Vermont is best known to photographers as a location for epic autumn images, and that’s true. The State does not garner as much attention in the other three seasons, and that’s a mistake. Of the other three seasons, winter and summer offer plenty to shoot; however, for me, spring is autumn’s true twin. It’s the season where the Green Mountain State honestly earns its name.
Like the other seasons, Vermont’s spring comes in distinct acts. Early Spring masquerades as winter-lite. Grey is still the dominant color, and snow is not unusual, and the mud is everywhere. Even in this environment, there are signs of the better half of spring to come, as early-spring blooms start to appear, and there are still good photos to be found. The second act is where it gets interesting. In early May, the Mountains and hillsides explode with green, the rivers and streams are running, wildflowers overtake the fields, and the wildlife starts to become active again. All these things are good for photographers. When the tree buds first pop, the landscape softens into a vibrant, pastel-colored palette that rivals the electric colors of October. By early June, the deep, rich green takes over, slowly warming into shades of summer yellow as it journeys toward autumn.
Late May is my favorite time to photograph Spring in Vermont. This year, I was in the state for the last week of May. I started in the Connecticut River Valley (Woodstock/ Killington area). The rest of the week was spent in the Montpellier region of central Vermont, staying with my friend and fellow photographer Mitch Moraski.
The weather while I was there started hot, with temperatures a summer-like 85 degrees, but after a couple of days and storms moving through, it got chilly, with pre-sunrise temperatures below freezing on some mornings. The storms helped replenish streams; however, the high-pressure system that followed brought cold air, along with high winds and abundant sunshine - two notoriously tough conditions for stream photography. Even though no sunrise or sunset provided epic light, there was still plenty to photograph on this trip. Between the mountains, rushing water, rustic barns, and historic covered bridges, Vermont in spring is a rewarding photo excursion, and I am already planning next year’s trip with some of the new locations shown to me by Mitch.
