Thursday, October 15, 2015

Photographing Hereford Inlet Lighthouse

A Photographers Dream

Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is located along the New Jersey shore in North Wildwood. This gorgeous Victorian style lighthouse is a photographers dream. It not only has a beautiful Victorian home with a lighthouse incorporated into the house, but the surrounding property is full of beautiful gardens, special little hideaways, and a path leading right to the sea.

I found this lighthouse particularly interesting because it looked more like a beautiful Victorian home than a lighthouse. Inside the home it has 5 fireplaces and a very well maintained living quarters for the keeper and his family. This must certainly rate among the nicest keepers quarters for lighthouses.

All photographs in this article are my own-mbgphoto.

Victorian Lighthouse

Source: Mary Beth Granger

View from Parking Area

Source: Mary Beth Granger

Sign Welcoming You to Lighthouse

Source: Mary Beth Granger

Historic Lighthouse

The lighthouse was first operated in 1874 to guide ships along the New Jersey shoreline. This distinctive lighthouse helped navigators to pinpoint where they were located along the shore.

This lighthouse is very sturdily constructed. In 1889 when a ferocious hurricane blasted the area many people were washed away and drowned. Those people that survived took refuge in the Hereford lighthouse. Even though it was surrounded by water and shaken by the high winds the lighthouse and18 people who took refuge in it survived. ( information on this event taken from Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses by Bruce Roberts and Ray Jones).

The lighthouse remained in service for 90 years at which time it was discontinued by the Coast Guard in 1964. It sat unused until 1986 when the citizens of North Wildwood opened it again.

Today you can tour the lighthouse, climb to the top of the tower and enjoy a restful day among its beautiful gardens,

Visiting Lighthouses

Have you ever visited a Lighthouse?

42% Oh yes I have visited many lighthouses, they are great!
42% I have visited a few lighthouses and would love to see more.
17% No, but they are on my list now.
0% Why would I want to see a lighthouse...just another building!

12 people have voted in this poll.

My Passion for Visiting Lighthouses

I have always loved lighthouses, but 8 years ago when I retired my love of lighthouses really heated up. It started with a love to travel and improve my photography skills. The first year of my retirement my husband and I visited Door County, Wisconsin and I took some photos of their lighthouses. I found each one to be different and intriguing and my quest to photograph more lighthouses started.

Over the years we have photographed over 100 lighthouses and each year I am looking for new opportunities to capture these beautiful, historic lights with my camera. Our trip to the New Jersey shore gave me the opportunity to add 6 new lighthouses to my photographic collections.

White Hydrangea and Gazebo Sitting Area

Source: Mary Beth Granger

The Gardens at Hereford Inlet Lighthouse

The gardens all around the lighthouse were beautiful. The flowers were well maintained and there was a huge variety of flowers artfully set among small sitting areas. You would walk along a path and be surprised by each little area. One area had a birdbath surrounded by flowers, another would have beautiful hydrangea bushes, and still others would have bright yellow daisy type flowers bordering the house and fence.

There were so many wonderful little areas to explore. It was truly an unexpected and delightful garden.

Hanging Baskets around the Porch

Source: Mary Beth Granger

Flowers Surrounding Birdbath

Source: Mary Beth Granger

Source: Mary Beth Granger

Bright Yellow Flowers and Picket Fence

Source: Mary Beth Granger

Source: Mary Beth Granger

Paths throughout the Garden

One of the things that I loved about the garden was the pathways that led you from one section to the next. These pathways were lined with beautiful greenery and flowers and were found throughout the back area of the grounds.

There was a wooden pathway that went from the house to the very back of the property which then opened up to a concrete boardwalk that went along the sea. What a great way to spend an afternoon. I walked from the gardens out onto the boardwalk and could watch the sailboats drifting out to sea. A truly delightful walk.

Pathways Lined with Flowers

Source: Mary Beth Granger

Source: Mary Beth Granger

Old Boats Surrounded by Flowers

Towards the back area of the gardens, I came across two different old boats. Theses boats looked like they had seen better days and were now used to showcase the flowers around the garden. Each of the boats had a wooden bench sitting across from it and beautiful flowers growing all around the boat.

I took some time to sit on the bench and rest before I started photographing the boat and flowers. What a great way to add interest to the gardens!

Source: Mary Beth Granger

Where is Hereford Inlet?

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Map

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North Wildwood New Jersey -

North Wildwood, NJ 08260, USA

[get directions]

When we visited Hereford Inlet we were staying at Atlantic City. The lighthouse was about a half hours drive from our hotel.

Lighthouse Gifts from my Photos

I love to use my photographs to make gifts for my Zazzle shops. Below you will find several gifts from photographs of the Hereford Lighthouse.

Gardens at Hereford Inlet Lighthouse by lighthouseenthusiast
Create custom greeting cards at Zazzle.

Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Double-Sided Ceramic Round Christmas Ornament by lighthouseenthusiast
Browse Hereford inlet lighthouse Ornaments

Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Poster by lighthouseenthusiast
See more Hereford inlet lighthouse Posters

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Unique Lighthouse Photography

Photographing Little Sable Lighthouse-My Quest for a Unique Photo

I love photographing lighthouses and in the past eight years I have visited over 100 lighthouses. Digital cameras make it so easy to take lots of photos and at first I just took photos of the lighthouses from various angles. As I learned more about photography and started to use various cameras and equipment I started to look for unique shots.

I love to take sunrise and sunset photos and with my DSLR camera and a good tripod, I have learned to take some interesting shots. I know taking early morning and early evening photos gives me the best light, but sometimes when traveling visiting a lighthouse during those times is just not convenient.

On our trip to Michigan in July of 2012 we were visiting 10 lighthouses in a weeks time so I was visiting some lighthouses during daytime and sunny times. My challenge was to find a way to take an interesting and unique photo of the lighthouses during that time period.

On this page I will introduce you to the photos I took of Little Sable Point lighthouse on the shores of Lake Michigan. Little Sable was erected in 1874 and is a classic tower shaped lighthouse.

all photos are by mbgphoto

My First Photos of Little Sable - light in your photos

Little Sable Lighthouse

When we arrived at Little Sable it was about 9:30 in the morning and the sun was already fairly high in the sky. It was a clear day without a cloud in the sky, so I knew I would need to find just the right angle for the photos or the sky would really look washed out.

From the parking lot you could see the lighthouse through the dunes and brush that grew in the dunes. This first shot that I took shows the lighthouse framed by some bushes. I always like to frame the photos. I think it gives the photo a good balance look so I was glad to see some trees and brush with which I could work. The resulting photo is above. I think it is a good photo, but not quite the unique shot I was looking to create.

The photo below uses the winding path to draw your eye up to the lighthouse. This is another technique I like to use. I also like putting something in the foreground (the fence) to give it depth. Again, I feel it is a good photo, but doesn't quite have that unique quality.

Path to Little Sable

Cannon SX40 HS Camera - my newest camera

This is the camera that I used for all the photos on this page. I got the camera a couple of weeks before our trip and I was eager to try it out. I was very pleased with my results. The camera takes clear, crisp photos and has a wonderful zoom lens. It has a variety of automatic and manual settings and is very lightweight. It is a perfect camera to use when traveling.

Click Here to View Canon SX cameras on Amazon

Little Sable From the Beach - using light to enhance photos

I next walk up and down the beach looking for a view of the lighthouse that might lend to a unique photo. I liked the way the mid morning sun was casting shadows on the lighthouse and the dunes. I saw that it was right behind the lighthouse but at this point that didn't strike me as a good shot so I moved to this shot of the lighthouse and the dunes.

I like this shot better than the ones from the parking lot, but it was still not quite what I wanted.

Sun Behind Top of Lighthouse - original version- using light to get an unique photo

As I walked back in front of the lighthouse on the beach I noticed that the sun was now right behind the top of the lighthouse. I thought this might make a nice photo, so I stood in the shadow of the lighthouse and lined up my shot. I focused on the lantern of the lighthouse to get the desired effect and then lower my camera to get the whole lighthouse in view.

This is the resulting photo!

Little Sable Point Lighthouse - cropped version

When I got back to our hotel room and loaded my photos into my Photoshop Lightroom program, I decided to try to crop the shadow out of the photo for a different effect.

Here is the cropped version.

Unique Lighthouse Photo - high contrast version

I next decided to do a bit of manipulation of the photo in Lightroom. For this view I worked on getting the new trendy, high contrast look. This look doesn't look good on all photos but I like the way it looks on Little Sable. I think it gives it an eerie, haunted look!

What photo do you like best? - I'd love your opinion

I have mixed feelings about my unique photo and actually I like all three versions. I know some people are purists and feel that photos should not be manipulated and others feel that it is part of the artistic license. I enjoy seeing the photos both ways.

Which of the Sun behind the Lighthouse Photos do you like best?

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Lighthouse in Holland Michigan

"Big Red" Holland Lighthouse

Holland Michigan

Big Red lighthouse is a very unique lighthouse. It is set apart from other lighthouses by it's bright "fire engine" red color and it's distinctive Dutch archictecture. I was delighted to see this unusual lighthouse on my visit to Holland, Michigan.

On this page I will showcase some of the photographs I took of "Big Red" and provide information to some of the attractions available in Holland, Michigan.

photos by Mary Beth Granger

Big Red in the Fall - Holland, Michigans' Lighthouse

I was able to photograph Big Red in October when the leaves were beginning to turn colors. This photo was taken from the sand dunes in Holland Park across from the lighthouse.

Holland Lighthouse

Holland has much to Offer

Wonderful Dutch Theme

Our visit to the lighthouse was the culmination of a great visit to a very interesting town. Holland, Michigan has a lot to offer the visitor. Although we visited in the fall, I am told it has a great tulip festival each May with over 6 million tulips in bloom.

The town also boasts a 240 foot windmill that was brought from the Netherlands. It can be seen on Windmill Isand. There is a Dutch Village Theme Park that has lots of great shops with products from the Netherlands. We were able to watch wooden shoes being made and even to try on some of the finished product. It was great fun to try to walk in wooden shoes!

There was some wonderful pottery from the only Delft factory outside of Holland. I had visited the factory in Delft, Holland so I was curious to see what the American factory was like. Although much smaller, it did have many of the same pieces.

Another view of the Lighthouse. - wonderful dutch architecture

The first lighthouse in Holland was constructed in 1872. The current lighthouse, shown in this photo, was errected in 1934. It is covered with metal plates to protect it from the weather and waves.

Closeup Photo of Big Red

This photo was taken from the edge of the pier in the park across from the lighthouse.

Big Red from the Pier

Here are some Zazzle gifts made from my photographs.

Big Red Lighthouse Keepsake Boxes by lighthouseenthusiast
Shop for another keepsake box

Big Red Lighthouse Classic White Coffee Mug by lighthouseenthusiast
View other coffee cups online at zazzle.com

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Grand Haven Lighthouse on Lake Michigan

Grand Haven Lighthouses-Lake Michigan

Enjoying a walk out to the Lights

I love to be able to see a lighthouse up close. The lights at Grand Haven provide this opportunity!

I was delighted to find two lights connected to the beach by a long stone pier and a raised catwalk to connect the two lights. My friends and I took the opportunity to walk out on the catwalk and see the lighthouses up close It was a chlly fall day on Lake Michigan, but the slight discomfort was well worth the pleasure of photographing the lighthouses from a variety of angles.

On this page I will show you the photographs that I was able to take and give you a little insight into the lighthouses at Grand Haven. Enjoy

Photographs by myself, mbgphoto

View from Beach

This photo was taken when we first arrived at the lighthouse. It was taken from the beach area as we approached the lighthouse. There are several small sand dunes near the pier where this photo was taken. I walked around the area to find the best view of the lights with the sand dunes and grasses in the foreground.

Long View of Pier and both Lights - Grand Haven South Pierhead and Inner Lighthouse

The Grand Haven Lights consist of two lights and an elevated catwalk that connects the two. The south pierhead light is a red conical steel plate tower that was constructed in 1905. The inner lighthouse is barn shaped and was originally built in 1875. It was moved to the end of the breakwater in 1905.

The two lights stand several hundred feet apart on the long pier.

Memorial Marker - To those whose lives were lost

This marker is seen just as you enter the Pier. It honors those who lost their lives off this pier.

Sign as you enter Pier

Warnings are posted at the entrance to the Pier. The weather can get quite rough on Lake Michigan, particularly in the winter so it is important to heed the warnings.