This previously impossible shot was taken on the decking of the Memorial Bridge.  With the recent closure of the bridge, I was able to head over this weekend…which I did at sunrise on Saturday morning.  More shots to follow throughout the week with a view of the bridge from a few spots at Prescott Park.  With its recent closure of 4-6 weeks, which is more likely to be an indefinite closing followed by a definite replacement, it’s given a new sense of urgency to capturing it as it stands bridging New Hampshire and Maine.  Look forward to new posts this week with some vibrant colors to accompany the deteriorating bridge.

It’s close to the end for the Memorial Bridge – or so it seems.  It was announced this week that the bridge would be closed for 4-6 weeks for repair, or even indefinitely according to Foster’s. I don’t think this surprises anyone ’round these parts, but it’s sort of a sad moment. Things will get better and the bridge will eventually be replaced with either a very similar looking one, or a drastic departure if some of the initial design critics get their way. One thing is sure, this original lift span bridge with all of its character isn’t really safe for vehicles anymore. It’s going to be damn cool for photographers and pedestrians to enjoy its architecture and some steady decks for a while (you can’t get a sharp image with dozens of cars driving through).

As I promised earlier in the week, I’ll begin to feature the “evolved” look of State Street.  The sidewalks have been jazzed up with bricks all the way from the Memorial Bridge entrance and near Prescott Park down to the Pleasant Street intersection at The Rusty Hammer and all the way to my parking spot at 325 State Street.  Without question it’s a new look, complete with street lamps (all freshly adorned with pine wreaths for the holidays), sidewalk trees and nice bumpouts to moderate the flow of traffic – all which result in a handsome new look for the streetscape.  I hope all the merchants are feeling good and enjoy some peace and quiet after the long year everyone has had…and that 2011 will reap some of the benefits.  I almost can’t believe it’s been as long as it has, but also can’t believe how much has really been accomplished.  Now when are we going to bury those overhead powerlines?

Consider this a preview of a series I’ll be embarking on in the next week or so…in which I’ll detail the nearly completed State Street improvement project.  This instantly recognizable door some (or remarkably unrecognizable for others) is located on State Street towards the Memorial Bridge and Prescott Park.  I’ve always enjoyed this nondescript yet withered door, and loved the play of light/shadow on it in the early afternoon sunlight.

State Street’s facelift continues.  While I was driving home and treating my car to the luxurious new pavement on State Street, I realized that the new street lights were actually lit!  Along with the new pavement and brick sidewalks (that are well on their way to being done), the city had turned on the street lamps on Thursday night.  After realizing the street had a whole new look (finally), I decided to stop and snap a couple photos to prove it.

It was after I stopped that I met Eddie Sargent, the Chef/Owner of The Chef’s Table.  Eddie was kind enough to get out of the way of what he thought was my shot (even though he wasn’t in it)…so I went over to say hello.  Turns out he had just installed the new sign, which looks great.  I loved the clean look of the new sidewalks and the granite stairs welcoming guests into the building, and the new sign was the icing on the cake.  Hopefully – in a few more weeks, we’ll get State Street back to enjoy for ourselves, free of delays, construction cones and dust clouds.  Below – see what a difference a day makes.  Both shots were taken around 1pm at lunchtime…

In today’s post we’ll feature two recent shots of the Martingale Wharf, the long awaited construction project currently underway on Bow Street on Portsmouth’s waterfront.  The building is finally getting its skin, with bricks being installed on the Bow Street facade…along with new windows and more inside that I can’t really see.  The good news is that we might actually have a streetscape on Bow St. like we used to in days gone by….a win for both locals and tourists.  I really dig the shot above – it feels very natural and realistic all at the same time.  Taken with the Zeiss Hasselblad 100mm….it seems to call out textures and lighting on objects that just seem to fall flat with other lenses (or maybe I’m just a bit crazy).  Below, the front of the building gets its new brick skin…

The season for The Decks is drawing to a close.  The Old Ferry Landing has closed for the year…I haven’t seen many folks down at the River House lately, I’ve seen a few folks at Poco’s in their new covered deck and a few die hards at Harpoon Willy’s still venture out (and rumor has it they’re hoping to stay open through Halloween).

I wanted to take a minute to reflect at the past spring/summer/fall season that saw a lot of changes to the Decks.  The new pavers were put in throughout the alleyway, and looked pristine for a while (now you wouldn’t guess they’re only a year old with all of the grease and traffic they’ve seen), The River House constructed a second story deck and saw another successful year…and probably the most noteworthy change was the shift of Poco’s deck from on the water to against the building.  I’ll always miss the old configuration, but there’s something to be said for eating/drinking in a warmer spot against the building.  It’s opened the area up significantly….check out the shots below, which was taken last September just before the old structure came down. Quite an evolution for this little part of town.