Frigid Bridge - A Midday Shot that Works Due To Heavy Hoar Frost!

The golden hour is great for photography as the intensity of light is less, and therefore local contrasts are greatly reduced. The light is also warmer; whereas midday light is a cool, blue color that many characterize as uninviting, golden hour light has hues of pink and orange that bring wholly different emotional responses to images. Golden hour light is a commodity, it’s rare, and it’s cherished. I’m sure everyone has had a moment where they were completely blown away by a sunrise or sunset that stops them in their tracks.

When photographing light during the magic hour, there is a strong tendency to shoot the sun itself. Unless I can incorporate the sun as a dynamic piece of the landscape, I tend to compose off of the sun, and sometimes even directly away. This technique is most successful when there are mountains to capture the longest of rays, sometimes when the sun is still below the horizon in the valleys. This Alpenglow can make the harshest mountain landscape seem inviting.

Shooting alpenglow can be challenging. The intensity of the light is low, but the color is high. Additionally, the land below the alpenglow is often incredibly dark, almost requiring split neutral density filters to balance out the scene. In winter, two stops tend to do it. If you don’t have split ND filters, good strategy when shooting for alpenglow in digital photography is to overexpose, or shoot to the right. As long as you don’t clip the highlights, you can dial down back to a normal exposure in photoshop, and have a much wider range of quality tones in the final image.

This past weekend, I caught two great displays of alpenglow from overlooks in Conway and Jackson, overlooking Mount Washington. With the now near blank slopes of snow, the light was fantastic. I hope to explore overlooks that require a bit more effort this winter, like Mount Adams, Mount Hight/Carter Dome, and Jackson/Pierce, whenever the forecast looks clear…but this weekend is just forecast to be too cold. Safety has to be considered, and shooting in twenty to thirty below temperatures miles from a road with a planned hike in the dark is just not prudent. Patience…

Here’s some alpenshots from the weekend…

Predawn Glow From Conway - No light on the Mountain!

Strong Glow over Conway Lake

Early Glow From Jackson, NH

Later Golden Light From Jackson, NH

I just spent a few days roaming around Northern New Hampshire, where peak foliage has arrived right on time. The weather was gorgeous for just about the whole weekend, which made the hikes and drives extremely enjoyable, even though the light didn’t always go as planned.

Last night provided the best light and my best series of images. I hiked up Mount Prospect in Weeks State Park for sunset, and was treated to great light on the surrounding mountains.

I took off up the auto road at about 5PM for a 6:30 sunset. The road is gated late afternoon, but it’s an easy walk on easy grades. Given the perfect weather, I was surprised to have the place to myself…that was until a moose crashed out of the woods about 25 yards from me. It was a young bull, and it was staring me down. Now, it may look and sound crazy, but in these situations, I find it best to talk to the moose. So I did…and the tension decreased. And he started up the road. So I followed. For about a half a mile we had a chat as we walked, until a family coming down spooked it off into the woods.

Taking a walk with my new friend...

By this point the light was changing, so I switched focus to the sunset. The view from the east outlook is tremendous…from the Kilkenny, centered on the Presis, over to the Pemi. And all of it began to glow as the low light accentuated the autumn colors.

The East Overlook - Weeks State Park

Right before the light dipped behind some clouds right on the horizon the light was most intense. The Kilkenny Ridge, a by day a mottled sea of hardwoods in various autumn colors was ablaze in bright red. Mount Washington, a bit further distant had a bit more blue haze, and the lowlands were dotted with wetlands, softwoods, villages and color. A beautiful scene!

Intense Autumn Light and Color - Weeks State Park

Plenty more pictures to share…time will limit updates through October…

Sneaking out of an AMC hut is a bit science, a bit art, and still not the least silent. The hut is creaky, and through hikers sleep in the main dining area right next to the door. Outside thought, the world was silent, the wind had died overnight as Orion rose over the silhouette of the mountain I had to finish climbing. One false summit had me doubting myself in the race with the sun, but I arrived as an orange predawn glow was back-lighting Mount Washington to the east.

Predawn Glow Behind Mount Washington

As the sun rose, the ridge line to the south acted as a division of color between the warmth of the sunlight and the cool blues in the shadow. To the north fog filled the valleys…though none filled the Pemigewasset Wilderness spread out before me as I had hoped. Reason to return, but not to tarnish the moments of spectacular beauty as I watched the shadows retreat in the valleys.

Alpenglow on the Franconia Ridge, Looking South

Back at the hut for breakfast, I was greeted by eager hikers and hearty smells, and went back to work in the kitchen while the guests ate. I could continue on and on about how much I always enjoy my experience in the huts with the croo, but a last morning shot, through the coffee steam, should replace the words.  A fantastic morning!

Godrays in Greenleaf