With summer in the rear view mirror it is time to start focusing on autumn. During the autumn season the landscape of the White Mountains, NH is transformed into a brilliant display of colors lasting only a few weeks. 

Grab your camera gear and spend some time exploring the White Mountains of New Hampshire this year! You won’t be disappointed.

Click here to view more autumn images from the White Mountains, New Hampshire.

Enjoy!

A new image gallery focused around Weeks State Park(John Wingate Weeks Estate) on the summit of Mount Prospect in Lancaster, New Hampshire has been added to ScenicNH.com. One of the main attractions of the estate is a impressive stone fire tower, which was built by John W. Weeks in 1912 and is still in operation today.

You can view the Weeks State Park Gallery here.

Enjoy!

The above image is of a 1911 Baldwin 0-6-0 steam locomotive on display at the Grand Trunk Railroad Museum in Gorham, New Hampshire USA.  These old locomotives look so cool and I really enjoy photographing them. If time permitted, I could spend hours shooting all the different angles.

One of the long term projects I am working on involves the old historical railroads and these old steam locomotives fit in perfectly.  These locomotives played important roles during the historical railroading days. 

If you would like to see more images from the Grand Trunk Museum in Gorham,NH click here

Until next time

I recently was in the area of Mount Success in the White Mountains, New Hampshire and photographed the crash site of Northeast Airlines Flight 792.  The site is located a short ways off the Appalachian Trail along the Appalachian Trail boundary. The boundary travels through the wreckage and one of the wings has a yellow boundary maker painted on it.

This was a twin-engine Douglas DC-3 Plane, which crashed on November 30, 1954 flying from Laconia to Berlin, NH. Seven people on-board survived the initial crash, but two later died from injuries while waiting to be rescued. The remaining five survivors were rescued on December 2.

Today, much of the wreckage is still visible and easy to explore for the most part. Many who visit the wreckage sign the fuselage. Signatures are dating back to the 60′s with some visitors signing each year they visit.  

Photographing the site was tricky because of hot spots(unwanted bright areas from the sun). This site would be best photographed on a cloudy day when the light is diffused producing even soft light across the area.

If you would like to see more images of the wreckage click here.

The B-18 Bomber crash site on Mt Waternomee in Woodstock, NH is also very interesting. 

This is a very special place.

Until next time.. 

One day during the winter (before sunrise) I was setup near the summit of Mount Pierce photographing the moon. Temperature was around 0-10 degrees. As I was doing this I watched a hiker come up out of the brush on the eastern side of Mount Pierce completely off track and no where near any trail.

Hikers not familiar with the Crawford Path on their way to Mount Eisenhower(on left in above image) always seem to drift off the trail a short ways after its junction with the Webster Cliff Trail(above image) and start circling around Mount Pierce towards the east like this hiker did. This seems to happen even more when there is no snowshoe track for them to follow.

After talking to me briefly he proceeded down near a rock cairn(you can barely make him out in the above image). As I watched him from my vantage point, it was clear he was very cold and completely out of his element. I actually started to wonder why he was even on the ridge? Maybe a first timer winter hiker? Not really sure, but experience was not on his side.

With the amount of jumping around he was doing it was clear how cold he was. He was ignoring all the warning signs (or didn’t notice them) that he was beyond his comfort zone. The cold was taking him over. He had already drifted off trail and was lucky to have recovered from that mistake.  First time winter hikers should checkout HikeSafe.com for some great information.

I got a good laugh when I realized he was hand-holding sunrise shots(GWC). 

Photographing along the ridges is no easy task during the winter and can be harmful to one’s self if not done correctly. A simple process like putting a lens cap can turn into a five minute nightmare. Perfect days are almost unheard of!  Whiteout conditions are normal.

You can easily get a case of frostbite on the fingers or destroy a piece of camera gear if things go wrong.  I have dropped rolls of film, lenses and other pieces of camera gear into the snow, which ruins a perfectly good day.

Everyone wants to capture the extreme weather of the mountains. Who doesn’t? It is awesome to hike in and even better to capture these conditions on film(digital).

To be successful photographing on the ridges I have always looked at it as a two step process. Here are two simple steps / suggestions.

1) Practice using your camera during winter conditions at lower elevations.
Know your camera inside and out.  Practice taken off the lens cover and using a tripod with gloves. Don’t worry about changing lenses because you won’t be doing it in extreme conditions.  In bad weather I use the same lens from start to finish. Getting a snowflake on the sensor will end your day.

2) Become comfortable hiking in winter conditions.
What jacket, boots, hat, and glove combination works best.  A good glove set-up is important and I find a jacket with a large pocket in the front works excellent for storing camera gear.
 
After you get comfortable with both the above steps slowly join the two steps together and in time you will be bringing home great shots. You will also have a much better experience on the ridges when using your camera.

Shooting safely on the ridges is very important and great images can be made, but the most important part of winter is making sure you are safe.  

Be Safe….. 

Here are a few more shots from when I was at Lonesome Lake in Franconia Notch State Park. Cloud cover was pretty heavy early in the morning as I passed by the lake. I also had a close encounter with a moose on the same day which you can see here.

Since I was heading deeper into the forest I couldn’t spend much time at the lake, but did stay long enough to capture some of the cloud cover.

The moose was one of the better ones I have crossed paths with this year.  He was eating away without a care in the world.

Until next time!

The digital era has made it possible for anyone with a camera to make a dollar. Hence the surge of hobby photographers in the industry. This surge has become a endless topic among working photographers. I personally have tried to work around the issue, but do admit it is hard to ignore when I am watching it unfold right in front of me.

What I have found is many companies and clients still do want to work and hire professionals, but the problem they are having is trying to separate professionals from hobbyists. Here are five easy tips that will help in your search for a photographer.

Five tips in finding a professional photographer:

1) Ask For Credentials

All working photographers will provide credentials or should if the are legitimate and want business.  Photographers just starting out won’t have many, but that should not be looked at in a negative manner.

No credentials or refusing to provide any should be a instant red flag.

2) Google Search – The Photographer’s Name And / Or Business

Photographers can be tracked on the internet regardless of their status. The search results will produce many photography related pages for any one photographer. This is also a great way to find and view their work.

If only one or two results show-up relating to photography, non-photography results or no imagery can be found relating to the photographer a red flag should go up. 

3) Website

Almost all photographers have a website or can be found on one of the numerous image sharing sites these days.  A website is used to promote one’s work. Not having one in this day and age is unheard of.

No website or a website that does not relate to photography should be another red flag.

4) Check Business With State

Here in New Hampshire if the photographer is working under a business name(not under his or her own name) you can verify the business by checking with the New Hampshire business records.

Unfortunately this is less helpful these days since New Hampshire does not verify what companies are actually performing for services. Meaning a registered website design business could have “Photography” listed as their “Nature of Business” even though they never do any photography work.

Number 4 is a fine line and should not be the deciding factor if one is a professional photographer.  

5) Look At The Imagery 

Volumes can be said about a photographer’s images.  As a client you are paying for a service – Request samples and review the work. 

Refusing to produce samples should be the ending.

These questions can be applied to any photographer regardless if they specialize in nature, travel, wedding or portrait photography. Google any photographer and see what happens.  

As working photographers I think it is important to educate the public.  

Feel free to send your comments!

A interesting place to visit just a little ways from Newfound Lake in Bristol, New Hampshire is Sculptured Rocks Natural Area in Groton, New Hampshire. This is a rocky gorge along the Cockermouth River that was formed at the end of the Great Ice Age. 

This gorge has some interesting rock formations and potholes to checkout. Down stream there are pools where you can swim, but caution is needed because the current is strong enough to drag a small child down stream pretty easily. And if the water levels are high the current could drag anyone down stream.

The gorge offers endless photo possibilities, so bring your tripod and plan on spending some extra time here. I always find myself spending way to much time photographing these rocky gorges. Endless shots! If you haven’t already checkout the Newfound Lake – Bristol, New Hampshire Post for more great spots to explore when in the area.

Enjoy!

Robert Frost Homestead in Franconia, New Hampshire USA. Located in the White Mountains this is a great spot to checkout if you are looking to kill some time during the day.  I always enjoy photographing old rural america and this homestead is perfect.

Nothing says "Rural America" better than this classic New England homestead! From the rusted mailbox to the chairs on the porch. Don’t think you can find a more rural setting.

Enjoy!

In my travels of New England I always seem to forget about Wellington State Park on the shore of Newfound Lake in Bristol, New Hampshire. I have photographed the park in all four seasons and think it is a wonderful spot to spend the day with family, friends or alone. The park can be accessed year around making it a great place to visit any season. 

During the winter months snowmobilers use Wellington State Park as a starting point for their adventures. Many will park and unload their snowmobiles at Wellington State Park and tour around (and on) the lake.

During the autumn months the shore of the lake takes on an unforgettable look. The brilliant colors of autumn can be found everywhere! I think it is my favorite time to visit.  

Paradise Point Nature Center in Hebron, New Hampshire is also located along the shore of Newfound Lake and is worth checking out during your visit. At the boat launch area you will view a picture perfect cottage on a small island.  Make sure you have your camera!

If you have extra time checkout Sculptured Rocks Natural Area in Groton, which is  just up the street from Newfound Lake and is also worth a visit.

Another great New Hampshire State Park..

Enjoy!