For over a hundred years, a parcel of land on the coast of Warwick was home to Rhode Island’s favorite amusement park, Rocky Point Park. As a child many summer days and nights were spent enjoying the rides at the park, listening to music and having a bite to eat on the rocks that gave the amusement park its name.
Rocky Point Park originally opened back in 1847, and entertained countless Rhode Islanders before closing for good in 1996. The remains of the park still stand, fenced off but highly vandalized and falling into decay. Buildings and rides alike have been overgrown with trees, weeds and vegetation, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Along the waterfront, the jagged rocks that gave Rocky Point its name remain intact, virtually unchanged by the sea. However, Rocky Point Pier has not been as fortunate as the rocks. Used for decades to bring visitors to the park by ferry, all that remains of the pier is a skeleton.
Seascape Photography – Rocky Point Pier at Dawn
While the park has been closed for over 15 years, the city of Warwick has recently opened up a walking path allowing access to the coastline. I have explored the area with my camera many times, and on a recent fall morning I made the walk through the crisp fall air to practice my art along the coastline.
In the dark before sunrise I found my spot and setup my camera and waited for the light to arrive. Like any form of photography, seascapes require a great degree of patience. Waiting for the light to be right, waiting for the clouds to setup a certain way. A lot of waiting. As I waited I closed my eyes, and in my mind I could hear the music of the midway, and smell clamcakes cooking. I smiled, as a flood of memories washed over me, much like the sea washed over the rocks. It was a perfect, peaceful sunrise!
I felt calm and peaceful that morning, and I wanted those feelings to be reflected in my photography. I shot with a long exposure, in order to smooth out the waves in the water, creating peaceful, relaxing photographs.
Photography for me is all about connecting a scene with a memory. I love to travel all around Rhode Island, taking photographs of the places that remind me of all of the great times I have had in my life. It brings me a great amount of joy to hear that my photographs also connect with so many of you!
You can purchase a copy of my latest print “Rocky Point Pier at Dawn”, as well as many other prints in my online prints sales gallery on my website.