Fall Colour

[jb7]

John, thank you very much for your contribution- much to think about there-

I don't expect to be able to do much more than get lucky, as a best case scenario. Although I'll be visiting Connecticut for only a couple of days, I'm in the general area for quite a bit longer, and with a little more luck, I might get to see the complete cycle. I'm in New York now, and there is a lot of tinged green around.

I take your point about the magnification- if I were to be serious about making a lot of pictures of the Fall, I might have travelled with a more sensible, smaller camera. My camera is larger than normal, and it doesn't even get unpacked unless there's some obvious inspiration. I'm not really set up for hiking with it at the moment, so I have an idea about what types of shot might be possible or achievable, and none of them will be far from the road.

Large format, particularly the larger of the large formats, imposes restrictions on the type of shot it's possible to make easily, and I suppose that finding a longish view would be playing to its strengths, especially taking your point about wind into consideration. I too am not so big a fan of movement in leaves, unless, I suppose, you can figure out how to make that the picture...

I don't expect to be doing anything more than playing a tourist with an unfeasibly large camera, and I wouldn't expect to do better than those who have a far more intimate and local knowledge of an area. In addition, as I've mentioned elsewhere, I'm not a landscaper...

You have come closest to addressing the choice of film question, and I suppose I can infer that of the three colour films I mentioned, that you might recommend the faster one?

Nathan, thanks again for your detailed knowledge- I'll be better equipped to know what to look out for now-

As I said, I'm hoping to get lucky, but luck favours the prepared, and I'm feeling a bit more lucky now...

[jp]

If you'll be in western CT in a couple of weeks, that's good timing. I was there yesterday and things are just starting to change.

I like intimate landscape more than the side of the road postcard stuff, but there is plenty of opportunity for either. Farmland can be nice in the fall too; corn fields surrounded by lines of trees, etc.. For color new england stuff, I like Eliot Porter. For B&W new england landscape, Paul Caponigro's "New England Days" is pretty nice. I generally shoot digital for color and B&W for LF/MF, so aside from a little bit of color fuji instant, I have little color LF experiece.

[jb7]

Thanks jp-

I'm traveling without preconceptions, apart from those associated with the experience of shooting LF, and the restrictions they impose. I seldom take the camera out unless inspired, but I suppose I'm a bit of a sucker for Americana, even if that is somewhat of a cliche in itself.

It's impossible to do justice to anything, photographically, without an intimate knowledge of what you're doing, (or the freedom associated with the unlimited opportunities of smaller formats) and I don't expect to get very much on a first visit. However, like an angler, a day spent without a catch is not entirely wasted

I'll be doing the best I can, which is never good enough...

I just hope the parks will be open-

[EdSawyer]

I live in Seacoast NH area. Right now we are at about 15% peak I'd say, with wetlands and lowlands at probably 50-60%, they seem to be showing color earlier. Anectodally it seems like the color will be a lot better than last year. I'd guess that the white mountains are probably not bad right now, and will be perfect in a week or two, depending on where you are talking about. Generally the color timeline flows north to south, with northern areas peaking earlier. Yankee magazine usually has good fall foliage reports and links, even a list of webcams too.

bring all the color film you can, I'd say. There are always good subjects to be found, just a matter of looking for them. Even small vignettes of leaves and water can look great, without a big sweeping vista.

Backroads and small towns will be worth exploring, as most often the best stuff is off the beaten path. If you go to the well known routes (kanc highway) be prepared for large crowds and traffic.

-Ed

[jb7]

Thanks Ed-

I was in Southern CT yesterday, along with coastal NY, still not much change apart from isolated species.

I put this topic into 'Style and Technique' in order to try to elicit opinions regarding the three types of film available to me. It really isn't about locations and travel, more about how to deal with a seasonal colour issue anywhere...

[David Schaller]

I was in northern NH this weekend, and it is already past peak. I would say that southern Vermont is at peak. Route 9 across Vermont is very nice right now. By next weekend it will be past peak. The Berkshires are getting close to peak.
Dave

[gregmo]

I was in Shenandoah Nat Pk in Virginia on Saturday (northern 1/3 of the park). The leaves are peaking now. The crowd was very low due to the gov re-opening a few days earlier.