New Castle Lighthouse - My World

  New Castle Lighthouse - My World



  It was a very gray day the last time we visited the ocean in the spring. And from what the weatherman is saying, it will be this time we go too. I don't  mind the gray as long is there is no rain. It just doesn't go with the camera equipment, and I am so itching to use my new camera at the ocean. My fingers are crossed it holds off until the afternoon. Wish me luck! 

Photo Tip Friday - Overcast Days

Photo Tip Friday - Overcast Days







Picture perfect days with blue skies and fluffy white clouds don't always work into our schedules when it comes to taking photos on a trip.

When having to work with what we have - it isn't always bad to have an overcast day.

A slight cloud cover at sunrise or sunset can make for some pretty dramatic colors.

Even though a cloud cover can make for less light, what is available is a more even light - no harsh shadows and contrasts to avoid or work around.

Landscapes can get a bit boring when the sky is all white - it gives a flat, washed-out look to the image, so try to include less of the sky in a landscape on a completely overcast day.

Even though it was overcast in the above landscape image, I still used my polarizer - and it was able to pick up a bit of definition in the clouds.

So not all is lost on an overcast day. By looking at things a bit differently, it can work out after all!

Visit Inside the Lighthouse

Visit Inside the Lighthouse






I did a post a few weeks ago about the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.

I am very excited to say that I had a visit from a volunteer for the lighthouse group that cares for it.

Ross, over at Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse wrote to say that the light house will be open during certain times over the summer for tours and visits.

You can actually climb to the top of the lighthouse and view the fourth-order Fresnel lens up close in the Lantern Room.

They have scheduled 11 days this summer for tours, and you can bet that I will be there for one of them - with my camera and a new memory card in hand!.

Overlooking the Park

Overlooking the Park






This is another post relating to the park with the cement dock.

That dock is just off to the left of this image - jutting out from the rocks.

You can see the Whaleback Lighthouse on the horizon.

This is just a small piece of the park. There is a lot more grass off to the right, and in the center of the park there is a playground area for the kids.

I can remember as a kid growing up, my brother and myself would bicycle the six miles here just about every night in the summer. We loved it here once everyone had left for the day.

My family and I get to the ocean a couple times a year these days, and we usually stop in at the park on one of those times.

The park itself has changed over the years, but the beautiful views and the memories will always remain.

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse






In keeping with the posts I have been making about standing on a cement dock at the ocean, this is the view to the north.

This lighthouse is in New Castle, which is also in Portsmouth Harbor.

It is called the Portsmouth Harbor Light, and it is part of the Coast Guard Station that is just off to the left of the tower.

This lighthouse dates back to before the American Revolution, and it includes the remains of a fort that was used during that time.

There are underground caverns and tunnels that are constructed with iron bars and hatches that are all hand wrought.

These forts are situated on both sides of the river - all hidden by the granite ledges, trees, and grassy knolls along the coast of the harbor.

Sad to say, they are no longer accessible to the public - too much trash, vandalism, and abuse has made them a hazard and unsafe to visit.

Peering into the darkness through the barred open windows gives one the creeps, and you can almost feel the ghosts. Dank, dark, and spooky.

I'll stay outside in the bright sun and enjoy the lighthouse view and salt air as it breezes against my face.

Whaleback Light House

Whaleback Lighthouse






This isn't the best photo that I have of this lighthouse, but it is the only one of it that I have taken with my digital camera.

This lighthouse station dates back to 1830, and the present structure was rebuilt in 1872 after the first one was demolished in a powerful northeaster that this region is known for.

It is the Whaleback Lighthouse and it is constructed of solid granite blocks.

It stands in Portsmouth harbor, and is included in the border between Maine and New Hampshire.

It has been automated since the mid 1960's and it's light shines strongly every 10 seconds. The fog horn lets off a blast about every 30 seconds.

I posted a couple of days ago about standing on a cement dock and showing the view to the south.

This photo was taken from the same dock, and this was the view to the east.

I was lucky enough to catch a lobster boat at work with a flock of seagulls overhead, waiting for their daily share of the haul.

Between the lighthouse and the boat there is a red harbor marker that helps guide the boats in and out of the harbor. When the wind blows through it - which is pretty much all the time - it makes a low, groaning sound that is just about as loud as those fog horn blasts.

This old sentinel has always been one of my favorites - standing tall and sturdy in the harbor with it's classic shape outlined against the sea and sky.