Fall Foliage Help

[j. caputo]

I wanted to shoot the fall colors last year but I was not prepared in time. This year I want to be sure I am ready when the time comes. I live

in southern california so it is hard to get practice or to know where I need to be when the leaves change on the east coast. I need a mentor!

Someone who has experience shooting fall foliage in the new england states. Anyone out there willing to take a few minutes to help me

out? I would really appreciate it. I would also like to find someone to meet up with this fall out in the field and maybe shoot for a day to help

me better understand shooting foliage. Looking forward to hearing back from you guys!

 

Thanks,

Jimmy

[HuskyMason1]

Jimmy...Here are a couple of links to get you started...peak is usually the 2nd week in October...Mike http://www.visitnh.gov/best-time-to-visit/harvest/

http://www.vermont-byways.us/

[matthew_newton]

Use this http://www.weather.com/maps/activity/fallfoliage/index_large.html It is weather.com's fall foliage map. It shows you the current state of the fall foliage. They are still showing last year since none of the leaves are even remotely ready to change. In general the leave hitting their peak in Vermont and New Hampshire around Columbus day weekend. Maine is a bit earlier and the further south or the closer to the coast you get the later. Costal New York is something like late October for the peak and Maryland is around early November, near Thanksgiving if on the Eastern shore of MD.

 

Of course all of this depends on the weather and how much rain fall we have gotten over the summer. It can vary by as much as 2 weeks or so in either direction.

[Rod Sorensen]

I'll likely be doing my fall foliage shooting in my home state of Wisconsin, but I've used the following website

extensively for shooting in the midwest and also getting ideas of timing for northeastern US foliage. It also has a

history for foliage from the last several years that is handy if you are trying to plan a trip for fall photography.

http://www.foliagenetwork.com

[ShunCheung]

I lived in New Jersey for over a decade and used to make annual foliage trips to New England.

My favorite state is Vermont and then New Hampshire. Timing is important but that can vary a bit from year to year. I also live in California now, and we have already booked tickets back to the north east for the 2nd week in October. Therefore, I should be in New England around October 6 to 10. The exact location will be a "game time decision" depending on conditions then.

 

In previous threads, I have mentioned that the Harriman State Park in New York State, just a bit outside of New York City, is another good location to visit for foliages.

[j. caputo]

Shun,

You mind if I email you with a few questions? To All, I already have learned when to get there. I followed all the foliage reports last year and studied alot about what changes the leaves. I also learned that you can call any of the foliage spotters and they are more than happy to tell you what stage the leaves are in and what the trend seems to be for that year. My struggle is knowing where to go, How to set up my camera to get quality shots, time of day, stuff like that. I am kinda looking for a mentor who has accomplished great shots and pick his or her brain.

[frank_field]

I grew up in New Hampshire tho I now live in California. Generally, the last week of September and first two weeks of October are peak foliage season in northern New England. The peak foliage progresses from higher elevation to lower and from north to south. If you happen to be in an area that is still green, head north and head to higher elevation. In years when it has been quite rainy, like this year, peak foliage tends to occur later.

 

Two routes are absolutely fabulous to drive. In NH, the Kangamangus Hwy (route 112) between North Woodstock and Conway, Hwy 302 from Conway to Twin Mountain and Hwy 3 from Twin Mountain back to North Woodstock. In Vermont, Hwy 100 runs the length of the state along the mountains is should not be missed! One word of caution: the season is very popular and many, many "leaf peepers" visit making it hard to find a place to stay if you have not reserved well in advance. The high cost of gasoline may ironically dampen the crowds this year.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[dan_hall4]

Colors fluctuate with the rainfall levels. Can't explain how, but they do. Each year is different. I would call local hotels and B&B's in the area. They will know exactly when the leaves are in full color. That is when their rates go up. Read up on some covered bridges. That could be a great shot in the Fall. There are many in New England. Consider a polarizer or even an intensifying filter to make Fall colors pop even more. The polarizer takes the reflection of the sun off the leaves and alone would make a big difference in the images. A good tripod is a must as you know. There are books on the subject I am sure. Search Fall foliage and such on google.

[Mary Doo]

<p><b>"My struggle is knowing where to go, How to set up my

camera to get quality shots, time of day, stuff like that..."</b>

</p>

<p>In New England, where I live, the most beautiful foliage

colors are found in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The peak colors

begin in the northern states, where the weather is colder, and

gradually move south. The further south one goes (e.g., MA, RI, CT),

the foliage are still beautiful but the colors get darker. As others

have mentioned, you should monitor the foliage condition when the time

comes, and I see you are doing that already. If you are not sure where

to begin location-wise and have limited time to scout around, I would

suggest to start with David Middleton's book on Vermont, which is his

home state. He also has a rather nice book on Maine. Here are the links

to the books:</p>

<p><a

href="http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Guide-Vermont-Where-Perfect/dp/0881505331/ref=pd_sim_b_1"

target="_blank">The Photographer's Guide to Vermont: Where

to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them</a><br>

</p>

<p><a

href="http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Guide-Maine-Coast-Perfect/dp/0881505358/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b"

target="_blank">The Photographer's Guide to the Maine Coast:

Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them</a><br>

</p>

<p>Have fun,<br>

Mary

[craig_gillette]

Even if you can't get to the east coast, the eastern Sierra is stunning with the right timing in fall - usually the end of September, first weekend of October or so. Not too much of the reds but a lot of yellow and gold with the aspens and cottonwoods in some places. Starting at about Independence and Whitney Portal, the canyons into the eastern Sierra with the creeks and lakes are magnificent. So even if you can't work it out to get east, you may be able to plan to go north. The western side also has areas with big leaf maple, some of the oaks, dogwood and the like. The season varies with altitude and how far north you go as well. There are a couple of web sites which follow the season pretty well, helping with finding hotspots as the season arrives.

[ShunCheung]

For those who are not familiar with New England, those books by David Middleton (suggested by Mary) are quite good.

 

Concerning timing, the general rule of thumb is that you would rather be a bit early than a bit late. If you are early, the colors might not be at their best but can still be very good. If you are late, a rain storm can literally blow away all the beautiful leaves overnight and leave you a bunch of ugly bare trees.

I would visit the mountain in Vermont and New Hampshire first, while mid October can be quite good for the Maine Coast because of its lower elevation.

[sierra_rich]

ditto Craig's post above. Some other spots along US 395 are the Conway Summit area, Green and Virginia Creeks, Lundy

Canyon (my favorite, for the Aspens and beaver ponds, falls too!) Lee Vining Creek, and the June loop. Just so many

opportunities here if you get the timing right. All this and just a few hours drive north of LA and the IE..Hard to beat the

mighty Sierra!

[james_kirkikis]

Jimmy,

 

You mentioned that you had followed the foliage report for New England last year. Please note that last year the northeast had extremely warm temperatures in September and October. It pushed the fall colors back almost a month.

 

Another great website is at Yankee Magazine (no affliation with the baseball team). They have leaf spotters and bloggers who can give you up to the minute reports.

 

As far as advice on how to shoot, the best I heard was that fall foliage is like sprinkles on an ice cream cone. They enhance the photo, but they do not make it. You'll still need to follow the basic rules of composition. Taking a photo of just a tree in full color is only slightly more interesting than one that is green. however, put it in a wonderful setting, wait for the dramatic light and you'll have a world class shot.

 

Another rule of thumb, don't put your camera away when it rains. Go into the woods and take photos of waterfalls, streams, etc. The water will enhance the colors of the leaves. Bring a polarizer to get rid of the glare.

[a._sean_board1]

This post is a little late but I think I can offer you some advice.

 

Since you will be visiting New England in October, you will be able to shoot fall foliage throughout the day since the sun will remain low in the sky from sunrise to sunset. If you are shooting scenes with no sunlight illuminating the scene, I would use a warming filter to punch up the colors. In sunlit scenes, a polarizer can help saturate the colors and reduce reflections on the foliage. However, in strongly sidelit situations, a polarizer could produce garish colors if you max out the polarization (my experience when using Velvia 50 slide film).

 

To follow up on what the previous poster said, I would not plan your trip based on the timing of last year's fall foliage. The eastern US had a very late color show due to an unusually hot September/early Oct. last year. I photographed in the southern Appalachians (where I often go in the fall) last year and the colors were about two weeks later than normal, the latest peak I ever remember. Therefore, if you come to New England at the same time as last year's peak date, you might be greeted with bare trees.

[jeff_folger]

I blog for Yankee on Fall Foliage and travel all over New England shooting the local color. The season change and the colors will come and go but basic skill on how to shoot will never change.

 

1.Shoot early or shoot late.

2. Use a tripod when going for blurred water and wet leaves on rocks or colorful leaves blowing on trees.

3. compose for smaller tight scenes rather than the entire mountain range.

4. focus on a single leaf or branch and blur the rest.

5. And finally keep looking for unusual views that seem different. Reflections of color on the water and always remember your rule of thirds..

 

Jeff

www.vistaphotos.net/vista<div></div>