The towns north and west of Stowe, Vermont (including Johnson) have some of the best scenery in the state, partly because they are located in a low valley that runs far below Mount Mansfield and some of the other high peaks in the area. The low elevation and relatively flat geography make for some truly stunning rural farmland scenes as well, including the scene shown here, which was taken in October of 2007. I took several black and white photos at this spot, as the scene (which was just west of town) had a timeless, frontier-like quality to it.For a larger version of this photo, go to the Johnson, VT photo on the Travel Guide of America site.
Sherborn is one of those idyllic rural towns west of Boston that has a nearly perfect mix of low hills, woods, and farmland. Near the Framingham border is a beautiful open area that includes a place for strawberry picking. The photo shown here, which was taken in the summer of 2007, shows this spot on a day when the clouds were very dramatic. The people picking in the fields give the picture a sort of timeless quality to it. 
Although they are separated only by a narrow mountain pass (or "notch," as it is called here), Stowe and Jeffersonville are vastly different places. While Stowe is a bustling resort with endless options for shopping, lodging, and dining, Jeffersonville is a rather remote place with charming inns, general stores, working farms, and winding roads. The photo shown here, which was taken off Route 108 in October, 2007, shows a stark view of the landscape coming out of town on the way to Mount Mansfield and Smuggler's Notch. I took the shot in black and white to emphasize the haunting feel of this part of Vermont, especially when there are low clouds and fog.
Some photos take on a timeless quality to them, especially when they are in black and white. Such is the case with the photo shown here of the Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA. This picture, which was taken in April of 2007, displays a view that almost has a frontier feel to it, even though this spot is less than an hour west of Boston. I took this on a day that featured some rather striking cloud formations, which added to the moodiness of the shot.
Much of the York Beach area in Maine is flat (as you would expect in a beach town), but heading east out of the village of York Beach, you quickly encounter some rather steep and winding roads that afford dramatic views of the ocean. The photo here, which was taken in December of 2008, shows a look eastward out over the open ocean near Cape Neddick Light (an often-photographed lighthouse). The rugged, rocky shore in this area is much different from the sandy beach areas found only a little more than a mile away.
Depending on the season, Crawford Notch, NH, can be a desolate place, unlike some of the other notches in the White Mountains. The picture shown here was taken at Crawford Depot in September of 2006, in between the summer season and the foliage season, and the area indeed had a haunting quality to it when I took it. The railroad tracks shown in the photo go east through one of the wildest and most rugged sections of the Northeast, dropping steeply into the Mount Washington Valley, and eventually, North Conway.
The Public Garden in downtown Boston is one of those places that explodes in color depending on the time of year you go. Colorful flowers abound in the spring, while incredible foliage can be seen in the fall. But it also has a somewhat haunting feel depending on the time of year--and the time of day--which is what led me to take a number of black and white photos there one day in April of 2007. The photo shown here was taken just before sunset from the banks of the small pond in the garden, looking toward the skyline of downtown.
Providence has some very old sections--especially on the east side of the city--and Benefit Street, which is just east of downtown, is like a living, breathing museum piece with old homes, buildings, and churches. The black and white picture shown here, which was taken in December of 2006, shows a downright spooky scene of a church on Benefit Street. The day I took this, it was dark and gloomy out, which certainly helped the overall mood of this shot.
Every now and then, I take "throwaway" pictures that turn out to be among my favorites. This scene of Waterville Valley, NH, which was taken from a cross-country ski trail in February, 2005, is one such shot; I just happened to be finishing up my skiing for the day when I came to this outlook along one of the lower trails near the village. I took a very quick black and white photo (it was cold out), put my camera away and my gloves back on, and forgot about the picture, until I looked at it a day or two later. It is tough not to take a good picture in scenic Waterville Valley, but this one was purely an accident.
Thendara, NY, is a tiny hamlet located next to Old Forge (a popular resort town) in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. The photo shown here, which was taken in August of 2006, shows a spectacular sunset that caused driver to pull over and take pictures along the Moose River, which forms the border of Old Forge and Thendara. I used both color and black and white in taking pictures of the sunset, but the black and white ones actually came out more interesting, as the contrast of light and dark was quite striking.
It seems that in some ways, the further north and east you go along the Maine coast, the more interesting the landscapes and the lighting get. And this certainly is the case with Mount Desert Island, which is where much of Acadia National Park lies. But outside of the park are equally stunning vistas, including some really haunting ones around the tiny town of Northeast Harbor. The black and white photo shown here, which was taken in May 2008, shows the foreboding beauty of the Maine coast from a spot called Clifton Dock. From this part of town, one can hear the sounds of buoys and a lighthouse in the distance, and little else.