Chatham Light Long Exposures

Earlier this year while on the Cape, I made a quick trip to Chatham Light to catch the sunset. I put a serious filter on the wide-angle lens that allowed for twenty to thirty second exposures during the daylight. With the long exposures and dark filter, it produces an effect where the clouds look like they are streaking across the sky.

Pigeon Point Light

Towards the tail end of a trip to California last month, a friend and I took a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway on a rainy day to Pigeon Point. The point has a number of great weathered structures and is definitely exposed to the conditions as you can see the clouds, rain, and mist in some of these shots.

 

Pemaquid Point

Too many pics from Maine! Here's one of the last groups of shots from the trip - Pemaquid Point. About an hour and fifteen north from Portland, we decided to skip Boothbay Harbor (where we usually spend a day) and check out somewhere new.

Just at the end of one of Maine's long coastal points sits this lighthouse. All around it, the rock goes on for hundreds of feet down to the water's edge. People are climbing everywhere, so I had to wait some time ot get some of the reflection shots. Other times, I just had to work with them in the frame.

After visiting, I realized this location was one of the default backgrounds on my work computer and also in a Ford Explorer commercial, so if it looks familiar - you've actually probably seen it before!

Doubling Point

Just off the main highway of route 1 in Bath, Maine is the seldom-visited Doubling Point light house. It is only accessible through a 10 minute drive down a dirt road with few signs, so there are likely to be no other visitors if you find it. The grounds are open to the public but is owned and watched after by a private family who are very welcoming to visitors. When we arrived the owner was assembling and painting boat parts and gave us a quick tour. The walkway to the lighthouse juts out into the Kennebec River and offers great view of the Bath Iron Works and shipyards. Definitely worth the drive.

Bass Harbor Light

Spent this weekend in Maine relaxing in the cool air and exploring some new places. Will be posting a few series of shots. This first one is of Bass Harbor Light near Southwest Harbor on Mount Desert Island. Only about a half hour drive from the main tourist locale of Bar Harbor, this light house is set back from the crowds and is a great place to watch the sunset. It's incredibly quiet and secluded.

Trip to the Outer Cape

Early June is a great time to visit Cape Cod. Most of the crowds have not arrived and most beaches are open free of charge. Thus, you're able to explore quite a few places with ease. Below are some great spots to check out if you ever have the chance.

Chatham Light
This lighthouse is very close to downtown Chatham, off route 28. Although the lighthouse itself is not open for tours, there's a lot of room to walk around and explore the beach directly across from it.

Nauset Light
Continuing up the Cape to Eastham, Nauset Light is a short drive off the highway. You'll recognize this one from the Cape Cod Potato Chips bag!

Actually, behind Nauset Light are the Three Sisters Lighthouses. They were the three original lighthouses on the shore here. They were moved back into the woods away from the water and replaced with Nauset Light.

Marconi Beach
This is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore in Wellfleet, MA. It is easily one of the best beaches on the Cape since it is enormous, has the quintessential dunes, and great waves. However, the water is going to be freezing no matter what time of year that you go, so those not from New England are probably only going to get their toes wet. Since this beach faces the Atlantic, you might even see whales and seals, like we did last week!

Truro Vineyards
After a long day at the beach, why not take a stop off at a local vineyard? Only a 10 minute drive further up the Cape, this small winery is easy to drive past when you're going down the highway, but it's worth the time to find. They generally do two tours everyday and offer tastings around the clock. Their gift shop offers all of the wines that they produce - very delicious and very cool bottles!

Highland Light
Close by to Truro Vineyards, across the highway and sitting on the cliffs is Highland Light. This is one of the easier lighthouses to access, as it is open for tours all day and the grounds are open to walk around.

Sunset
The whole western side of the Cape is great for sunsets if you can find a good open view of the ocean. Two favorite places of mine are Duck Harbor Beach and Lookout Road, both in Wellfleet, MA. Duck Harbor Beach is very secluded and only has a few parking spaces, so it's a nice choice if you're looking for some peace and quiet. The water is generally warmer because this beach is on the bay side. Here is one shot from Duck Harbor.

The other location, Lookout Road, is accessible from Old Wharf Road, which is directly off of Route 6. This is a small neighborhood that overlooks Wellfleet Harbor and doesn't really look like it will offer much for views from the street, but right at the end of the road there is a turn which gives a great perspective of the harbor. The pictures below are what you can expect.