Another sunny day

Posted on May 18, 2013 by admin  | Comments (2)

Springtime in Vermont and all its splendor, this year has brought sunshine almost every day in May. I love spring; who doesn’t? This year though, I greet each brilliant blue sky morning with mixed emotions.

Following a dreary, cold, cloudy April, spring finally arrived in May and with it came more consecutive sunny days than I recall from any past year. Perhaps it’s because while I normally long for those perfect days of cloudless skies and cool crisp air, this year as my main focus is photographing the Vermont landscape, I would prefer filtered sun, or at least enough clouds in the sky so that occasionally the sun slips behind to create that beautiful soft box lighting one can easily attain in a studio. When I started this journey, I knew that at times Mother Nature could be my biggest challenge, but I never actually thought it would be the sun I’d be lamenting.

Chester VTStill, there have been many days where while it has seemed like an obstacle, I’ve returned home, offloaded the images from the day, and have been pleasantly surprised by the effect offered by the brilliant sunshine backlighting a flag or a bed of tulips. There have been as many days though that I’ve shortened my trip, needing to return to a place because the low angle of the early morning sun has back lit the important scenes of a particular town, or the harsh shadows cast by the sun behind the fully foliated trees has made it impossible to get a single decent shot in an entire town.

Today is one such day. I leave my house at 5:45. Arriving in Essex an hour later I am glad to see little traffic, and the east facing municipal building perfectly lit by the morning sun. Next, moving on to Jericho however, the situation is quite different; not a single shot. I continue driving from Jericho to Jericho center to find the entire village green under a dark shadow. Ugh! At this point I’m looking for a place to stop and consult my map so I can plan a different route for the day. Before I know it though, I’m entering Richmond, which I’ve already visited. Looking at my map I see I’m completely surrounded by more towns I’ve already visited. And to reach one I haven’t, looks to be almost an hour of driving. So instead I jump on the interstate, southbound, and head for home. I guess instead of taking a chance on more back lit towns, I’ll take the rest of the day and just enjoy the glorious springtime sunshine. I still need to plant my potatoes after all, which this year, in spite of the beautiful weather, will be the latest I’ve ever gotten them in the ground.

Comments (2)

  1. john knox:
    Oct 12, 2013 at 12:05 AM

    I am truly fascinated by your project. You see I have a very similar project. It is to take a truly great picture of every town in Vermont. I have been at it for about 5 years and have about 160 towns completed. I look at some of your shots and say, yes I know that exact spot, I know exactly what you are thinking about in this location and on and on. I am jealous of the time that you have had to devote to the project and know how rewarding and frustrating it can be. I also ponder what I am going to do with all the images when I have completed all 251. I really enjoyed your web site and plan to continue looking at your work. I enjoyed your Middlesex shots. I live in Northfield only a stones throw from Middlesex, but I have not found the great Middlesex shot yet. I took the town office, as you did this fall, have also take a shot from Horn of the Moon, on the reservoir, but have spent hours driving the back roads of Middlesex with nothing better to show for it. Well I could go on and on but will end with wishing you the very best and congratulate your on your completed quest.

    Reply

  2. Melanie Considne:
    Oct 12, 2013 at 12:49 AM

    Thanks so much John! I think it really is a matter of time, and a bit of luck too. I was very fortunate to be able to devote a lot of time to this project over the last year. It was just something I really needed to do for my own artistic development. And I do feel that I have not truly gotten a great picture of every town, despite my efforts and multiple attempts in some cases, I think it probably will take years to accomplish that feat. When I think about the day I shot Middlesex, I had actually been there only a couple of days prior and didn't feel great about the shots I had gotten. But then on January 15, as I drove up the highway on my way to the Mad River Valley, the snowfall getting heavier and heavier the farther north I drove, I got off at exit 9, and as I drove through Middlesex, every scene I had shot just a couple of days prior was substantially improved by the snow, so I discarded the earlier images and counted my visit to Middlesex as January 15. I thank you for visiting my site and following my journey through Vermont, and I wish you all the best in completing your quest.

    Reply


Add a Comment





Allowed tags: <b><i><br>Add a new comment: