Health & Fitness
Conner Farm, Exeter, NH
Panoramic photo of a classic New England farmhouse in Exeter.
The photo is of the Conner farmhouse at the "Conner Farm Wildlife Management Area" in Exeter, NH. It's visible from Route 101 on the south side, near Exit 9. It's right next to the highway.
I've driven by the place countless times and have always admired the scene. I finally decided to figure out how to get to it and went there to photograph the homestead.
What I learned in researching the location is that the State of New Hampshire acquired the property when Route 101 was expanded a couple of decades ago (or thereabouts - I don't know the precise timeline). New Hampshire Fish and Game manages the site, and hunting is allowed.
Fish and Game stocks Conner Farm with pheasants for hunting, the knowledge of which came as a surprise to me because I didn't know that they did game stocking with any animals other than fish. Also, while I was there and walking the fields, I came across a back lot that was littered with broken clay pigeons from target shooting, and expended shotgun shells were there, too. I think it's a shame that some shooters will be neglectful and create ill-will that can affect responsible hunters and sport shooters. I was disappointed to see the mess.
The surrounding fields are leased for cultivating hay. It's open to the public and has a parking lot. There is only one way to approach it by car, which is through a special underpass that is accessible from Route 27 on the north side of 101 and goes beneath the highway to get on the southern side where the property is.
Here is NH Fish and Game's webpage for the site: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/WMAs/WMA_Conner_Farm.htm
To capture images for the photo, I went over a place along the bordering wire fence that was already bent over. It was easy to step across to get on the highway side, where I set up my tripod to obtain a better perspective for framing my shots from a distance.
This photo is a rectilinear panorama made of five panels and cropped to a traditional 2:3 ratio. The finished size is (approximately) 19" X 28" at 300 PPI. It could be enlarged up to a recommended maximum of 38" X 57" at 150 PPI.
