It's Fall in New England #3

Hee hee. You're an artist - just let your instincts take over!

Instincts are good, but I'm feeling inadequate. Like a good doctor, I think I gotta keep my skills sharp and my knowledge current! Wish I could go back to school. My four years at college (way back when), was such a waste.

Wow! $2500 for the Nikon. Oh, I bet it's worth drooling over. Better get your drool rag out Victor before you open the package!

Speaking of honing my skills, I started doing some hand painting for a few wallpaper designs to see if I still had the skill. Still got it. There's always room for improvement. Hope I'll make a few nice additions to my portfolio.

Yes, the camera does make a difference, but so does the photographer. I've spent many years perfecting my photographic technique. Took some classes, but mostly did a lot of reading up on technique, how to get good exposures, etc.

I have a point and shoot that's almost as good as a DSLR. Almost as big, too, but not quite, and I lug it everywhere. It took me a little time to get to know how to use the manual settings in conjunction with the programed settings to get the exposures the way I wanted to so that I would not have to edit them on the computer later. Mine is a Fuji Finepix S2000HD. Got it with Christmas money last year, so haven't even been using it a year now. Only paid around $350 for it. Only thing I don't like is that I can't use filters with it. I would love to be able to use a polarizing filter with it, but then I would have to use a tripod more often, too, which I don't like to have to drag around. Anyhow, I'm usually very happy with how the pics turn out, even without a filter. Unless I want to really get serious to sell to big calendar companies where they want extreme detail and depth-of-field, etc., I don't see spending big money on a DSLR.

Karen

No - it's 'only' $1700, Harp. You were probably looking at one with a lens. I bought the body only. (Man's fantasy??) And my sale of the D300 paid for a good chunk of it.

Karen - they don't sell an extension tube to use for filters?? That's what I have on my p & s.

my next camera will be a dslr - almost had a nice cannon till my wife used up my marriott points during the ice storm last year - was looking at using united airlines points but they top out a the low end nikon and cannon dslr's - i will wait till i land a job too harper.

I will never have more than a point & shoot, but I do love to see everyone's close-ups, & arty shots. My Kasagiama JM is losing its leaves, but it never got a very bright fall color, so I may have to get another one---good excuse, right?

absolutely!

I've been feeling the same way about my JM Marilyn! It's a great excuse!

check out topairy gardens - diana has some specials going on now - i would only recommend buying anything now if you can pot them up store in a garage for the winter - received two today and they were real nice, not huge though - price was only $28 per tree.

Good prices on trees at Topiary Gardens, Bill.

Victor, I don't know if I can get extension tubes for my camera lens. Will have to check into that. I was really disappointed when all the Ritz Camera stores around here closed. I don't know of a good camera store to go to now. They did really good quality prints from digital, too. Better than WM.

Karen

I like Snapfish for 'ordinary' prints.

I'll post more later, but this is one of my favorite shots from today.

wow Victor that shot is fantastic!!!.. save that one for next years photo contest

I have voted 'birds' & perennials so far . It takes a long time.

Beautiful, Victor!

Karen

Thanks!

THAT is a GORGEOUS picture!!!!

Thanks, Jen.

OK, enough all Victor, all the time.

Despite the thread title, I'm adding a little taste of the Valley, since there was still some left when we got home to KY.

Viburnum x burkwoodii 'Mohawk' swallowing the house...

Viburnum x burkwoodii 'Mohawk' again - the light was right...

Despite rumors to the contrary (Victor and Bill, you know who you are), a Japanese maple can thrive in KY - even after being mown down (twice) by an octogenarian neighbor.

Acer palmatum 'Shadow'...

Very nice, VV. Nice JM!

VV - my Catskill viburnum developed nice color this year. Don't recall it looking as nice last year. Planted it two years ago.

Great color there, VV! Love the JM!

Karen

very nice VV - it looks like the shadow is pretty large - my mohawk's do not look like that - yet - i hope.

Here's another shot from today.

And here is Catskill.

Absolutely gorgeous, Victor, especially the stream!

Karen

I had to take a respite and enjoy dinner with Marianne - the grilled pork loin was calling.

I had 'Catskill' up my sleeve, in fact. I don't imagine it gets better than this. These are younger plants ready to go into the permanent landscape.

The obligatory closeup...

A few more viburnums from the Valley...here's a young Viburnum sieboldii 'Wavecrest' coloring up.

A Viburnum Valley Viburnum dentatum seedling...

'Shadow' is a bigger JM - it's a selection from Don Shadow in Winchester TN, for summer heat tolerance and fine fall color. Our late neighbor loved mowing grass, but was less than diligent in the sight department. Fortunately, 'Shadow' outlived him.

Victor, your 'Catskill' is probably just threatened by the adjacent menacing JM. I'd step on it, if I was there.

Need some streams like that around here...barring that, I'll generate my own waterfall - Larix kaempferi 'Pendula'.

funky!

nice water shots Victor

nice stream shot victor - did you use the tripod and a delayed shutter?

Love the vib's vv - thinking i should have put those little ones i have in a area to grow up before going front and center

Vibvalley, I need to put Viburnum sieboldii 'Wavecrest' on my want list. Nice to have a Southern Gentleman contributing to the NE forum.

Victor, great waterfall shot. Sorry about last night.

I forgot my camera on this trip so no pictures of the still few nice things colored up in their fall finery. I have raked and pruned for the last two day which is a vast improvement over the mess that was here when I got here. More to do. Plus bulbs to plant.

nutsfordaylily, I love the look of your 'Ogon' Dawn Redwood and wish I could imagine a spot for one in Nantucket, but I think it would look odd. I am very excited to see the leaves on my new Hamamelis when I finally get home on Thurs. But I am more excited to see if I get any blooms this winter. Fingers crossed. Your H. Diane leave color is lovely.

Wha, nice shots of some of your J.Maples and that fothergilla, which I am trying to grow just for the scent of its flowers in spring and it's fall color. I think they look pretty ratty in the summer or do you have a trick? Patti

npt ratty and no trick patti - they are full and green in the summer, for me anyway - the picture was of the normal forthigilla - the blue shadow and bill's dwarf varities i have have not colored up yet.

you should have some flower buds on your hammelis - i think john and i only saw one out of the bunch i got that did not not have flower buds - did not get the color that karen has.