On a foggy evening downtown, I decided to head towards the North Church to capture some of the lovely late day light and the spot lighting on the clock tower. I’ve shot this place so many times I can’t possibly count, but wanted to try something new and take advantage of the telephoto lens I had with me for a change.
The beacon of Portsmouth stands tall against an interesting evening sky in this magnificently detailed image of the North Church clocktower. I’m sure if I had a lens that would get me closer to the structure, I could have counted every last brick/board/molecule.
The fleeting rays of the afternoon sunlight appear on the clocktower of the North Church. The blues of the late afternoon sky were a nice subtle contrast to the rich orange of the late afternoon sunlight. The textures and all the nooks and crannies of the clocktower of the North Church made for another interesting take on a familiar angle that I’ve posted time and time again. Sometimes I can’t help myself in shooting the familiar all over again, when new colors and moods present themselves.
With all of the excitement from my trip out West, I thought it was time to return to our fantastic little slice of heaven here on earth with a local seacoast shot. This is another take on the North Church’s clocktower. It’s a familiar site, one I’ve featured often – as it’s one of the most recognizable landmarks in downtown Portsmouth, but I wanted to post today’s photo for a special reason. This was taken with a very unique lens, one that’s very important to me. I was fortunate to be given a gorgeous vintage Hasselblad camera by my Uncle Nate (Tudy) Sock. As far as I can remember, Uncle Tudy was the first prolific photographer in our family, and I’m sure that all of our family’s appreciation and passion for photography is thanks to him. He’s traveled the world with the Hasselblad, one of the most exotic locations I remember hearing about was one of his safaris in Africa. I love hearing about his travels and how much he enjoyed capturing the world around him, knowing that I feel the same rush when I am out shooting on adventures.
The camera itself is gorgeous (see below). In a digital world, I had a difficult time determining whether it was functioning correctly…so in the meantime, I was able to find an adapter that let me use the Carl Zeiss 100mm f 3.5 lens on my Canon 5d Mark II. Zeiss has always built incredibly quality products, with exceptional glass quality. What you’ll notice is the remarkable clarity and color from just a single exposure with this lens. I look forward to many more photos with this beauty…and with the camera itself now that I seem to have it working smoothly (time to order some slide film!). Thanks for visiting.
It’s no secret I’m an admirer of architecture. This has me looking up and around all the time, checking out the lighting on rooflines, down alleys, at facades, etc….and this weekend it had me admiring the light on the North Church’s clocktower steeple. I loved the blue sky and the rich intricate details of the structure.
This was a handheld HDR shot with the 50mm f/1.2L lens that I rented last week. The lens is so fast that within milliseconds I was able to capture the 3 exposures needed to process the shot.
The Clocktower of the North Church is a beautifully restored piece of architecture, serving as the beacon of Portsmouth from throughout the seacoast. I was happy to catch some rich sunlight on Saturday evening after coming in from an afternoon harbor cruise that I wrote about earlier this week.
I’m not sure I’ll ever get tired of seeing the canvas prints at the Portsmouth Regional Hospital…and hope it’s the same for you all. I just wanted to provide a sense of scale for the project…below is a shot of me at the installation, which I was able to share with my family this weekend for the first time. The staff at the front desk was very cool and kind in letting us just hang out for a bit. Great place, great people.
Yet another of Portsmouth’s gorgeous spires/clocktowers, this one located atop the former location of the Children’s Museum, which has since relocated to Dover, NH. This old building is located along Marcy Street in Portsmouth’s historic South End, just beyond Prescott Park as you head towards New Castle. This spire hasn’t been as fortunate as the North Church, which saw a full restoration in recent years.
Full size here: FLICKR
Yet another of Portsmouth’s gorgeous spires/clocktowers, this one located atop the former location of the Children’s Museum, which has since relocated to Dover, NH. This old building is located along Marcy Street in Portsmouth’s historic South End, just beyond Prescott Park as you head towards New Castle. This spire hasn’t been as fortunate as the North Church, which saw a full restoration in recent years.
Full size here: FLICKR
Most people take pictures of the whole steeple, since it is really quite magnificent from wherever you are in Portsmouth. One evening I hiked up to the top of the Hanover Street parking garage to snap some pics during sunset, and was more level with the clock than I’d ever been….and thought I’d try to work some magic. Take a walk up sometime, it’s a unique perspective on something you usually admire from the ground level. Happy Memorial Day weekend to all, and thanks to all those who have served for our Country.
Full size here: FLICKR
Most people take pictures of the whole steeple, since it is really quite magnificent from wherever you are in Portsmouth. One evening I hiked up to the top of the Hanover Street parking garage to snap some pics during sunset, and was more level with the clock than I’d ever been….and thought I’d try to work some magic. Take a walk up sometime, it’s a unique perspective on something you usually admire from the ground level. Happy Memorial Day weekend to all, and thanks to all those who have served for our Country.
Full size here: FLICKR
THE DAILY PORTSMOUTH 