Three Days in Sugar Hill

The Lupine bloom in northern New England is like a mini foliage season. Photographers travel from other states to capture images of the lovely blossoms covering the hillsides. Two areas host festivals around the season: The Deer Isle Lupine Festival in Maine, and the Fields of Lupine Festival in Sugar Hill, NH. The season extends through the two middle weeks of June, although peak bloom varies from year to year. In 2010, most New England vegetation bloomed quite early due to a mild winter, so I have been covering lupines since mid-May. This week I drove up to Sugar Hill for three days, and the weather varied so much during my stay that it was like three different trips.

There were forest fires in Canada and the smoke whitened the sky on Monday morning, but I was able to find afternoon shots that avoided the smoke.






Monday afternoon was sunny - blue sky almost without a cloud. The light was stark and contrasty. This made it necessary to take pictures with the sun to my back, to avoid losing detail in big black shadows or areas of bright white. On sunny days, I avoid scenes with shadows - forest shots are out of the question, and side-lit views of buildings just don't work. I try to shoot on the coast or in the mountains, where landscapes will include lots of beautiful blue sky.

Tuesday was rainy, ranging from white-sky to downpours to showers as the day progressed. It was a day to have a sit-down breakfast at Polly's Pancake Parlor and to browse at Harman's Cheese shop. It was a day to move more slowly, to watch as mist rose from the valleys and clouds moved overhead. Between downpours, it was a great day to work in the woods. Shadows under the trees were soft and inviting, and the detail of the beautiful blossoms really showed well. Raindrops on petals and leaves were an extra treat. At day's end, the overcast lifted a bit. The sunset light came in low under the clouds and cast its reddish light on the mountains. I knew tomorrow's sunrise would be wonderful.

Wednesday started with pea soup fog! I had been wrong in expecting a wonderful sunrise! But since I was up (at 4:00) and packed, I decided to play with fog photos and to see what developed. I shot the barn at Polly's, and noticed some brightening. Sure enough, I turned around to see the sun breaking the horizon, burning through the fog, and shining through millions of water droplets in the flowers. I stayed a few minutes and then rushed up the road, knowing that this mist might burn off fast. The field at St Matthews Church was bathed in warm light, with God-rays beaming through the trees and more dewdrops glinting in the light . With the sun at my back, the scene was soft and bright and beautiful. When I turned toward the sun, the backlighting was magical.

The sun burned off slowly, and I was able to work several lupine fields and a farm in the area. Finally, I went down to Coffin Pond and watched the fog rise from the water there. A really magical morning, and a grand way to cap off my trip. If you go to Sugar Hill, be sure to stop at the Franconia Chamber of Commerce for the map which shows locations of the lupine fields.