A Photography & Travel Guide to Vermont (Fall Foliage)
This year, given the COVID-19 situation, we were much more restricted in our travels. In this post, I updated my Blog Post from Last Year where I listed my favorite photography locations from 2019.
Mount Equinox
It’s incredible how different things are this year compared to the same time last year with all the quarantine and travel restrictions in place. Luckily, there are still places to visit as long as you are respectful of others, wear a mask and stay safe. So we went back to Vermont in early October and we were super lucky with our timing I decided to rent a house in southern Vermont and we were there during peak foliage. Witnessing the peak foliage is a magical experience.
““It’s the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!””
Rupert, Vermont
Our Route
This year we drove from Washington DC to Dorset, Vermont. It’s about a 7.5 hour drive from DC. We were super lucky and found a wonderful house to rent for 5 nights. So my travel tips are focused this year on Southern Vermont.
Traveling with Friends is a Blessing
PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FOR AUTUMN
Filters-the 2 most useful filters for Fall Photography are the Polarizer and ND (Neutral Density Filters).
A Circular Polarizer will make the skies more blue and saturates the leaves while reducing glare and reflections. Of course you need to be careful not to over do it creating an oversaturated blue sky. Rainy conditions create even more glare so a polarizer is essential.
An ND filter is perfect for slowing down the exposure time for more dramatic photos. It is especially good for photos with water (lakes, ponds or waterfalls). A 1-3 second exposure time will create an image that shows the water movement and 10-15 second exposure will smooth the water and create wonderful reflections.
Composition: simplicity goes a long way in the Fall. The image of the single leaf can be beautiful especially if taken with a wide open aperture that blurs the background. Photos with water droplets on the leaves are also wonderful. This is also known as Bokeh. A long lens will help isolate subjects. Another composition that works very well is a Panorama of rolling hills with the changing colors. This can only be down on a tripod. I will take 3 photos, each one overlapping by about 30%, and then stitching them together in Lightroom.
Light: as in all photography light plays a critical role. For example, since the leaves are translucent the light will pass through them which amplifies the colors of the leaves. Reflections of the leaves in water can produce stunning symmetrical images. As always you will get the best photos during the Golden Hour. However, photos under cloud cover or rain will also be beautiful.
White Balance—warming up the photos by increasing the White Balance really helps improve your photos. In Lightroom, I often use the Cloudy Setting to warm up the image
Dehaze—the new Dehaze slider in Lightroom is worth trying out. I find that most of my photos need a little (+10 or more) of dehaze to bring out the colors.
Rupert, VT
Travel Locations
If you have not seen my 2019 Recommendations please click on this link. I have tons of recommendations for the area around Woodstock and Stowe. This year I focused on Southern Vermont. I have a downloadable Google Map at the end that you are free to download with all the recommendations.
Kent Pont is a wonderful location for SUNRISE photos. It’s also good for Sunsets but I think its better in the morning hours. It is located near Killington, Vermont.
Merck Forest & Farmland Center—this was an unexpected find. I thought this is one of the best places for Sunsets. The trick is to not drive all the way up. On the drive in there is a large field on the right side which has a forest below and the sunsets just to the left side.
Mount Equinox Skyline Drive—-this is a fantastic location. It is a bit pricey—about $25 for 2 people to enter. Once you enter you can drive up 5 miles to the top. There is a Observation Area at the top with bathrooms. During Covid, it was empty so I could stop along the road and take photos.
Covered Bridges—no trip to Vermont is complete without visiting the Covered Bridges. There are 100s of them. This year I visited 6 bridges (Chiselville, Henry Covered Bridge, Paper Mill Village Bridge, Rexleigh (located in NY), and Silk Covered Bridge). My favorite was the Henry Covered Bridge.
Chittendon Reservor and Lefferts Pond—this is the second time I come back to the Chittendon Reservoir. It’s a beautiful location. Well worth the trip. The Lefferts Pond is also worth visiting and just a 5 minute drive from the Reservoir.
Emerald Lake State Park—another great location. It cost us $8 to enter for 2 people. Tons of parking and the walk to the lake is maybe 3 minutes. They also have bathrooms. You can take a wonderful hike along the right side of the lake. Gorgeous trails and a fantastic spot.
Lake Bomoseen—absolutely beautiful location. We visited during sunrise and it was magical. You will get incredible reflection on this lake.
The Drive along Route 30 from Manchester to Hubbardton will have you stopping ever few minutes. Tons of photo opportunities.
Bennington, VT: our final stop in Vermont. This is just a beautiful quintessential New England small town.
Henry Bridge
