New England Foliage Blog →
Fall Foliage report and do's and don'ts
Jay Peak foliage report and proper photo etiquette
by Jeff "Foliage" Folger
Just a stump with color in the background
another barn along the side of the road.
It Looks like it's ready to fall..
roadside color
Foliage Report for Jay Peak VT.
I just received a note from Agnes who says she biked up Jay Peak on Saturday and she states that "the leaves are starting to turn with lots of nice color. If the weather stayed nice this week, it would be wonderful". I'm heading up this afternoon and plan to look around today and all Tuesday and if you follow my tweets or the Yankee Facebook foliage fan page then you would have some sense of where I'll be driving (those miles add up, hint.. hint) (towards my mileage contest).
Do's and Don'ts for those Photos.
I was on Route 5 in the NEK (North East Kingdom) and I was seeing this beautiful ridge line with great color (above Lyndonville) and I came upon a really great weathered barn that made me pull over immediately. I pulled up to where I wouldn't be a road hazard and had to walk back 40 yards or so (This is a DO).
I walked back and got across from the barn and I had a great view of the barn and I could also see (I assumed) the owner cutting some wood. I yelled to him asking if I could take a picture of his barn (another DO). He replied "I would rather you didn't".
Now here is where I bet many people are wondering what to do. Get a great shot with a barn and the foliage in the background (I'd call this a DON'T) because you are on the street and he doesn't own the street. I chose what I'll call (a DO) and I yelled thank you anyway and went back to my car.
He saw me leave and he yelled back "I appreciate that and good day". I can only assume that folks always stop and most will never ask or they just take the photo anyway. The question comes to mind, which kind of leaf peeper are you?
If you are a fanatical foliage photo taking peeper and you know who you are (I see one in the mirror every day) then you have to make that judgment call.
If he wasn't there and I didn't see anyone to ask, would I have taken the picture? Probably but we have to weigh how hard it would be to get permission. (and how much time would it take)
How many folks walk onto the Jenne farm to get that Iconic VT farm image and they never drive up to the house to ask or even donate money( He has a donation box there attached to a tree, so I'm told).
So it's up to you whether you take that shot or don?t but I like to leave some good feelings behind as I drive off, how about you? That is it for today, Enjoy!
Also:
Check the Yankee Foliage website and make your foliage reports. This year they are giving a spa treatment away so get making those foliage reports Check my Blog several times per week as I cover the foliage season with reports all week long. The Yankee foliage forum is a great place to get updates or over on the Yankee foliage Facebook fan page
Don't forget to login on the forum Jeff's contest thread is open to guesses to figure out my total mileage this season and to win either a boxed card set of my foliage series or a HD DVD fall video. (the video is not my pictures; I just purchased it on Amazon)
Yankee's Foliage Fan page on Facebook and Yankee on Twitter.
Autumn is here and I hope to hear from you throughout the rest of the fall, if you have any questions please feel free to ask them here in the comments section or in the foliage forum or in the Yankee's Foliage Fan page on Facebook and I and the other folks will do their best to answer them. Or you can email me at jeff.foliage@gmail.com.
Reader Comments
Comment from Judy Allen on October 1, 2009
Yes, that's polite.
But aren't views from public ways part of the public scenery ? You're not invading privacy (tho some could Photoshop the house..) But it's the leaves -- and he chose to live there in that beautiful place.
Comment from Jeff Folger on October 5, 2009
This is also true but as we pass through their towns which would you rather have them say... Some rotten leaf peeper was standing on the road outside my place and scared my kids or made my dog bark and woke up my pregnant wife?
OR One of those leaf peepers came by today and he/she was a very understanding person and respected my wishes... not to photograph my place... It's up to you and while you are right (100%) I was within my rights to photograph his barn from where I was... but maybe I left him in a better mood when the next peeper/photographer comes by... Maybe not... It's all just my opinion and I never said anyone had to listen to me.. :-)
Comment from George Perry on October 7, 2009
Just wondering how long this post will stay on this site. Wife and I plan on visiting the area October 2010 from out here in Washington. This is a good reminder to mind my p's and q's when we are picture taking.
Comment from Jeff Folger on October 20, 2009
Well George, these posts stay here for quite a while... And while its always good to mind your Ps and Qs. The article was meant to be a reminder to be nice to our neighbors who live in such fantastic places. I would rather be known as that nice photographer who was very polite to someone, rather than that @$#$%@#$ leaf peeper looking over my fence and scaring someones kids... That's all, it's all about, how we travel through this life and the impressions we give others..
Whose rights and feelings matter more; yours or mine?
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