Vermont is a small State by milage and navigation, but much larger in terms of photographic opportunities. Visitors come from all over the world to Ski and hike its mountains, bike its backroads and, fish its rivers and streams.
As 2019 concludes I finally have the time to sit back and take a look at all my photos of the Green Mountain State. It’s a time that I get to relive each of those moments and turn a critical eye on which photos worked and which did not. The ten photos below are my favorites. There are no criteria to meet, no checklist that needs to be completed. It just has to be a favorite of mine, it can be and may be a bad photo and still get selected.
You can view my top ten photos on my website for my general landscape photography at imagesbykevinarmstrong.com.
Here they are, in no particular order:
As the winter and spring snows melt the rivers run strong with purpose. The forest comes to life from the bottom up. (Nikon D850 Nikkor 16 – 35mm f/4)
A single tree stands alone in a field. The mist allows it to stand apart from a busy background. The tree becomes the star of the hillside as long as the mist allows. (Fujifilm X-T3 Fuji XF 55 – 200mm f/3.5 – f/4.8)
Much written about the tree in the photo above also applies here. In fact, these two trees are close together and in the same location on the same day. Sometimes you just get lucky. (Fujifilm X-T3 Fuji XF 55 – 200mm f/3.5 – f/4.8)
Groton State Forest is my favorite location in Vermont to explore and photograph. Located in east-central Vermont it offers endless probabilities. There are mountain trails to hike, scenic vistas to behold, lakes to photograph and wildlife to view. Most of the locations are well kept and easy to access. The location above is Ricker Pond and because of its lower elevation in the forest, it hangs on to its moring mist longer than other locations with higher elevation. This allows the rising sun to peak over the hills to the east and light up the pond and the mist. (Fujifilm X-T3 Fuji 10-24mm f/4)
Autumn in Vermont is special. The air is crisp, the colors are vibrant, helping create a canvas of natural beauty. While beautiful, it is nature’s way of reminding that winter is just around the corner. So enjoy the show but make sure the firewood is stacked, the feed is stored and the boots and gloves are ready. (Nikon D850 Nikkor 28 – 300mm f/3.5 – f/5.6)
Speaking of Winter – a fresh blanket of snow has a way of cleaning up and simplifying a busy scene. This photo was taken during heavy snowfall at Texas Falls in Hancock. There is a raging river cutting straight through those rocks but on this snowy winter day. The fresh powder acts as a blanket, giving the appearance of a calm quiet scene when actually any other time this is a busy and loud natural scene. (Nikon Z6 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5 – f/5.6)
Few places in Vermont put on a moring show as this pond in Marshfield. Most mornings, in all seasons, this pond provides all the elements for spectacular photos. On this particular autumn morning, the cloud cover was heavy and the mist was light. Even under less than ideal conditions, this pond was able to provide good photo opportunities – if even for only 10 minutes. (Nikon D850 Nikkor 16 – 35mm f/4)
Autumn sunsets can be beautiful as well. I truly enjoy photographing still bodies of water. I find the reflections they create add a creative element to the photo. Some evenings all the conditions come together to create a beautiful natural scene. The air was still, the sky of perfect and the foliage just beginning to pop. It is still a wonderful memory, even if the photo did not work. (Nikon D850 Nikkor 16-35mm f/4)
A classic New England scene – a tree-lined dirt road and bright colorful leaves both on the trees and on the road. Here is my favorite tree-lined dirt road photo from this Autumn. I had an obstacle on this day – 40 MPH winds meant everything was moving. This necessitated a very high ISO and wide-open aperture to try and get the quickest shutter speed I could. You can see motion in the leaves but it does not take away from the total feel of the photo. (Fujifilm X-T3 Fuji 50-140mm f/2.8)
Snowstorms are often a photographers friend. If you (and your equipment) are properly prepared you will be rewarded. A fresh blanket of snow turns even the most mundane subject into a photo-worthy composition. The fresh snow clings to the branches giving this ordinary scene both contrast and linear composition. The heavy falling snow adds texture and obscures the background. (Nikon Z6 Nikkor 28 – 300mm f/3.5 – f5.6)