The tugboats will soon be getting much more action than they have during the warmer months of the year. Also – the platform I love to shoot from will be off limits once the weather gets more rugged and wintry, so I’m always sure to get out to snap an inviting scene when the lighting presents itself.
The Rowan M. McAllister joined two of the standard fixtures in the Moran Towing fleet last week, with a taller deck and a different look than its counterparts flanking its sides.
I most often enjoy shooting the Moran Towing tugboats from the Portsmouth Harbor Cruises pier or from The River House’s deck on the waterfront. This particular afternoon last winter, I decided to try and sneak my camera over the fence to the Moran Towing yard for a side profile. The fresh tracks in the snow make this cold and empty scene a bit more human. (Be sure to click the image to enjoy it on a nice large background)
A classic image of the Moran Towing tugboats on a beautiful summer afternoon. The crisp afternoon light and the clear skies paired nicely with the golden light reaching over the river towards the Memorial Bridge and the top half of the Martingale Wharf.
The Moran Towing Yard doesn’t get nearly as much attention as the tugboats themselves. The area is fenced off with a large moving metal gate – and you don’t often get a clear shot of the tugboat profiles. Every now and again I time it well, so the crews from the tugs are just arriving or leaving after doing some freighter escorting – and the gate opens and they hit the road. This afternoon I was lucky for some good timing and some nice light, wispy clouds. I wanted to mix it up a bit, and thought this timeless scene would look nice in black & white.
Check back at lunchtime to hear more about the lesson I learned yesterday about the media and when they’ve got an angle on a story, and when you get caught in the middle.
The Decks in Portsmouth have seen quite a change in the past few years. Poco’s no longer has its waterside locale, but has a new rooftop perch – as does River House and a few new restaurants likely to show up at the Martingale Wharf. In this shot you can picture the laid back afternoon as people enjoy the return of a tugboat and some ice cream by the waterfront. The Old Ferry Landing’s easily recognized bright red canvas (and logo) is a nice touch of vibrancy in this warm weather image.
This shot celebrates the tugboats – as they’re embraced with the powerful last rays of the stormy late afternoon’s sunlight. I was shocked when I got outside after an intense thunderstorm to see that the sunlight was making its way through some intense afternoon clouds. Making the evening even more stunning was the fact that it was still sprinkling – and later rained heavily. I got some keepers from a quick walk around Market Square…and will be posting them through the rest of the week. If April showers bring May flowers – what do May showers do?
I finally got out for a few evenings on the decks, including a nice dinner at the River House. Shame that it’s not really warm enough yet to enjoy a lazy night outside at 8pm…but it was gorgeous enough to warrant taking this shot of the spring sunset over the shoulders of the Moran Towing tugboats. I thought it was a little overdue to feature the tugs again. Stay tuned through the week for more shots from the Street AKA Museum exhibit as well as a new location I haven’t yet featured here on the site.
