Why no action on this forum ?

[fallisbestvermont]

Where are the fall followers this year? ctyanky where are you?

[loafer89]

I was wondering about that also. I hope all this rain hasn't damaged the Maples too badly with fungus. Last year was pretty awful in Vermont and Massachusetts. Connecticut was okay in late October.

[MinnieB]

I can say in Lebanon, I am seeing that green to brown issue we had a couple years ago already. Temps have been so up and down, then all the rain. I don't know what to expect. I guess I'll try to look for areas that maybe didn't get hit with so much rain, but I don't know what those might be. I was away for all of May and most of June.

[fallisbestvermont]

ctyanky was leading the forum until Oct last hear then nothing..sorry to see it go, but archives show lots of good spots to peep.
thanks for the reply ..if I wasn't in Nevada I would give tips on foliage..lol

[loafer89]

I live just North of Hartford. In July we had 13" of rain. A record. So much rain. The Connecticut River went into flood. Something that only happens in Winter with snowmelt. I'm not sure what areas might have good Fall foliage color.

[Andy]

There was a time when this forum was the ONLY place for Vermont foliage information. Times have changed. Social media (and to some extent our national hunger for quick and easy soundbites and selfies) have created so much competition. There are numerous competing sites today - many of them apparently heavily "monetized." I am sometimes concerned about the accuracy of information some of them give because of that reason. Also, the advent of portable devices (primarily the "smart phone") have made the technology very different. This type of forum just doesn't seem as popular as it once was. A sad fact. I always come here for fall intel. Hope we see more participation in the coming days

[bobbav]

So true about CT YANKEE. She would be starting her posts almost late Spring!

I live in CT. Recently moved from Woodbury to Haddam and go to VT every fall to a different B&B. I ALWAYS visit this forum as it is/was THE go-to for all things Fall in VT.

[Snookman2]

I'll be coming up from Florida this year for the first time in about 4 or 5 years. I hope the colors are good! How bad is the damage from the floods?

[MinnieB]

I've not been too far into VT yet since the floods. I know Manchester, Ludlow, Middlebury and Montpelier got hit pretty hard. They are hoping the tourists come as the businesses could use the revenue. I am heading to Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury today. My father passed away in May and I've inherited the dog, so I'm going to take her up there. I'll report back on the color I see along the way. There is nothing stopping us from continuing to post, so I will continue to do so. I don't know what happened to CTYanky, I hope she is ok. I think this year I may concentrate on things to do, festivals and what not rather on the photography. They are expecting softer, muted colors this year. I attended that Yankee Magazine fall preview webinar and that is what they had to say. Mainly because of the rain. But, here's the thing. As long as you have some color, Photoshop can do the rest, you can always amp it up in your photos. Some people go a bit too far and it looks unnatural, but you can get it just right. So, even muted color years can still render good photos.

[admin]

The reason for the lack of posts is as Andy has stated....social media and other outlets all competing for attention. Still there is a wealth of information here going back for years and the best of foliage spots have been talked about many times over the years, so if you are new here, just browse the posts from the past to figure out where to go. I will keep this board up as long as it continues to survive the many spam attacks. I will also post the latest state foliage reports as I receive them and post some reports from what I see here near in the Northeast Kingdom. If you find a spammer post, please report it to me (publish@pbpub.com) or tell Andy.

[Andy]

I've not been too far into VT yet since the floods. I know Manchester, Ludlow, Middlebury and Montpelier got hit pretty hard. They are hoping the tourists come as the businesses could use the revenue. I am heading to Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury today. My father passed away in May and I've inherited the dog, so I'm going to take her up there. I'll report back on the color I see along the way. There is nothing stopping us from continuing to post, so I will continue to do so. I don't know what happened to CTYanky, I hope she is ok. I think this year I may concentrate on things to do, festivals and what not rather on the photography. They are expecting softer, muted colors this year. I attended that Yankee Magazine fall preview webinar and that is what they had to say. Mainly because of the rain. But, here's the thing. As long as you have some color, Photoshop can do the rest, you can always amp it up in your photos. Some people go a bit too far and it looks unnatural, but you can get it just right. So, even muted color years can still render good photos.

Good points Minnie. Sometimes that "pastel" look can be very pretty. With the sole exception of 2005, I have found many nice scenes (and therefore, images) every year that I have visited. They have not always been in the expected places. But sometimes some nice surprises. In 2021, I spent a week in the NEK. We experienced heavy fog that lingered on toward noon every single day of my stay. So we tried our best to use the fog to our advantage. I got a couple of my favorites of ponds in the area. The award-winner that year was Marshfield Pond. That one is sure to please, no matter what the conditions, if you get there at (before) sunrise. One morning we went to a scene - Bogie Mountain Farm and stood for well over an hour, before we just gave up. But I was determined, and the next day, was headed to the southern part of the state for a couple days. I changed my morning plans and stopped back at Bogie Mountain on my way south. Patience rewarded me with one of my favorite ever shots. But I think a couple of shots in the fog before it finally lifted that morning may have actually been better images. You can and will find some color somewhere. Be patient. Be adventurous. Be flexible with your plans. Be willing to move around a bit.

A word about "Photoshop" (these days we use the word like we do "Kleenex," to generally mean digital processing software - there are many competing applications out there today, and some of them are very good, though I still think Photoshop is the clear leader). Like Minnie says here, "some people go a bit too far." Based on my viewing of several different foliage-based sites, too many and too often. I think one of the worst discoveries some of us have made is the "saturation" and/or "vibrance" adjustments on this software! I really isn't the best way to "enhance" a photo. The further you push it, the more surreal and cartoonish the photo gets. And the more mushy the details (especially those highly saturated colors like red and orange)! There are really better ways to get that "punch" she is talking about. I have a couple blogs about it, which I can share - with Tim's permission.

Good luck and be well all

[Andy]

I'll be coming up from Florida this year for the first time in about 4 or 5 years. I hope the colors are good! How bad is the damage from the floods?

Hey, Snookman: We have 2 things in common this year, LOL. I retired and moved to Florida in 2019. And, I am coming to Vermont this year. Will be in the NEK again 10-3 - 10-8. Looking forward to some fun exploration and photography. "Good" color is, of course, somewhat in the eye of the beholder. This may not be a spectacular, "banner" year, due to a number of factors. But we will find some color, somewhere. Time will tell how good it is. My understanding is that most of the road damage from the floods has been fixed. I am sure the state is anxiously anticipating its tourist and the influx of needed cash they bring. I am optimistic

[Snookman2]

Sounds good! What part of FL are you in?

[Andy]

Snook: I live in Palm Harbor (if you aren't familiar, just north of Clearwater)

[fallisbestvermont]

Thanks for the reply..I understand things have changed and your suggestion to view old posts for fall info is a good idea.
Guess we'll get through it, but do miss ctyanky.
Good to see some action now on this forum.