Weeks State Park…
Autumn has arrived!
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…
Experimenting With Earl…
Shooting at iconic tripod holes is very easy, but getting a unique shot at one is the ultimate challenge.
Yesterday I went to Portland Head Lighthouse, looking for an iconic shot during the remnants of Hurricane Earl. The storm was a bit of a disappointment, a bit out to sea, and well weakened by the time it made it past Long Island. The state of the ocean was beyond choppy, but lacked the power and size that we had hoped for. High tide came at 7:30AM, and in the rapidly drying conditions, I found myself shooting with dozens of other photographers hoping for their own dream shot of the coastal beacon.
Photographers in this location line up at a few classic spots, set up their tripods, snap their picture and move on. These classic shots always offer perfect compositions, and yesterday, an engaging sea and story. This type of shooting doesn’t satisfy me though…and I always try for something different. Here are some examples of how I made some unique shots yesterday.
Change Location:
The fence lines corral people into getting the same shots. Line up at the fence, get your shot, and move on. But there’s lots of room on both sides of the fences for creativity. On the near side, about 10 feet back, is a great patch of goldenrod to use as a foreground. On the far side, you get closer perspectives to the water…and it doesn’t involve an increased risk in most situations. Yesterday, I hopped the fence, and grabbed this shot, impossible from the standard locations.
Long Exposure of Earl's Swirls Beyond the Fence Line
Experiment With Exposure:
While the waves were larger than normal, they were not epic large waves that would stand on their own at this location that is captured every storm. My first few shots, with exposures that froze the action were really lacking, so I stacked a couple of ND filters and increased the exposure time to 5 to 15 seconds. This allowed the waves to move through the shot, and more swirling look. All of my favorite shots yesterday were multiple Mississippi snaps.
Tricks With Time:
Moving locations once again to the far side of the lighthouse, I found a cobble beach, where each crashing wave would cover, uncover and rearrange the rocks. The sound was amazing, but the action allowed some classic camera trickery. With a well timed long six second exposure, the rocks were above water for three seconds, and under water for three seconds, giving the scene this mysterious look to it.
Tricks With Time...Waves Over Rocks
Adding People:
While I focus on high quality, artistic captures in dramatic light and atmosphere, shock style shots shouldn’t be ignored. With the right touch, you can combine both styles. Here’s a long exposure of the two photographers I shot with yesterday, Glen Taylor (foreground) and Brad Bradstreet (Cliff Next To Lighthouse). People add perspective, scale and stories to any picture, and while it’s uncommon for them to be sold at art shows, I like having them in my portfolio.
Hurricane Earl - People in the Landscape
I’m thrilled with these shots here, but have even greater plans for subsequent visits to this location…now I just need a bigger storm, and a dramatic sunrise to do them. Hey, if it were easy, everyone would have a shot of this location, right! 
Morning at Greenleaf Hut…
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
Assignments and Opportunity
This past winter, I had the opportunity to shoot an assignment for the Mount Washington Observatory, a place very dear to me. It was here that I worked for years as a meteorologist and observer, and a place that fostered my love of photography. The shot list was long, basically updating the image archive, and the weather…perfect. Undercast skies, light winds were followed by dramatic changes in the weather overnight and for the hike down.
A visit to the Observatory earlier this week showed me an interesting use for a few of those photographs. These now wrap the observatory subarus, vehicles that help to spread the educational missions of the organization! They look pretty cool!
Meteorologist Stacey Kawecki Takes A Humidity Reading
Mount Washington Observatory Subaru #1
Observatory Intern Drew Hill Scans Undercast Horizons
Mount Washington Observatory Subaru #2
Any chance to shoot the White Mountains in winter is a cherished opportunity for me, and it looks as though I’ll get to share it this winter with other photographers. I will be leading a workshop through the observatory during an overnight educational trip in March next year. Leading workshops has been a midterm goal for me as I continue to grow professionally, and to do so in support of the non-profit weather outpost is a great fit.
The exact schedule and curriculum is not yet set in stone…but I will likely cover exposure and light, composition, filters and special considerations for cold weather photography. Perhaps you’ll join me…details to come…
Observatory EduTrip - This Could Be You
Balloons in Better Light…
Trying for a different perspective this morning, I set out before dawn in my kayak. It provided many challenges, but also fantastic perspectives, as the baskets dipped right by my boat. Also interesting about being in the kayak, I was the subject of many photographs as I scouted the scene in the mist at sunrise…fun!
A few shots from the morning…
Dawn on the Suncook River
First Launch
Flying Low
First Dip
Close Encounter
Pittsfield Balloons (take 1)
It is lucky if one of those misty mornings coincide with the Pittsfield Balloon Festival…where the balloons launch over a ponding of the Suncook River. This weekend, the forecast looked great for two such mornings, and I got up early to shoot the sunrise launch.
There were two separate shows this morning…the sunrise, and the launch. The sunrise lit up an encroaching bank of clouds with spectacular pink and muted blue hues. This would have been a scene that I would want maximum flexibility on to work the composition…but with literally hundreds of photographers lining the pond, I didn’t want to give up my prime balloon watching spot.
Crowd at Pittsfield Balloon Festival
Fortunately, the color moved all the way from east to the western horizon, and color filled the scene in front of me!
Suncook Sunrise
When the natural color died out, the balloons took up the slack. Unfortunately the winds pushed the balloons the wrong direction initially, and the light was choked out by the same clouds that provided the brilliant sunrise…and shots weren’t ideal. Which was fine…as hot air balloons are mesmerizing…especially for a physics, thermodynamics and weather nerd like myself.
Eventually, the balloons made their way back over the pond, and a few nice scenes were composed. I am hoping for better light tomorrow…so a small teaser for today…
Balloon Festival
(Im)Perfect Gardens…
I have a hard time composing in tight spaces. I sometimes just can’t see the lines, or put together the colors in any reasonable way. I study works of classic wilderness photographers like Eliot Porter, but sometimes it doesn’t come together. Such was the case this week, in a nice garden in the woods that I came upon on the banks of the Lamprey River.
A Garden in the Woods I
It had all the right elements…dense greens, with deep reds and sublte purples, as cardinal flowers and joe pye weeds stood above the understory of ferns. But yet, I never found a killer composition…the challenge of these scenes continues.
Garden in the Woods II
Garden in the Woods III
Garden in the Woods IV
I visited the spot four times this week, in different light and conditions. Nothing worked for me. Perhaps there is no perfect intimate landscape shot for this scene…maybe it just is. There to be enjoyed…as an ‘imperfect’ perfect landscape. I observed some neat things while there…hummingbirds feeding at the cardinal flowers and a rare white varient of the showy red blossom…and that’s enough to keep me searching for the perfect photographic composition in the wilds.
I guess if I want a perfect garden scene, I should just go to a perfect garden… Like Prescott Park in Portsmouth…so I did…Friday morning…
Prescott Park at Sunrise
Tuckerman Ravine Wildflowers…
Mount Washington is BIG.
In size, it’s the largest mountain in the Northeast. In terms of popularity, it sees over a quarter million visitors a year. In terms of weather, it’s legendary, and experiences some of the worst recorded conditions on the planet every year. And in terms of lore, it’s one of the deadliest peaks in North America.
I hiked up the mountain on Saturday to support the non-profit Mount Washington Observatory in their annual Seek the Peak hike, and found some great conditions to photograph.
I left Pinkham Notch at about 9PM, and hiked up to Hermit Lake shelter for the night. The hike was nearly uneventful, save for an unprepared hiker yelling for help, sprawled out in the middle of the trail. No light, no map, no sense of direction…I pointed him on his way, and he was fortunate that the moon was coming up. Clouds came in after midnight, and rain fell, choking the sunrise, and allowing me to sleep in a bit before it dried out and I took off into Tuckerman Ravine.
Much of the flora in the glacial cirque is unique to New England, and I had hoped to focus on the snowbank communities that lie at the base of the headwall. The blooms were beautiful! Meadowsweet, arnica, orchids, meadow rue, avens, and corn lily lined the streams that make their way down the headwall. Asters will be in blooms soon too!
Waterfalls in Tuckerman Ravine
I struggled with composition, as the scale of the ravine is huge and I didn’t bring my wide angle lens. I’ll have to go back SOON, perhaps after the next rainstorm. But I’m happy with the shots I did capture…but know the ravine holds the potential for so much more! I like challenges.
Snowbank Community Flowers in Tuckerman Ravine
After topping out on the ravine, the fog broke up to Lions Head, which I took down, while clouds still lingered above and below. Already in the alpine zone, signs of autumn are beginning, as the sedges are beginning to brown.
Doubleheads Enshrouded in Clouds
Browning Sedge Above Lion Head Trail
Summer is so fleeting! Planning the next hike!
