Photographing Historic Scituate Lighthouse

Scituate Lighthouse

On a trip between Boston and Cape Cod my husband and I made a small detour to see beautiful Scituate Lighthouse. This lighthouse is located on the South Shore of Boston. On this page I will review a bit about the history of this lighthouse along with sharing my photos from our visit.
 

Lighthouse History

Scituate Lighthouse is the 5th oldest lighthouse in New England and the 11th oldest in the United States.  It was activated in 1811 and is built of split granite blocks with a 1 1/2 story house attached.  While searching online for information on the lighthouse I found the interesting story listed below.  The information is from the Scituate Historical Society web page.

Captain Simeon Bates, the first keeper of Scituate Lighthouse, his wife, and nine children lived at the house. During the War of 1812 Abigail and Rebecca, young daughters of the lighthouse keeper, prevented the British from sacking the town. Noting the approach of two redcoat-filled barges from a British ship of war, the girls snatched fife and drum and hiding behind a thick cluster of cedar trees made such a din that the British mistook them for an entire regiment and made a hasty retreat. Abigail and Rebecca Bates have gone down in history as 'The American Army of Two" and their courageous act has been recorded in many textbooks and story books.    http://scituatehistoricalsociety.org/light/

I also find it fascinating that the captain and his family of 11 lived in the small house attached to the lighthouse.  Here is a photo I took of the lighthouse with the house attached.

The Lighthouse Today

Today the lighthouse is located at the  end of Lighthouse Road.  It is now an active private aid to navigation and is managed by  the Scituate Historical Society.  It is only open limited hours but we were able to walk around the grounds and I was able to capture photos from various directions.

As we left the lighthouse we pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant and I was able to photograph the lighthouse from across the bay.

Read More of Tales of New England

If you found the story of the two sisters fascinating you may  want to  read more tales from early New England or perhaps this story about a Rhode Island lighthouse keepers daughter.

Zazzle Candle from my Photo

Scituate Lighthouse flowers Pillar Candle
by lighthouseenthusiast

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Explore St Louis-The Old Courthouse

In this post I will give you a pictorial review of the Old Courthouse in St. Louis Missouri. 

History of Old Courthouse

First I'd like to give you a very brief history of the Old Courthouse.  In 1816 land was donated for a courthouse in St.  Louis.  This land is just west of the St. Louis riverfront.  A federal style brick courthouse was first built on the site in 1828.  By the mid 1830's St. Louis had already outgrown this courthouse.  In 1839 construction began on the current courthouse which incorporated the original courthouse as part of the east wing.  Other revisions have been made to the courthouse over the years and the courts remained in the building until 1930.  In 1935 the courthouse became a National Monument and today it hosts many visitors.   The view below is from the southwest.

Important Events at Old Courthouse

There have been many important decisions made and events happening at the Old Courthouse.

Two of the most well known include:

• 1847 and 1850  Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom.
• 1872  Virginia Minor sued for the right to vote.

Both of these cases ended up going to the Supreme Court and lost.  But they are both considered to be key  turning points in history.

Prior to the Civil war slaves were sold on the courthouse steps. See the plaque below along with  two photos depicting the Dred Scott case.

Photographing the Old Courthouse

I was able to go down to the Old Courthouse on two different occasions in September and was able to photograph the Old Courthouse from different angles.  The photo below shows the courthouse in a distance as I was walking through the park just west of the courthouse.

In 1965 the opening of the Gateway Arch changed the landscape of downtown St. Louis.  Since that time a popular photo of the Old Courthouse is one where it is framed by the arch as you see in the photo below.

On my second visit during September to photograph down by the arch and courthouse we arrived before sunrise and were able to get some photographs in the early morning light.

Zazzle Items from my Photographs

St Louis Landmarks Poster
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Historic Old Courthouse
by mbgphoto

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Explore St Louis-The Gateway Arch

Gateway to the West

I have lived in the St. Louis area for most of my life and I never get tired of telling people about my home town.  There are so many wonderful landmarks in the area and over the next few months I hope to share several of them with the Review This readers through my photographs. 

Reviewing The Gateway Arch

The most well known landmark in St. Louis is the Gateway Arch.  The arch was built during my high school years and I still remember hearing about the construction.  The arch was built as a monument to the "Westward Expansion" of the United States.

Construction on the arch began on February 12, 1963 and was completed on October 28, 1965.  It was located on the site of the founding of St. Louis on the west bank of the Mississippi river.  The arch stands at 630 feet tall.  It has a museum below the arch that tells of the history of the area and the westward expansion.

I have been to the top of the arch several times and it is always thrilling (and a bit scary) to ride the jerky little elevator to the top and then look out over St. Louis through the little windows.

See small windows at top of Arch

Over the years the arch has become the iconic symbol of St. Louis.  Whenever I travel whether by plane or car and I am returning home when I see the arch it brings a smile to my face.

Photographing the Arch

Over the years the arch has been photographed over and over.  It is always a challenge for a photographer to get a unique photo of the arch.  It has been photographed from every angle and most July 4th's you will see wonderful photographs of fireworks framed by the arch.  They are set off on a barge in the river and people gather on the arch grounds to watch the spectacle.  

In early September my husband and I went to a Cardinal ballgame one afternoon and before the game we walked the several blocks over to the arch grounds to photograph the arch.  It was a beautiful sunny day with some fluffy clouds in the sky.  The two photographs above are ones that I took that morning.  The first photograph was taken from the top of the steps of the Old Courthouse just across the street from the arch grounds.

That trip got me excited to take more photos of the arch and I decided I would love to capture it in the early morning light just before sunrise.  A couple of weeks later my friend and I got up early and took a drive downtown.  Here are a few of the photographs I got that morning.

Once the sun came up it was too bright to photograph the arch from the front.  I had heard that they had added a reflecting pond during a recent renovation of the arch grounds so we took a walk to look for the best angle to capture the arch and it's reflection.  Here is my favorite shot.

My Arch Photos on Zazzle

Here is a poster I made on Zazzle the includes several of my St. Louis photos.  You can find more of my work by clicking on the link below the poster or going to www.zazzle.com/mbgphoto.

St Louis Landmarks Poster

by mbgphoto 

I also have several other items showing the arch on Zazzle.

Dawn at Gateway Arch Metal Print
by mbgphoto

Sunrise at the Arch Card
by mbgphoto

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing Lighthouses near Eastham on Cape Cod

Nauset Lighthouse

The iconic lighthouse above is seen on the package of Cape Cod potato chips and has become a symbol of Cape Cod.

Nauset Lighthouse

Nauset lighthouse was originally one of the twin towers in Chatham which were built in 1808. When erosion claimed these lights they were replaced by metal ones in 1877.  In 1923 one of the Chatham lights was restored and moved to Nauset.  The beacon on the light has been fully restored and is used as a private navigation aid.  The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is a very popular tourist attraction and although it is privately owned you can get private tours in the summer.  I was able to walk the grounds and photograph it from several angles.  I love the bright red and white colors on the lighthouse.

If you think this lighthouse looks familiar, it may be because you have seen it on the package of Cape Cod potato chips.

     Three Sisters Lighthouses

Just a short walking distance away from the Nauset lighthouse you will find the restored Three Sisters lighthouses which originally were located on the Eastham coast.  The original buildings fell into the sea around 1890.  They were restored in the early 1900's.  Two of the three lighthouses were at one time summer cottages.  They are now located in Cape Cod National Seashore.

View of Sea near Nauset Lighthouse

Zazzle Products from my Photos

I have taken many photographs in the past few years since I became enthused about lighthouses and in my quest to find a way to share them with others I came across Zazzle.  This print on demand site is a great place for me to put my photos on products that can then be purchased.  Here is one of my photos on a metal print from Zazzle.  Click on the link to discover other lighthouse gifts on Zazzle.

Nauset Lighthouse Cape Cod Metal Print
by lighthouseenthusiast

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Reviewing Lighthouses in Erie Pennsylvania

Erie Land Lighthouse

My husband and I were traveling north on Hwy 90 on our way from St. Louis to New Hampshire.  Hwy 90 is a great way for us to travel to the east coast with lots of places to stop near the Great Lakes and lots of lighthouses to visit.  On this visit we stopped for the night in Erie Pennsylvania and were able to visit three lighthouses.  I had stopped at the visitor center when entering Pennsylvania and picked up a brochure on Lake Erie Lights.  In this brochure I found directions to the lighthouses and the facts about the lighthouses that I refer to in this post.

Erie Land Lighthouse

Erie Land lighthouse was built in 1818 and was the first lighthouse on the Great Lakes.  The lighthouse sits high on the bluff at the end of Lighthouse street.  The first lighthouse was built of wood but after forty years it was replaced by one made of brick.  This one only lasted for nine years when it began to sink.  The present lighthouse is made of sandstone with a brick lining and was built in 1867.  It was decommissioned in 1898 because the beacon on Presque Isle was better able to warn mariners. In 2003 the lighthouse was restored for visitors who are welcome to walk the grounds.  I saw beautiful views of Presque Bay from the grounds and was also able to see the North Pier light from the bluff.

Old boat on lighthouse grounds

Presque Isle Lighthouse

When we arrived in Erie we first took a drive to Presque Isle state park.  This beautiful state park is home to two of Erie's lighthouses.  In the photo above you see Presque Isle lighthouse which is located on the north shore.  From 1873-1944 this lighthouse was home to nine lighthouse keepers and their families.  This lighthouse which is 57 feet high has 78 steps to the lantern.  The lighthouse was just closing for the evening when I got there but I was able to walk the grounds and take photographs.

North Pier Light

North Pier light as seen from across the bay

The North Pier light is located at the east end of the channel that leads into Presque Bay.  It was originally built in 1830 but was replaced in 1855 when it was destroyed by a sailing vessel impact.  Over the years it was moved several times as the peninsula grew and extended into the channel.  It has been in it's current location since 1840 and continues today to be used as an aid to navigation.  I was able to walk out to the light and take several photos of the lighthouse.  The second photo shows some interesting house boats that were in a lake on the road to see the lighthouse.

Stop by Lighthouse Musings for more photos on these lighthouses. 

Zazzle Products from my Photos

Erie Pennsylvania Lighthouses Poster
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Review of Lighthouses at Chatham Massachusetts

I find lighthouses to be a fascinating part of history, when they were often the only means that seafaring vessels had to keep from crashing into dangers near the coastline.

On a visit to Cape Cod on a beautiful summer morning we stopped in Chatham (near the elbow of Cape Cod) to do a bit of exploring and visit the Chatham lighthouse.

Chatham Lighthouse

Chatham lighthouse stands on the site that originally held two lighthouses built in 1808.  These two brick towers were used to distinguish this area of the coast from the single tower further up the coast.  Erosion on the coast is often a danger to lighthouse stability and it eventually claimed these two towers.  They were replace in 1877 by two new cast iron towers. In 1923 one of these towers was moved to Eastham and the remaining tower is what you see in the photo above.

The current Chatham lighthouse is still active and sits on Coast Guard grounds.  I was able to walk around the perimeter of the fence to take photos. 

Stage Harbor Lighthouse

When we left the Chatham lighthouse we went exploring along the coast.  I had heard there was another lighthouse off the coast but wasn't sure how to get to it.  After several wrong turns, I turned down a gravel road that led to the coast and asked a fisherman about the other lighthouse.  He pointed out in the distance and I was able to see Stage Harbor Lighthouse.

This lighthouse was operational from 1880 to 1933 when it was replaced by a 60 meter high skeleton tower.  The original lighthouse and keepers house now serves as a private residence.  It is not accessible by road but I was able to photograph it from the beach area.

More than Just Lighthouses

While I was photographing the lighthouse, my husband was watching the activity along the beach and pointed out several photo opportunities to me, like the bird and it's reflection in the water and the boats in the bay.

Zazzle Products from my Photographs

Stage Harbor Light Classic Round Sticker
by lighthouseenthusiast

Chatham Light Card
by lighthouseenthusiast

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Photographing Sunflowers

 Review of Photography Tips for Photographing Sunflowers

In Midwestern USA, July is the time that we have beautiful  sunflowers blooming.  Their beauty lasts just a short time, so if you have sunflowers near you be sure to take the opportunity to photograph them while they are in full bloom.

I saw some photos that friends had taken and posted online so I got directions to the sunflower field and was so glad that I did!  The flowers were beautiful.  I went just before sunset and was able to capture the beauty of the flowers as the sun went down.  This seemed like a perfect time and the setting sun seemed to light up the backs of the blooms.  Here are a couple of tips I have for you.

• Look for fresh blooms.  Raggedy blooms don't show good on photos.
• Turn your flash off.
• Watch  you background.  A bright blue sky works well but I have also seen flowers against brick or wood that look great.
• Choose your focus point.  Do you want everything in focus or just one flower?
• Take some photos of the entire field and then zoom in to take that close up bloom.  You will be glad you got both.

Here are a few of my photos.

Sunflowers Come in a Variety of Colors

I always thought sunflowers were yellow, but did you know they come in a variety of colors.  My neighbor is growing some pretty maroon ones this year.  I took this photo in the early evening.

www.zazzle.com/mbgphoto

Maroon Beauty

Using People in your Photos

A sunflower field is a great place for family photos.  I took my granddaughter with me and here are a couple of the photos I took of her.  I love the look of the first photo.  The sun over the hill behind the field lit up the backs of the flowers and her hair.

Zazzle Products are Great Showcases for Sunflowers

Here are a few of the Zazzle products I have made from my sunflower photos.

Sunflower Greeting Card
by mbgphoto

Sunflower at Dusk Magnet
by mbgphoto

Girl and Sunflowers Poster
by mbgphoto

Festive Sunflower Two-Tone Coffee Mug
by mbgphoto

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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