Double Entendre: Scenes of Vermont

On a couple of occasions during the chronology of my trip to New England I’ve mentioned that I had some assistance in trip planning and photo location advice, particularly as it pertains to my time in Vermont, so I want to take a moment to give credit to those who deserve it.

My friend Andy Richards–also my Photographing Michigan’s Upper Peninsula ebook co-author–published a photo guide to Vermont in the fall of 2011 entitled Photographing Vermont’s Fall Foliage.  I purchased this ebook a few months before I hit the road for New England and it served as my template for my time in Vermont.  While the book ostensibly covers the entire state, I confined my explorations to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom (the northeast quadrant of the state) and a bit of time in the northwest quadrant.  Many of the locations I visited I first learned about in Andy’s guide and it was a valuable resource for planning locations, time of visitation and recognizing best conditions.

Lake Willoughby in Fog, Orleans County, Vermont

Andy also referred me to the invaluable Scenes of Vermont forum.  There are some folks who post on this forum who have spectacularly detailed knowledge about Vermont locations and they’re very willing to share their insights with others.  I received some detailed suggestions for specific locations to visit and drives to serve as the source for regional exploration from forum members that was truly invaluable.  If you’re planning a trip to Vermont–be it a photo trip or something more of a traditional sightseeing venture–you’d be doing yourself a huge disservice by not visiting the forum first and making some inquiries.  The denizens there are knowledgeable, friendly and incredibly helpful.

Ricker Pond, Groton State Forest, Vermont

Tying things together, Andy gave me a personal introduction to Carol Smith, one of the most active members of the Scenes of Vermont Forum (and a moderator there).  In addition to having decades of on-the-ground experience in Vermont, Carol is a terrific photographer in her own right (seriously–check out her blog and website), so I was thrilled when she invited me to join her for a day during the time that I was based in Vermont.  (That day will be featured in my next post.)  During my time with Carol, she was gracious enough to show me quite a few new locations, many of which I probably never would have found on my own.

Long Pond, Orelans County, Vermont

I’ve always said, the guidance of someone familiar with a particular area is invaluable to the landscape photographer new to that locale.  During my time in Vermont, I was lucky enough to have the copious assistance of a wide number of knowledgeable and helpful individuals–Andy, Carol and other members of the Scenes of Vermont forum.   Much of my success during my time in Vermont is due to their magnanimous efforts, and for that I offer my enduring and heartfelt thanks!

Southern Exposure Caledonia County, Vermont

Footnote:  Andy’s Photographing Vermont’s Fall Foliage is already a highly valuable resource to the photographer planning an autumn visit to Vermont.  But a second edition, which will be co-authored by Carol Smith, is expected to be released some time in 2017 and, trust me, that is going to be an absolute must-have volume.  As I said, the first edition is of tremendous value, but with the addition of all of Carol’s intricate–and intimate–knowledge of Vermont, coupled with Andy’s foundation…let’s just say I can’t wait to see the finished product.

View From Peacham Cemetery, Washington County, Vermont