Waterfalls of Cheshire County

Catsbane Mill Falls

Photographing the Falling Water Season

The snow is fading fast and, as we wait for the buds to explode into their exuberant range of greens, we are thoroughly into falling water season.  Waterfalls are the main attraction this time of year.  With the snow run-off and spring rains, streams that are normally a mere trickle become roaring torrents.  What better time to share some of my favorite falls in my home territory of Cheshire County, New Hampshire.  I would not pretend to know all the waterfalls in the county.  Even after exploring the region for almost 35 years there are still locations about which I have only heard stories.  Last week I talked about one waterfall that I have sought for several years.  I'm still not certain that I have found Pulpit Falls in Winchester, NH, but I plan to go back soon to confirm the location.
http://jeffnewcomerphotography.blogspot.com/2014/04/finding-pulpit-falls-possibly.html
 

Chesterfield Gorge Flow

Included here are several of my favorite waterfalls that are accessible to the public.  There are other falls on private land, but to visit these you would need to establish your own relationship with the owner.

Waterfall photography is not difficult.  All you need is good boots, and a sturdy tripod to hold your camera for the long exposures that turn chaotic boiling water into the soft, cotton candy appearance that is so popular.  Another essential is a number of clean lens cloths to keep the mist from fogging your lens.  As I discussed in a previous article, getting the right exposure for your taste is always a matter of experimentation.   So gear-up and let's go exploring.


1) Beaver Brook Falls, Keene
Beaver Brook Falls is located in a secluded spot about one half mile up a abandoned road which is a section of the old route that

Beaver Brook Falls

traveled from Keene to Concord.  The falls cascade over a rocky ledge and drops about ten feet into Beaver Brook.  The flow varies a good deal depending on the season and recent rainfall.  The falls can be photographed from the road or from along the brook, but the footing along the bank is slippery.
Directions: Take Washington Street north of Keene's Central Square.  Just before the road rises to merge with Route 9, take a right on the Old Concord Road and then a quick left on the Washington Street Extension.  This road ends shortly at metal gates.  From here the falls is about a half mile walk up the gently rising abandoned road.



 

2) Forty Foot Falls, Surry
This water fall, which is part of Merriam Brook in Surry, NH, is one of the least well known in the region, but can be quite

40 Foot Falls

spectacular. This anonymity is probably due to a number of factors including the fact that the falls is tucked away along a neglected unmarked dirt path and is partially accessed across a decaying bridge. Unfortunately, the actual falls are at the head of a deep, narrow ravine, bordered by shear rocky cliffs. It is nearly impossible to get a full view of the falls. Probably the best angle comes from above the falls, but I have also captured views from across the bridge looking up stream. I have always felt that the best part of

40 Foot Falls, Downstream

Forty Foot Falls is actually the other, more accessible, waterfalls and cascades that are below the tallest drop. This section is accessed with a short bushwhack from a turn out on the road just below the trail to the main falls.
Directions: Take Court Street north from Central Square in Keene.  At the second traffic circle bare right onto Route 12a.  After 4.3 miles take a left on Joslyn Road. The turn off to the lower portion of the falls is on the left about 1/2 mile up Joslyn Road.  






 

 3) Chesterfield Gorge, Chesterfield
The Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area includes 13 acres located in

Big Drop, Chesterfield Gorge

Chesterfield, New Hampshire off Route 9. The area features a .7 mile Wilderness Loop Trail which follows Wilde Brook through the Chesterfield Gorge. It is an easy/moderate hike along the edge to the bottom of gorge.  Along the way there are various points to observe the brook as it cuts through steep rock formations and over a series of waterfalls and cascades. The hike can be easily completed in under an hour, but you will want to linger to enjoy and photograph the beauty and drama of this majestic area.
Directions: The Gorge Natural Area is located on Route 9 west of Keene, NH.  It is about 5.6 miles west of the intersection of Routes 101 and 9 in Keene. Look for the sign on the right side of the road.  The area has a parking lot which accesses the trial.  In recent years Chesterfield Gorge has been supported and maintained by a dedicated group of private citizens in the Friends of Chesterfield Gorge.  

Wilde Brook Cascade

 
4) Ashuelot Falls, Keene

Ashuelot Falls

Ashuelot Heron

Ashuelot River Park is a lovely 157 acre oasis in the center of Keene, New Hampshire.  The park includes a mill dam waterfall dating back to 1775.  The mill pond to provided water power for the manufacturing of theday.  Now the pond  supports a diversified population of wildlife which is accessible from a number of well maintained trails. Just above the waterfall is a beautiful suspension foot bridge spanning the Ashuelot River.  The falls can be viewed from either side of the river and on the east side you can stop by Starbucks to get overpriced coffee before settling on a bench to watch the flow.
Directions:  Heading west from Keene’s Central Square along West Street the River Park is across from the Colony Mill. Just pull into the parking lot and, in the summer,  you can grab some ice cream from the truck stationed at the entrance.

River Park Bridge

5) Mt Wantastiquet Falls, Hinsdale

Wantastiquet Falls

Mt Wantastiquet sits on the Connecticut River between Chesterfield and Hinsdale, across the River from Brattleboro, Vermont.  The
1335 foot summit is accessed by a switchback trail which begins across the bridge from Brattleboro behind the former Walmart building at the end of Mountain Road.  At the beginning of the trail, just above the small parking lot, there is nice waterfall cascading down the long the corridor cut to provide electrical access to the summit.  The falls can be viewed from the trail, but a closer approach involves negotiation of a very steep and often wet path along the edge.  The waterfall varies in intensity depending on run-off and rainfall.  Naming it Wantastiquet Falls is totally my own invention.  You can call it whatever you like.


 

 6) Catsbane Brook, Chesterfield

Catsbane Cascade

The Catsbane Brook flows through West Chesterfield to the Connecticut River.  As the brook tumbles through the village it shoots through a number of nice cascades and over a couple of dramatic old mill falls.  Much of this activity is not apparent as you drive through the village and requires some exploration, owner permitting.  One nice cascade is easily seen from the Farr Road as it crosses the brook between the village and the flat section that leads to the  Connecticut.
Directions:  From Keene take a right on Brook Road which becomes River road in the village.  Just watch for the Bridge on the left as you head northwest from the village.

Catsbane Falls

 

Perkins Pond Falls, Troy
The view of Mt Monadnock from across Perkins Pond on Route 124 in Troy, New Hampshire is one of my favorites and perhaps the

Perkins Pond Falls

most famous perspectives on the mountain.  It is less know that Perkins Pond drains from its western end through a gorge that includes a series of cascades and over a lovely secluded waterfall.  The falls can be seen from the edge of he gorge, but approaching its base is difficult.  The brook bed must be reached from down stream and the scramble back up to the falls can be tricky, especially when the brook is running high.
Directions :  Take Route 124 south from Marlborough, New Hampshire.  Turn right on Monadnock Street just after passing across Perkins Pond and then left onto a dirt road in 0.2 miles.  This road ends quickly at a steel gate and just before a path to the left leads across a bridge and then along the stream to the falls.

This is a short list of only a few of my favorite local waterfalls.  I plan to take advantage of  this year’s falling water season to find some of the other cascades and falls in the region.  I hope to see you out there.


Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com

Read More

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

Read More

Getting the Most from Christmas Lights Photography

Finding the Holiday “Sweet Spot”

This is the time of year when every good photographer turns their camera toward the lights that warm our holiday season. This week I completed an article for the New England Photography Guild on shooting Christmas lights. The blog includes a number of tips that I think are especially important when trying to capture the magic of Christmas illuminations. Check it out.  Christmas Lights Photography (to be published 12/23/13)

As always my companion “Getting it Right in the Digital Camera” blog will include some the images that didn’t fit in the NEPG article.
 

 I have never been a great fan of Christmas light photography; 

Lovely Understated Lighting

perhaps because of the tendency of some folks to bury their homes with garish displays that speak more of their egos than the peace and warmth of the holidays. This year I have been giving the lights another chance, looking for more understated beauty and iconic settings, and of course that led me repeatedly to the beautiful and icon Central Square in Keene, New Hampshire. 


 

I have taken hundreds of pictures of Central Square, but the most popular have been those taken during winter with the Christmas decorations and lights. The square has 4 key elements that can be mixed and match in a wide variety of compositions. These include the gazebo, the white church and, during the holidays, the Christmas tree. Oh yes, and the fourth element is the traffic, both human and vehicular, that always has to be accounted for. This year our tree is a bit small, but nicely decorated. I came back to the square 5 times looking for the best combination of light and atmosphere. I think I finally hit on the “sweet spot” earlier this week.

Bare Ground & Dark Skies

 When I started visiting the Square the lights were beautiful, but the ground was bare. I experimented with compositions including all of the elements, the church, the Gazebo and the tree, but later tried other combinations. The first problem was that the brown grass was unattractively barren and did nothing to reflect the lights. I tried to arrange compositions to include as little of the ground as possible, but I needed snow, and that came last weekend.










As soon as the snow had stopped, I was out again, shooting some of my favorite angles around the square. The key to snow photography is to catch it when it is fresh, the "winter wonderland" time when the trees and buildings are still frosted. This is especially true for Christmas lighting. As I discussed in this week's NEPG Blog, the snow on the trees reflects the color of the light best when the snow is close to the bulbs and before the heat of the lamps melts it away. 

The Blue Hour, but No Snow

One of the keys to Christmas light photography is to shoot during the “Blue Hour”, that time just before sunrise or after sunset when the sky retains a lovely blue glow, but does not obscure the illumination. Lighting photographed in the full darkness tends to appear as if floating in space without sense of context with the underlying scaffolding and surrounding, unilluminated structures.

So what is the sweet spot for Christmas lights photography? For me it includes all the important elements; an iconic New England scene, beautiful and not garish lights that complement the locale, cool twilight in the sky and fluffy fresh snow. After last weeks snow, I hit the jack-pot on central square with all of these elements, but there was on thing
missing. 

It was the classic white church at the top of the square. The United Church of Christ was an essential part of many of my compositions, but the flood light which illuminate the facade didn't come on until the darkness had nearly fully descended. I was
missing the "Blue "Hour"! There 

The Sweet Spot

was some reflected light from the gazebo, but even with enhancements in post, it didn't have a natural feel. There was only one thing to do. I called the church and asked them, for one night, to turn the lights on a couple hours early. Everyone was very nice and understanding and after a search for the appropriate people in charge of the switch, the light came on at 2 PM last Tuesday afternoon. The evening featured a snowstorm, but I was able to catch the fully illuminated church, somewhat softened by the falling snow, and the storm provided a fresh frosting on the trees. With the long exposures the snow flakes were not individually visible, but they acted to soften the overall scene, especially with more distant elements, such as the church. As always, it was a hassle photographing in the storm, but I kept my towel over the camera and managed to keep the lens clear. Most importantly, I had my "sweet spot".

Check out my more detailed list of tips on the New England Photography Blog, and get out to enjoy the show before it flies off to the North Pole for another year.

Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com

Read More

Editing Your Photos With the "Blow-Up" Scan

West River Valley. Dummerston, Vermont

Looking for the Bodies

Thanksgiving Gathering

Since  Susan and I are just getting back from a week visiting our daughter in Washington, DC,  this week's blog will be mercifully short.  We gathered at Abigail's house for Thanksgiving with Abby, her boyfriend Grayson, and a number of Abby's  friends and their families. Even our son Jeremy came down from New York City.  It was our typical intimate holiday feast for 15, with lots of
fascinating new friends, a

Space Shuttle Discovery

great  feast and a lovely visit.  Washington has a limitless supply of interesting things to see, and just about everything is free.  On this trip we went to the Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia and the amazing National Gallery of Art.  The Gallery's collection is remarkable and It was a reminder of how much we can learn from the masters about photographic composition and the use of light . 

National Museum of Art

 We got home late Saturday night, leaving little time to put together an article.  I thought this would be a good time to mention a simple editing step that I use on all of my pictures.  My "Blow-Up scan" harkens back to a classic '60s movie that should be on every photographer's must see list.




The Film
Michelangelo Antonioni's classic 1966 film, "Blow-Up" tells the story of a fashion photographer in mid-60s London.  The film studies the glamorous world of high fashion photography, but for me the key moment comes when the photographer, played by David Hemmings, escapes the glitz to do some voyeuristic street photography.  In the park he catches a couple in an intimate
embrace.  He is seen and the woman (Vanessa Redgrave) does everything she can to get the film, including offering money and "companionship", but without

The Body

success.  Later, in the darkroom, yes a real darkroom, the photographer finds evidence of a murder.  While scanning the detail of the image he discovers the grainy image of a man in the trees apparently holding a gun and later the suggestion of a body lying in the grass.  The movie devolves into reflections on the nature of reality, but it was what the photographer found while scanning the image detail that made a lasting impression.

Where are the Bodies?

The Trash

The "Blow-Up" Scan

Part of my editing routine is to zoom in to 100% and then systematically scan every inch of the image.  I start at the top and move slowly across the image, row by row,  to the bottom. In the sky, I'm looking for dust specs, erasing them with my healing brush.  If the sky is bright, I will darken it with a levels layer, to make the blemishes more apparent.  The new version of Lightroom has a Spot Detection Tool which has a similar effect.   As I get down into the rest of the image, I look

Spots Highlighted with Levels Adjustment

for trash or other distractions.   I clone out the random candy wrappers and cigarette packs, but I also look for distracting elements, such as bright patches, that might draw attention from the main subject(s) of the image.  Of course, while I'm performing this systematic clean-up, I never forget Blow-Up.  Perhaps it is a bit macabre, but I always watch for the occasional dead body.  Creepy?  Yes,  but it keeps me remembering to carefully scan my images, and that's what is most Important.  

White Distractions, or Perhaps a Bleached Femur?

Check out "Blow-Up".  It is a classic, of particular interest to photographers and, although you will probably never discover a body,  scan your images carefully, You never know what you'll find.

Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com

Read More