rock, Balsams, NH

The Balsams Grand Hotel seen from Table Rock in Dixville North, New Hampshire.  Sadly the resort is now closed, but there is hope that this classic might open again with plans for an expanded ski resort.

Curious Goat, Dummerston, Vt

Spring also is reflected in the excitement of the animals as they escape from the barn into fresh pastures with the sweatiest grass of the season.  

Dawn Pasture, Dummerston, VT

This exuberance is no better seen than in Stonewall Farm's annual "Dancing of the Ladies" when the cows go wild,  running jumping and head bumping, as they are released to pasture for the first time.

 

Dancing Lady, Keene, NH

Central Square Blossoms, Keene, NH

Every spring for just a few days Keene's Central Square becomes a festival flowers.  The trick is to fine the day when the sun is full.  I can look back on the dates of old images from the event to gauge when the vigil should begin.

Orchard Maple, Walpole, NH

 Sadly, I can't anticipate that all these favorite icons of spring will return.  Tragically, the great Oak on the Hilltop at Alyson's Orchard in Walpole, New Hampshire is now only a memory It was devastated by a  lightning strike and had to be removed last fall. 

Wildflower Barn, Westmoreland, NH

Openings, Marlborough, NH

I found one of my favorite Birch groves by accident in Reading Vermont, while looking for the famous Weathersfield Birches.  I eventually discovered that fable grove is now overgrown and no longer the treasure about which I had read.  This spot was a worthy conciliation.

Spring Birches, Reading, Vt



As I complete this prayer to spring, I'm thrilled to report that yesterday the temperature climbed tentatively into the 40's.  Anything above freezing brings hope, but next week promises colder temperatures and a chance for another storm.  That's New England.  All we can do is make the best of what nature gives us and occasionally escape into our photographs to be assured that spring will come.

Slide Show of My Full Spring Archive


 

Oh, and one more sign of spring arrived yesterday.  I discovered that the eagles have  returned to their nest on the Connecticut River, and they appear to be faithfully on guard.  Hopefully chicks will be emerging soon.

Bald Eagles on the nest, one guarding, the other bringing supper.

Spring in New England (Photo Archive)


Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com

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Whaleback Light

 Searching for an Eddington Moment

Einstein and Eddington

On May 29, 1919, Arthur Eddington was watching a rainy, cloud filled sky on the remote island of Principe off the west coast of Africa.  He had come from England to observe the solar eclipse

Arthur Eddington

hoping to confirm or refute Albert Einstein's controversial theory of relativity. It was no small matter that, just after the carnage of the First World War, it was an Englishman who had set out to test a German theoretical physicist's theory, which, if confirmed, would overthrow the god of English science Sir Isaac Newton.  Einstein's theory predicted that light passing by a massive object like the sun, would be noticeably deflected, but the only time to measure such an effect would be when the sun's brilliance was blocked by a solar eclipse. Eddington had planned carefully for the experiment and had traveled more than 3500 miles to be in the right spot at the right time. Despite all the preparation, the observation almost never happened, as the obscuring clouds parted only briefly during the period of totality. The result was that Einstein was confirmed and most of the rest of the world was left hopelessly confused and nostalgic for the simple days of Sir Isaac. Eddington had the luck that all photographers lust for, but even such a profoundly religious man was enough of a scientist not to depend entirely on providence. He sent a second expedition to Brazil as a hedge against bad weather.

This is all a round-about way to bemoan the fact that I had no hedge against bad weather this weekend and despite all my careful planning the sky did not open at just the right moment as I tried to catch Whaleback Light against the rising sun. Since I live about 90 miles from Atlantic coast in the beautiful southwest corner of New Hampshire, I treasure every opportunity to make it to the ocean. I don't have the luxury of returning time and again until the conditions are right. I have to make the best of what nature gives me, truthfully that is a major part of the fun. 


The Rye Weekend
Every summer our good friends Tom and Paula become even better

Whaleback Lighthouse, Portsmouth Harbor

friends when they rent a cottage on the New Hampshire coast at Rye Beach. It is a great excuse to spend a weekend by the water, to eat and drink, and to sit watching the various sizes and shapes of humanity strolling along the beach. Of course I also have to photograph and this year I had a plan. Whaleback Lighthouse at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbor is a classic and I wanted to try to capture the sun rising behind the tower.  Before leaving for Rye, I went to my favorite program, The Photographer's Ephemeris, and discovered that the sun could be seen rising behind the lighthouse, at 5:30 Sunday morning , from a spot on the beach at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye. I was able to find the exact location on the beach and determined

that Whaleback had to be at 63 degrees from my vantage point to be perfectly aligned. Knowing that I would be crossing the park in the dark, Tom and I scouted the location Saturday afternoon. The park is a lovely wooded oasis away from the bustle of the beaches and is crisscrossed with a web of secluded trails. Once on the beach, I was able to find the spot which placed the lighthouse at 63 degrees. Since I would be returning in the dark the next morning I built a small stone cairn to mark the location. Like Eddington, after the preparations, I could do nothing but wait for the weather.  Unlike Eddington, I could return to the cottage on the beach for a wonderful dinner and too much wine.

Tom Scouting the site

Carin Building
Photo by Tom Dustin

 












 

 You Have Fewer Friends at 4:30 in the Morning

Odiorne Point State Park, Rye NH
Less spooky in daylight

When I arrived at the park the next morning there were just a few small , hopeful, breaks in the clouds. I worked my way along the dark trails, guided by the narrow column of my headlamp. It was a bit spooky, but I figured that it was unlikely that potential muggers would decide to seek their prey from the Poison Ivy along a lonely wooded trail at 4:30 in the morning.  By the time I reached my spot on the beach the sky was completely overcast. I setup my tripod and, accompanied only by the mosquitoes, settled in to await the miracle. Sadly there was no Eddington moment.  5:30 came and went without a trace of morning gold. Once it was clear I was not going to get the perfect sunrise, I settled in to work the site for whatever I could get. 





Making Do
The cool blue light had its own attraction and the rocky shore

Odiorne Point Shore

provided some nice framing opportunities on the lighthouse, but the low light imposed its own challenges. For the lobster boat image, I framed the lighthouse through the rocks, locked down my tripod, and then took several exposures focusing on each of the foreground, middle rocks and the lighthouse (focus stacking). It was helpful to use Live View to nail the focus in the dim light and the long exposures created a nice soft appearance to the rolling waves. Then, keeping the camera in position, I waited for a boat to come by and added the final piece of puzzle. I had to boost the ISO up to 3200 for this image to freeze the moving boat, but in the end the composite brought it all together for the best representation of the lovely scene.

I spent two hours on that peaceful beach and, although I was disappointed about the lack of a spectacular sunrise, the quiet solitude was well worth the trip. I knew that, behind those clouds, the sun was rising and that it would be there for me on another day. Despite the best planning nature doesn't always cooperate, but photography would loose its excitement and challenge if every shoot was an Eddington moment. 

Angry sky over Rye Beach New Hampshire
A nice oppoertunity for a little HDR

Jeffrey Newcomer
partridgebrookreflections.com

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Cows Gone Wild

Breaking Away 201

If you photograph in New England it means that you shoot cows. Although it is no longer true that there are more cows than people in Vermont, they remain an unavoidable part of rural New England life. You might as well photograph them intentionally since regardless of intention they are bound to wander into even your most carefully planned landscape. Personally, I love these placid, four-legged milk factories. They provide a sense of balance and peace to many compositions, but photographing cows is always a

Head Above, NE Kingdom, Vermont

challenge. They seem to spend all their time with their heads buried in the grass or elegantly discharging massive amounts of pee. Watch out, when they start arching their backs, it's time to stand back.  Of course, a herd almost always presents many more buts than faces to the camera. These guy never take direction well and it can be a long wait for them to randomly sort themselves into a pleasing arrangement. When they finally look my way they often move in to try to chew my camera. On one occasion in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont I was nearly stampeded by a herd that obvious thought I was serving breakfast.

Dancing of the Ladies

Twist and Shout

Every spring Stonewall Farm, in Keene New Hampshire, offers a

Head But

unique opportunity to catch “cows gone wild” in a fleeting moment of energy and activity that is not potentially homicidal. The Dancing of the Ladies at Stonewall Farm was a hit once again this spring and seems to be attracting larger crowds every year. The "dancing" occurs on the morning in spring when the cows are first released from the barn and allowed to feast on the fresh spring grass. They are obviously thrilled to get out and for one brief moment they go cow crazy.

Connection

They run, or more accurately prance, out into the pasture, spinning, jumping and butting heads. The whole event is witness by folk lining the path to the field. Kids seem especially fascinated by the cows doing very “uncowly” things. The remarkable thing is that all these people come out early in the morning to see a spectacle that lasts only a few minutes. Before one can say “chewing their cud” the cows are back to their usual semi-comatose grass munching status.  Brief as the excitement is, I confess I am attracted every year. My best image of the dance came the first year I attended. I was told at the time that no one before had ever captured a cow in full kick and I have to admit that I haven’t yet been able to get a similar shot. What I find most fascinating about the shot is that the cow's face seems to betray no awareness off what her legs are doing.

Cow Kick

Strolling of the Heifers

Another good chance to catch cows in a more controlled environment is the annual Strolling of the Heifers Weekend held in Brattleboro Vermont every spring. The festival includes many family friendly bovine events, all built around the Strolling of the Heifers Parade. The parade features cute heifer calves marching down Main Street, accompanied by tractors, bands, clowns and more. It is a classic celebration of rural New England life and tradition. The parade this year is at 10a.m., Saturday , June 2nd. 


Cowscapes
This year the Vermont Center for Photography, in Brattleboro, is complimenting the stroll with a juried photography exhibition celebrating cows in New England. "Cowscapes" includes 38 images contributed by photographers from throughout New England. The opening is June 1st from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.. Check it out if you are in the area. You will even get a chance to see my "famous" jumping cow photograph. VCP Gallery is tucked away in a back alley in Brattleboro. Check out our web site for directions.

Dancing, parading and a show. If all of this is not enough cow for you, I suggest you follow another New England tradition of spring. Fire up your barbecue and have a burger.

Thinking of Home

For more dancing check out my blog about last year's event:
http://jeffnewcomerphotography.blogspot.com/2011/05/dancing-of-ladies.html 

Links:

Stonewall Farm :
 http://www.stonewallfarm.org/


Strolling of the Heifers:
http://www.strollingoftheheifers.com

Vermont Center for Photography
http://www.vcphoto.org/

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