An early-morning excursion to the Muster Field Farm Museum in North Sutton on Saturday, October 1, will offer local photographers, from beginners to devotees, an opportunity to capture New Hampshire’s autumn foliage in an historic and picturesque setting.
Free, open to the public, and guided by experienced photographers Steve Colardeau and Jay Fitzpatrick of Andover, the photo shoot will get under way at 6:30 AM on the Muster Field Farm Museum grounds. Participants can rendezvous there, rain or shine, at any time between then and 8 AM or join in car-pooling from Andover’s Town Hall parking lot at 6 AM (returning to the Town Hall at 9:30 AM).
Though advance registration is not required, potential attendees are requested to contact Fitzpatrick in advance at jall@nulltds.net so the session leaders can provide additional support as needed.
On their own or with support from Colardeau and Fitzpatrick, participants will be able to roam the museum’s 250 acres of fields and woods, “a superb, scenic location between Mount Kearsarge and King Ridge,” according to the Web site MusterFieldFarm.com.
Also available for photographical subject matter are a collection of historic buildings ranging from huge barns to small corn cribs and including a one-room schoolhouse and a blacksmith shop, both saved from destruction elsewhere and moved to the property. All are open for interior as well as exterior photography. The exterior of the historic Matthew Harvey Homestead, a handsome 18th-century farmhouse listed on the National Register of Historic Places, may also be photographed.
Commenting on the opportunity, organizer Fitzpatrick notes, “Autumn at the Muster Field Farm is New England at its finest, and early morning the best time of day for photography. This should be a great chance for photographers of all ages and skill levels to capture with their cameras the colors and textures that will be awaiting them.”
Participants are reminded to expect a chilly October morning. Colardeau’s advice: “Check the weather forecast the day before to get an idea of what to expect. Long pants and some form of boots will be best. A jacket will help, and maybe a pair of gloves and a hat. Metal camera equipment can get real cold.
“Because it is early, the light will be low. Shooting from a tripod is almost mandatory. Macro shooters take note: This is time of day is when you may find spiders and their webs, either dew- or frost-covered. Once the sun heats things up, the webs melt. Be ready to get a little wet shooting spiders or anything close to the ground.”
The event is sponsored by the Andover Institute, an arm of the Andover Community Association. It is part of a continuing series of “space explorations,” designed to introduce local residents to venues more or less “off the beaten path” for many.