Scenes of Vermont Forums

I've added photos from my fall 2009 foliage trips to my website:

http://irwinli.home.comcast.net/~irwinl ... index.html

Most photos were taken in Vermont, though there are a few from (gasp!) New Hampshire as well. Enjoy!

Laura: Stunning, jaw-dropping photos! The colors you have captured are amazing! Loved them all and can't tell which is my favorite! (Of course, I am partial to VT! ) Not only are they beautiful, there are so many that are fun to look at!

And many scenes that I recognize. Loved the scarecrows, pumpkins, apples, beautiful barns (Pomfret one wow), Darling Hill Road, Bragg Farm. Makes me so homesick for VT! The clarity in your pictures is excellent. You are one fine photographer!

These pictures portray autumn at its finest. Any magazine should be knocking at your doorstep.

Great job!

Fantastic Photos! you certainly captured the spirit of Autumn. You covered a lot of territory. You have some great stock shots there!

I love the evening shot of the Woodstock Inn.

Very Nice, Laura!

Laura, love many of your pictures. Really enjoy the creativity with photography many photographers have been demonstrating and sharing. Funny how decorated pumpkins at produce stands or stores are taken for granted. Your focusing on the group of painted pumpkins really was a great idea! Oh my goodness, Jenne Farm...do you remember what date and hour of the morning it was when you discovered the colors bursting like that? We were there and it was beautiful! Can't claim the colors were anything like those in your pictures. This also confirms, morning sun is a must to achieve what you achieved! (I hear you, Andy! )
Your Sleepy Hollow shot is really nice because it is from a different viewpoint from the road.
Hope you got to sample cheese and maple syrup at the Sugarbush Gift Shop.
With how our economy has been lately, was very happy to see how this local Vermont business was so busy with customers! When in Vermont, we make every effort we can to buy local! A way we can give back for all the many ways Vermont reaches out to people.
We passed the Pumpkin people in your picture. Was a great way to spend a rainy day and with a map/brochure of where they were located, was a clever way to introduce people to different businesses in, around and nearby Jackson (NH) Thanks for sharing your wonderful pictures!
Aspen

Laura, very nice photos. In fact, your entire portfolio is very nice.

As I looked through it, it struck me that it almost looks like we traveled together. From Delicate and Mesa Arches to Antelope Canyon to Sedona, AZ, we've seen the same places.

Didn't you just love the scary perch where you shoot Turret Arch through the North Window? You have to have the experience to fully appreciate it.

If you haven't been to Glacier National Park, you must go there. It is the most beautiful and picturesque place I've ever visited.

Al

I was hoping to get to Sugar Hill,NH this year to take some photos, but my schedule and the rotten weather conflicted. When i saw what the weather had done to the foliage, I used the only 2 good days to scout out situation instead of taking photos. At least I had the photos posted by you foliage fanatics to enjoy and to give me ideas for next year.

Really beautiful set, Laura. That Autumn Lane photo really stand out to me. I think it's worthy of being published. Beautiful road shots like that are a lot harder to take than it seems!

Thanks for all the comments! Despite the overcast weather most of the foliage weekends, it was still a great season.
Aspen: I was at Jenne Farm on Sun. 10/11 for sunrise. I try to go there every year, and it was the most crowded I have ever seen it that day. About 35 photographers spread out all over the field. Quite a sight! This was my first visit to Sugarbush, and I sampled plenty of their cheese and syrup. Unfortunately, I had just bought some at Bragg Farm the day before, so they didn't get much business from me this time
Autzig: There is nothing like the southwest for photography! Glacier is on my "must do" list for some point in the future. I'm hoping to hit the Santa Fe area next spring. I actually got stuck on the rock shooting Turret Arch with my backpack and tripod - I started heading down the wrong way and couldn't turn back. I had to rely on a tour guide with a group of foreign tourists (who were snapping away with their cameras!) to give me a hand getting down. I don't think I will forget that shot!
faxmachineanthem: Autumn Lane is probably my favorite from this year too. I actually shot it out the car window, and wasn't expecting it to come out too well. I have to admit, it had some enhancements in PhotoShop... Virtual Photographer is a great (free) plugin that I've come to love!
Thanks again for all the feedback - I found a lot of these shots by reading the SOV forums the last few years!

Laura: If you do get to Sante Fe, you are so close you really should check out Taos, too. NM is a lot like Vermont. Lots of distance between places and lots of people who commute great distances to work. ABQ is a much more reasonable housing market and many folks commute from there to SF and back every day! My sister and B-I-L live (and work) in ABQ. We took a "loop" which included a road known as "The Turquoise Trail" and it is worth driving through and stopping in the little mining towns. A favorite of mine was Madrid (pronounced MADrid by the locals). Some great, colorful photo subjects.

In SF, go up to the Ski Basin. In October, we found not only great color in the mountains, but fresh snow way up on top.

Taos was even more spectacular up in the Wheeler Peak area.

The other place that is worth seeing, IMO, is Ghost Ranch. It is easy to see why Georgia O'keefe was inspired there.

We spent 4 solid days in the car, racing from place to place and never ran out of subjects.

If you go in October, the other plus is that the chilis are ripe and very red and ristras hang everywhere. And if you like real Mexican Food . . . . ..

Thanks for the suggestions, Andy. I'd love to see the southwest in the fall, especially the aspens in Colorado. Unfortunately, being a teacher, I'm restricted to school vacation weeks and weekends I have Martres' books on the southwest and have used them extensively in my travels in AZ, UT, and CO. NM is the one state out there I haven't made it to yet, and Taos is definitely on the list of "must see" places while I'm there. It will probably end up being April for that trip though. I'll keep your suggestions in mind!

Laura: I was there in the Spring some years back. Its beautiful then, too. Here's a "good news/bad news" thought: We all get older. Sooner or later, you will be retiring from teaching. Plan to do the October Trip then. Its worth it. Or maybe take some of the well-deserved vacation time.

abby wrote:I just got home from a week in Maine and had a fantastic time but it's sure nice to be back here on the "VERMONT' forum where it feels like home to me.
Carol

Carol: Would you post a link to your Website so we can all see what you found in Maine? I think there are some folks here who would enjoy that.

Carol: I'd love to do some shooting together next fall. I love all of your photos, especially your ponds and lakes! I seem to remember that you're on the South Shore, but I've found several photo groups on meetup.com in the Boston area. One of the groups has a meetup every couple of weeks and it's great to go out with a group of photographers and take pictures of various places. I'm sure there are others in your area and (for others who might be interested) around the country. It's worth looking into for anyone who likes to go out and shoot new places with other people who enjoy the hobby! I'd love to see your photos of Maine as well!
Andy: Retirement is too many years away to think about yet, but I try to travel on all of our vacation weeks. Unfortunately, everyone else travels then too, and I often feel rushed to do everything I want to do in a week without coming home exhausted!

Carol: Spoke too soon; I found your Maine photos on your website... they're great! I have very similar pictures from Marshall Point a couple of years ago. It's always fun to see what other people capture in the same area! Love your photos of Acadia, especially the Tool Barn pictures - what great work! Maybe next year I'll make it up there in the fall!