I've lived in New England for my entire life (70 years) and can guarantee you will find stunning photo opportunities throughout the region. If you're going to Maine, the coastal towns have the most to offer - Ogunquit, Portland, Cabbage Island, etc. The same can be said for New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. If you like fresh seafood, you'll also have a wonderful dining experience while you're here. Get ready for some fun.

I just joined this site a few days ago. The first thing I looked at was the contre-jour contest photographs. Yours stood out in my mind as one of the best.

My sister-in-law has a place on the outer banks in SC. She has a balcony on her deck where we toast the sun going down in the evening with a glass of wine. Your beautiful shot took me there.

I meant to say I also 'enjoy' shooting in old cemeteries. I have access to quite a few living here in the greater Boston area.

Beautiful shot. I also shooting in old cemeteries.

Stunning photograph. Outstanding composition and color. I go to this sight to look at the pictures for ideas and inspiration to help me grow as a photographer. This is one of the most beautiful photographs I've seen so far. I hope to see more of your work on this site in the future.

My favorite photography is shooting colors and shapes. You have done a wonderful job of capturing both in photo number one and photo number three. I'm also half Italian and was in the wine business for 40 years before retiring. Photo number two represents two of the most important ingredients for a great meal. Thanks for sharing.

Bruce Barnbaum's book 'The Art of Photography' helped me turn a big corner. I focused on taking technically correct snapshots for a very long time. They usually weren't very interesting. Bruce's book put me onto the road of putting personal expression into my photography to compose creative pictures that tell a story.

I've already been through the book three times and practice what I'm learning by taking pictures every day. I now spend a great deal of time thinking about what I want to shoot and planning before actually taking a picture. I'm starting to see a little improvement in my pictures but still have a long way to go.

I also get ideas and inspiration looking at the pictures in books, magazines, on-line and in sites like this one. My pictures are only for my own enjoyment so I don't hesitate to try some of the wonderful ideas I come across. It's a start that will hopefully lead to coming up with some good ideas of my own.

Good luck and have fun.

Like ChapJohn, I find my 50mm very effective for taking casual landscapes. My first serious camera was a Voigtlander 35mm with a 50mm lens. I shot with it for many years and became very comfortable with the 50mm focal length. I've upgraded my equipment several times over the years (film to digital, full size sensor) but have always stayed with a 50mm prime lens on all of my cameras. It just seems second nature to me now. I've learned to do most of my zooming with my feet. There are times when a different lens might come in handy but it's amazing how much you can do with nothing more than a nifty fifty.

I recently returned a camera to Adorama and found the process extremely easy. They have a one page on-line form you just print and fill out. Send it to the address on the form along with the completed form and a copy of the purchase invoice. They do all the rest. Nice people to do business with. They live in the shadow of the big guy and are working very hard to be number one.

I had Thomas Jefferson to give me indigestion back then.

Based on my own experience, a Philly cheese steak will give you indigestion no matter where you buy it.

The beauty of the ExpoDisc is that you don't screw it in like a regular filter. It just pushes onto the lens and then pulls right off again. I believe there are small ball bearings around the rim of the disc that simply hold it in place.

Regarding your white balance, you may want to look into an ExpoDisc. It looks like a white filter and is used to set the correct white balance in any lighting situation. You set the white balance on your Nikon to 'preset'. You then snap the ExpoDisc onto your lens and take a shot. It will tell you if the shot is okay. If it is, you simply unsnap the ExpoDisc from your lens and fire away. You'll have an ideal white balance setting until your light source changes. If the light changes, you simply snap the ExpoDisc back on and take another shot to reset your white balance.

The ExpoDisc comes in sizes. I had the same Nikon 28-300 lens as you mounted on a Nikon D700 so I know you would need the 77mm size. I use this simple accessory more than any other one in my bag. Good luck shooting your show.

I found myself in the same situation as you. I've got a great Nikon DSLR with several lenses but wanted something small that would take great pictures I could take with me all the time. I found my answer with the new Nikon Coolpix A. It has a large sensor and takes outstanding pictures. It has a 28mm prime lens so you'll need to decide how that works for you. It's also a bit pricey ($1096.00). It would be worth your while to at least look at one before making your final decision. It's a great little camera.