Photographing the Point Judith Lighthouse at Sunrise
Chances are if you live anywhere in Rhode Island and own a camera then you have experimented a little bit with lighthouse photography. Maybe it was just informally on a family outing to one of the numerous parks around the state, but I bet you have a least one photograph of a Rhode Island lighthouse somewhere in the family album.
The lighthouse at Point Judith is one of the more recognizable lights in the state, both because of its easy access location and its unique design and colors. I have several beautiful pictures of this lighthouse that I enjoy, however I am always looking to add something different to my galleries. When a few photographer friends suggested a sunrise visit, I jumped at the chance!
Point Judith Lighthouse at Dawn
When working on a new piece for my seascape photography, I often head out to photograph a location with a very specific final image in mind, and a plan of what I need to do to create that image. I usually have an idea of what lens I plan to use, what location I plan to set up at, even what composition I want to create. Before I go to the location I spend time reviewing the site with tools like Google Earth, my own notes and images in preparation. However, on some occasions that plan goes right out the window! On this morning I had all intentions of creating an photograph that really showed the actual lighthouse in great detail, with the light itself dominating the composition.
As I set up that morning, just about an hour before the sunrise, I noticed that the sky had a lot of potential for color, and that the high winds were helping to create a very rough surf. I quickly decided to change my approach – rather then a photograph of the lighthouse, I decided to make the photograph more about the environment, with the lighthouse serving as an element of the composition that helped tell the story of place.
To turn the story in my mind into the photograph you see, I switched to a wider focal length (24mm) to include a large portion of both the sky and the foreground. This allowed me to capture the bright reds and deep rich blues in the sky, while including the ocean with its surf, and the shore with its dangerous rocks waiting to rip the hull of any ship that did not heed the warning of the lighthouse. A shutter speed of 13 seconds smoothed out the rough surf, but was short enough to keep a sense of motion to the water, creating texture which felt better to me. The way the light glistened on the edges of the rocks grabbed my eye, and I composed the shot so that the rocks led my eye along a curving arc up to the lighthouse.
The History of the Lighthouse
The Lighthouse that stands at Point Judith today is the third structure to have been built on this site. The original light, built in 1810 was destroyed by a hurricane in 1815, and rebuilt in 1816. The current light that is seen in this photograph was built in 1856, when the station was overhauled to accommodate a larger crew and newer equipment. That is 158 years ago!
The lighthouse itself is located at what is now called Point Judith Coast Guard Station. While the lighthouse itself was automated in 1954, the station maintains a crew of about 50 that performs life saving activities as well as law enforcement duties along the Rhode Island coast.
Buying a Photograph of the Lighthouse
“Point Judith Light at Dawn” is the latest addition to my collection of fine art prints that are for sale in my online store. These beautifully crafted prints make great additions to an art collection, and make fantastic additions to the walls in your home or office. Buying a photograph of the lighthouse is a simple as heading over to the gallery, adding the photograph to the shopping cart and checking out! Each print is crafted by a local print company and shipped to your home or business!