Cape Bonavista Lighthouse

Cape Bonavista Lighthouse

The lighthouse on Cape Bonavista is probably one of the most visited lighthouses in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. However, I don't like making photos of it for a couple of reasons. First, there is a chimney that blocks the view of the light from the front of the building. Secondly there is a tower directly behind the building that is almost impossible NOT to include in photos taken from any angle but the front. You can see what I am talking about in the first two images today. If you would like to see what the lighthouse would look like without the tower, check my Blog today because I uploaded an image in which the tower has been removed. This tower is actually an automated light which has been in operation since 1962.

The third photo shows a wide view of the lighthouse and buildings on top of the steep cliffs on Cape Bonavista. If you decide to visit this historic area, you may see puffins, whales and icebergs depending on when you visit. The last time I was there (in late August) I photographed puffins on nearby cliffs and saw whales surfacing just offshore.

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They can also be purchased as slide shows
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Point Amour Lighthouse

Point Amour Lighthouse

I've shared photos of Point Amour Lighthouse a few times since my visit in 2004 but today I have tried to choose photos that I didn't share previously. When photographing a lighthouse I shoot wide shots on my approach and departure. Then I walk around the lighthouse looking for different angles, windows, doors, and anything else that attracts my attention. I made 80 photos of the lighthouse during the 38 minutes I spent there.

Point Amour Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada and the second tallest in Canada so it is quite big. I used a wide angle lens for most images then switched to a 15 mm fisheye lens to make interesting views. The third photo was taken with that lens and you will notice that lines are curved by the extreme wide angle.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

Heart's Content Lighthouse

Heart's Content Lighthouse

The 100 year old lighthouse at the entrance to the harbour in Heart's Content stands high above the waters of Trinity Bay. It is easy to get to and quite colourful, especially against the clear blue sky. I last shared images of this lighthouse on September 24, 2009 and have tried to include images I didn't share then. If you would like to see others, eight more images of this lighthouse were uploaded to my Blog today .

This light in this lighthouse, like many around the province are run (at least partially) by solar power. You can see the collector panel near the top in the first two photos. I thought it was interesting that they painted part of the window white to match the candy cane paint job on the exterior.

As I continue with this series, I'd like you to look at the different designs as well as the paint jobs on the lighthouses. I've seen similar designs but never two lighthouses that were identical.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

Cape St. Mary's Lighthouse

Cape St. Mary's Lighthouse

I've visited Cape St. Mary's often but the main subject of my photos was the northern gannets not the lighthouse. I do have a few photos taken in 2003, which are included this morning. The others show the relative position of the lighthouse from Bird Rock. The person in the third image is making a photo of the faraway cliiff with the lighthouse and visitor's centre. Cape St. Mary's is located on the southwestern tip of the Avalon Peninsula and, like Cape Pine and Cape Race, is shrouded in fog for nearly half the year.

Before GPSs and satellite technologies, lighthouses around the island of Newfoundland were absolutely necessary for the safety of boats and people lived next to them to ensure the lights didn't go out and the foghorn sounded. Most lighthouses these days do not have lighthouse keepers and are run by technology. Many of you like lighthouses and are sad to see them change but I guess it is a sign of the times - it is cheaper to use technology to operate lighthouses than pay a person to live in such isolated places.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

Cape Race Lighthouse

Cape Race Lighthouse

I've only visited Cape Race once, the main reason being that it is at the end of a gravel road (or at least it was the in 2003). Wikipedia gives the following interesting information about the lighthouse.

In 1856, the first lighthouse was installed by the British Government's Trinity House. It was a cast iron tower with a coal oil lamp turned by clockwork. It was replaced in 1907 by a 29 metres tall concrete tower and a light with a massive hyperradiant Fresnel lens made by Chance Brothers in England. The original lighthouse was then moved to Cape North; it now stands in front of the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. The light's characteristic is a single white flash every 7.5 seconds, additionally a foghorn may sound a signal of two blasts every 60 seconds. There is also a high-power LORAN-C transmitter at Cape Race, whose mast was until the completion of CN Tower the tallest structure of Canada.

I liked this lighthouse and was lucky to be there on such a nice day since this area of the province has fog 158 days a year.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

Cape Pine Lighthouse

Cape Pine Lighthouse

Today I am starting a Lighthouse series in response to a request from a member of this list. While I have shared photos of lighthouses previously, I will attempt to send photos that I haven't shared before. As you know, when I photograph a lighthouse, I always take many photos from a variety of angles so I have several images of each one.

Cape Pine Lighthouse is located near St. Shott's on the Irish Loop. I have photographed this lighthouse a few times as I searched for caribou on the barrens in the area. Today's photos were taken on a particularly foggy day, not unusual in that area of the Avalon Peninsula. As I approached the lighthouse the entire area was so foggy that only a faint image of the buildings could be seen. Then, because of a break in the fog, the sun came out and there was a little blue sky overhead. That lasted for only a few minutes but I was able to make a few photographs before the fog returned.

If you want to view other photos of this lighthouse, feel free to check my June 15, 2010 Blog Entry.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

Easter

Easter

In 2005 I photographed the Easter Sunrise Service at Citrus Park, Florida. People were already seated for the 6:30 AM service before I arrived. As you can see there was quite a crowd at that early hour. It got brighter and brighter until the sun rose among the palm trees. All over the world Christians are celebrating Easter in many ways. I believe that sunrise services may be normal on Easter morning in many parts of North America, but am not sure about other places.

I have a request for lighthouse pictures so I will start a Lighthouse series tomorrow. If you have requests for specific photographic themes, feel free to let me know and I will try my best to accommodate them.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.

They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.