Here in New England, the peak foliage has passed and all that is left are dying leaves. This is a quick shot of a bench in Norfolk, Connecticut with some of the fallen.
Foliage in New England
As I was preparing this post, I came up with the idea of making this an all New England week. I will take you to some of the States that comprise New England and where I live. Today we will start in my home state of Connecticut. There is nothing better than fall foliage in New England. If not a resident of the area, finding the right time to visit can be very challenging. Some years the foliage comes early, some years late. Often the timing depends on the weather during the summer: dry vs. wet; hot vs. cool. Living in Connecticut, it is easier to decide what day to pick, hop in the car and drive around. On this day, I visited Lake Waramaug State Park. The weather was great and the colors outstanding. On the far side of the lake, you come around a curve and see this line of trees that line a beautiful house. The trees are on private property so I hopped out of the car to take some shots. It was late in the afternoon and the shadows were getting long. This location has become one of my favorites and I try to go back each fall.
Stamen
Just a quick post and run today. I took this photo while walking around our neighborhood with my wife and dog, Jack. I don't normally take my camera when walking around our home but, for some reason, I picked it up before the walk. I must have subconsciously wanted to shoot a flower macro (not my normal type of shot) but I am glad I did.
Blackberry Falls Revisited
Been a busy few weeks for me. Those who know me well know that I am a huge Bruce Springsteen fan. Bruce started his new tour in late March and I have been able to see him in Boston, Madison Square Garden and, most recently, Albany. Each show was almost 3 hours long with no breaks - not bad for a 62 year old. Anyway, heading back from Albany, Carol and I stopped at Blackberry Falls to see if they were running again (last time I went, they were closed for work). Thankfully they had reopened and while the light wasn't great, it was good to see the falls running again.
Spring is Coming
Looks like spring is almost here in the northeast. The forecast is for the mid to high 60s all week. I spent some time this weekend reviewing some of my images and spotted this abstract of a fern that I shot near Enders Falls in Granby, CT. The fern's color reminded me of the transition from brown to green that happens every spring. I hope that I am not celebrating it's return too soon.
Autumn Mirror
Living in Connecticut, it is easy to take advantage of the fall foliage. I don't have to worry about the peak time to go as I just look out the window to see if it is time. One of my favorite places to shoot is Lake Waramaug State Park which is not far from my house. The park is usually pretty deserted on fall weekdays, which allows me to set up the tripod without any distractions. Only a portion of the lake front is accessible to the public but a road goes around the full length of the lake. While there is no easy place to park outside of the park, if you are willing to walk, there are great vantage points from the road. This image was shot from one of those vantage points and shows the far side of the lake which is also private land. The colors of the hills contrasted nicely with the blue skies and the water was relatively still. Just another great fall day in New England.
Dreary Day at Beckley Furnace
This is an image of Blackberry Falls in East Canaan, Connecticut. It is located at the Beckley Furnace Industrial Monument and is Connecticut's only official Industrial Monument. Built in 1847, the Beckley blast furnace produced iron primarily for the manufacture of railroad car wheels that were known for their excellence and durability. The furnace closed in 1919 and stands today as the best preserved example of a technology that has long since vanished. This particular day, the weather was quite dreary with harsh overhead light. This exposure was made with a neutral density 10-stop filter for 32 seconds. While the result was pretty good for the falls, the surrounding sky and trees were a challenge. As a result, I created a HDR from the image and was able to bring back details into the surrounding areas.
Boat Building Reflections
This image is of Hartford's semi-famous Boat Building with the Travelers Tower in the background. Hartford, often referred to as the "insurance capital of the world", is also the capital of Connecticut. You may not be able to tell, but the Boat Building is actually a two-sided building that looks like a football from above. Built in 1963, it was the world's first two-sided building. The building is located on Constitution Plaza adjacent to the Connecticut River immediately to the east. When approaching from the east, the building looks like a sail of a boat that is docked against its moorings. The building itself has a lot of meaning for me as I moved to Hartford from the Philadelphia area for a job in 1992. I worked in that building on and off for about 10 years. I shot this image during Scott Kelby's "Worldwide Photowalk". I was drawn to the contrast between the glass of the building with it's refections against the more traditional Travelers Tower.
Vineyard Light and Shadows
A quick post today. Back in June, we attended the wedding of our friends daughter. The wedding and reception was held at Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, Connecticut. I had never heard of the vineyard but the location was quite beautiful especially for a wedding. As I was standing on a balcony and the sun began to set, the soft light and the shadows that the buildings cast on the vineyard grounds were lovely.
Standing Tall
If you are anything like me, you are always looking for your next trip so that you can take photos of somewhere you've never been. But often times, there are wonderful subjects right around you that are just waiting to be photographed. This is one of those subjects. I live on a very small mountain (627 feet - not sure if it even qualifies as a mountain) and often walk around my neighborhood for a little exercise. I almost never carry a camera with me. This day, I decided to take my camera with me with my macro lens (Nikon 105mm Micro - highly recommended) and shot a couple of flowers in the community gardens. This is one of the better images of a flower with it's stamen standing tall with the pollen ready to be freed by a summer breeze. I think I will be carrying my camera a little more often on my neighborhood walks.
Autumn at the Lake
When the leaves change in New England every fall, I always head to Lake Waramaug State Park to shoot some of the foliage. It is a great place to capture the brilliant colors of the changing seasons, especially if you are looking for great reflections. The lake also has some wonderful amenities such as camping, fishing, swimming and picnicking. The best time to go is in the late afternoon when the sun is shining on the opposite shore. The kids are in school and with the daylight getting shorter, there is a golden glow to everything. The lake is named after an Indian chief of the Wyantenock tribe who had hunting grounds near falls on the Housatonic River. For more information about the park, visit it's website.
This shot was taken along the western shore in between the beach and the picnic area. While the opposite shore was still bathed in the late afternoon light, the bright foliage on the nearby trees contrasted nicely with the tree trunk.