2011 Fall Photo Contest Winner

Owl’s Head Overlook in Groton, VT by Kevin Armstrong
This photo really drew us in with its strong composition, and we love the depth and the vastness of it. The tones, while moody, are quite beautiful and the quilt-like canopy pulls the viewer into the scene while drawing the eye to the texture of the trees as well as the looming clouds above. It gives the feeling of a modern-day Ansel Adams in color, making us want to step right into the image.

We asked Kevin to give us some background info on how he got the shot: “I was hiking up to the top of Owls’ Overlook (located in Groton State Forest in Central Vermont) on a rainy early October day. When I arrived to the top it was extremely foggy and rain showers were coming and going. I stayed up there for about an hour and half hoping the some form of clearing would materialize and create some nice light on Kettle pond below. The fog did disappear for about 20 minutes and I was hoping the clearing seen off to the southwest in the photo would make its way over — but it never did. Using a wide angle lens (Nikon 16 – 35) and a split natural density filter to even out the exposure allowed me to capture the details in clouds and wet muted colors of the close rocks and the past peak colors of the hills.”

Kevin Armstrong was our featured photographer in January of 2011. See his slide show of the Vermont Countryside in Winter.