Edward M. Fielding is a best selling artist on Fine Art America and tells the story behind “Autumn Splendor” one of his popular Vermont images.
“Autumn Splendor” is a photograph of a couple of traditional New England Adirondack chairs surrounded by some spectacular fall foliage.
Because of the lighting, “Autumn Splendor” has the look of a studio shot but it is completely natural. A break in the overcast sky just happened to fall on the chairs when I was in the area photographing. I saw the amazing light and quickly composed a few shots before it disappeared a few moments later.
The dark skies in the background and the halo of light on the chairs was simply good luck. Being at the right place at the right time and being ready to quickly compose the image.
I typically head out to photograph around the region several times a month. Usually I only have a vague notion of a destination. I’ll head off in a direction and then travel down back-roads in Vermont and New Hampshire looking for interesting subjects like antique tractors, old barns, vintage cars, historic churches and maybe a few cows.
I always come back with something worthwhile even if it’s just the chance encounter with a lady at a farm stand, a mechanic working on an old car or a landscaper enlisted to help me get my car out of a snowbank (long story).
“Autumn Splendor” was taking in Norwich, Vermont, just over the bridge from Hanover, New Hampshire and Dartmouth College. A small pocket park sits above the Connecticut River and these nice chairs provide a nice spot to sit and watch the Dartmouth Crew teams practice on the river below.
New England is often overcast with white skies this time of year so the break in the clouds was quite magical. The lighting in the shot reminds me of one those dioramas you’d see in a natural history museum.
I’m not sure if the lay person would get as excited about it as a photographer, but photographer’s know that such lighting usually is only possible with a portable strobe, or a lot of luck.