The Winds of Change…

My initial encounter with the wind turbines at Blackburn Industrial Park in Gloucester, Massachusetts, was last November when the first of three turbines was already assembled and standing tall at Varian Semiconductor. I was amazed by its enormous size and thrilled with the ability to get so close to it. It was easy to feel dwarfed by this fascinating structure. I know I certainly did.

Standing 479-feet tall at Varian Semiconductor

Some Stats and Facts

While reading up on these newly iconic structures, I discovered a few interesting stats and facts about them:

• The three wind turbines are worth an estimated $23 million.
• They arrived by boat from Germany.
• Blowers will generate 9 million kilowatt-hours of electricity
• When the winds are 7 mph or less, the Varian turbine will not operate for economic reasons; when the wind speed is 56 mph or greater, the turbine will shutdown for safety reasons.

The Many Views of the Wind Turbines

One thing I’ve noticed since the wind turbines were activated is that you never know where you’ll see them. As I go about my every day life, I’m continually surprised to suddenly spot them from an entirely new vantage point. Here are some examples…

Blackburn Circle

Whenever I drive down Route 128 in either direction towards the Blackburn Circle rotary, I’m always awestruck by their appearance. They truly are tremendous, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

If the wind has the turbines in action, I often find myself mesmerized by the steady rotation of their huge blades. There is something hypnotic about the spinning motion.

The view heading north on Route 128 towards the Blackburn Circle rotary.

Gloucester Crossing

The parking lot at Gloucester Crossing gives you an entirely new vantage point to view the wind turbines. Being elevated allows you to look across Route 128 to Gloucester Engineering. Seeing the size of the wind turbine in relation to the building really gives you a relative perspective. It’s a great place to witness the arc of the blades in motion.

Looking across Route 128 from Gloucester Crossing to Gloucester Engineering

The first store you encounter to the left in the plaza is Petco. The blades of the wind turbines in the distance can make you look at the store twice, as an optical illusion makes the blades appear as if they are about to strike the store’s roof. You just have to stand at just the right angle to see it.

Petco's roofline appears to meet the turbine blades

Drive a little bit further into the parking lot and you can see the blades’ perspective change over the roofline of the other shops.

Gloucester Crossing shops now feature a view of the wind turbines.

Stage Fort Park

One place where the landscape definitely took on a new look is the view from Stage Fort Park. Look across the harbor to Stacy Boulevard and the Fisherman At The Wheel Statue and you will see all three wind turbines standing tall. Their modern design is quite the visual contrast to some of Gloucester’s more historic architecture.

The wind turbines dot the landscape from Stage Fort Park

Other Places to Spot The Turbines

Several North Shore residents (thank you Thelma Ryan) have been busy keeping notes whenever they spot the wind turbines from a new location. Sightings have included the following additional places:

• Marblehead Light/Crocker Park
• Plum Island
• Hampton Beach/Rye, NH
• Little Neck in Ipswich
• Merrimack River in Salisbury
• Over Our Lady of Good Voyage Church (Prospect Street, Gloucester)
• Dr. Smith’s Podiatry Office at 199 Main Street.
• Osman Babson Road from Washington Street
• Stop & Shop off Bass Avenue
• Wheeler’s Point, Riverside Road
• Essex Avenue towards the Boulevard
• Wingaersheek Beach

Two Fascinating Videos

While writing this article, I came across two incredible videos that are a must see. Definitely check them out!

Applied Materials – Varian Wind Turbine Time-Lapse Construction Video

Blade Inspector — What A Job!

One Request…

If you happen to spot the wind turbines from another location other than the ones mentioned in this article, please post a comment and let me know. I’d love to add them to the list here.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the wind turbines are here to stay!

~ Liz Mackney

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Annisquam Lighthouse in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is one of my favorite places to photograph. No matter what the time of year, I frequently return to this location with camera and tripod in hand.

I’m often asked by new photographers how is it that I never tire of shooting the “same place.” My answer is simple. “It’s never the same place twice.”

Distant view from along the coastline's edge

Capturing A Mood

As with all landscape photography, weather can greatly influence the mood or feel of an image. Bright blue skies, puffy white clouds, a storm front moving in, lightning, or fog can all add drama to the mix.

But there’s something you actually control that can change things up quite a bit — it’s your shooting perspective. How many different ways can you see and capture a single scene? Experiment. Try from a high angle and then from a low one. Move in close and then try from a distance. Watch for the subtle changes in light, shadow and texture as you move, and incorporate new elements that come into view as part of your composition.

Coastline Variables

The coastline offers a few additional variables that influence an image. Let’s start with the obvious — the tide. Depending on the time of day, you may encounter high tide with the beach nowhere to be seen. That can be a good thing! If it’s a stormy day and the ocean is feeling feisty, you might get some waves crashing against the rocks.

On the flip side, low tide can create — or reveal — all sorts of things. I often discover interesting patterns formed in the sand by the retreating tide. Sometimes when the sun is at the right angle, there is a reflection of Annisquam Lighthouse in the shallow water or in the wet sand itself.

Combine the tide with the ever-changing New England weather and there you have it — Annisquam Lighthouse is never the same place twice.

Shot from down on the beach

Shoreline Terrain

I love the rocky shoreline of Cape Ann. Annisquam Lighthouse itself stands upon a rocky ledge at the north end of the Annisquam River. Access to many of the large rocks along the beach appears and disappears as the tide comes in and out. With each visit, I love discovering a new perspective from which to shoot.

Shot from on top of the rocks

Time of Day

Sunset at Annisquam Lighthouse is one of my favorite times of the day. It’s important to note, however, that the angle of the setting sun changes throughout the year. I use The Photographer’s Ephemeris program (both on my computer and iPhone) to check the sunset’s angle on any given day. During November, the sun sets over the mainland near Wingaersheek Beach. In the summer, however, the sunset angle shifts to over the ocean.

Capturing the sunset in November

As you can see in the sunset shot above, I had low tide, clear skies, the beach and a few rocky ledges to work with when composing my shot. The orange light was beautiful that day. It was what I chose to showcase as it filled the horizon, hit the lighthouse/keeper’s cottage, and bathed the rocks.

If you look at the very edge of the receding tide, you can see a hint of the lighthouse’s reflection. Just think how different this might have been if the tide was high, the sky featured some dramatic cumulus clouds, or the waves were crashing against the rocks.

All the reasons to come back again and again. As you can see, it’s never the same place twice.

~ Liz Mackney

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Eastern Point Lighthouse shot at 18mm

A Diverse All-In-One Lens

When Nikon announced its new Nikkor 18-300mm lens, I took the plunge and ordered one. I thought it might come in handy as a great all-in-one lens considering its diverse focal length. To have both wide-angle capability and a reasonably far-reaching zoom in one lens – along with zero percent financing for 12 months – sounded worth a try to me. I really had nothing to lose. If I didn’t like its performance, I could simply return it.

Comparing Lenses

I already own Nikon’s 18-200mm lens, so I had a performance level from which to compare. I’ve always loved that lens. Its comfortable weight, large focal length capabilities, and excellent performance have made it an ideal walk around lens. There have been occasions, however, where a longer focal length would have been ideal for certain shots. Up until now, that meant bringing along another lens. With the introduction of the Nikon 18-300mm, a single lens could now still be enough.

Gloucester Schooner Festival

Labor Day Weekend plays host to the annual Gloucester Schooner Festival. Having shot this event before, I knew it would be a great venue to test out the Nikon 18-300mm lens. If ever there was an event that called for both wide-angle and zoom shooting, the Gloucester Schooner Festival is it!

To show you what I mean, here are some additional shots from the day. You be the judge. How do you think the lens performed at the different focal lengths?

Focal Length:  68mm

Passing the markers: 68mm

This shot was taken from the very end of the Gloucester Dog Bar Breakwater. My distance to the subject was not that far away. The closer you are to the subject, the better the Nikon 18-300mm performs. That, however, can be said of most zoom lenses.

Focal Length:  86mm

The Ardelle sails past the Dog Bar Breakwater: 86mm

Once the Ardelle left the harbor and headed out to the open sea, I switched my shooting location by running along the Dog Bar Breakwater to keep up with the boat. The morning’s overcast skies were clearing and as the sun filled the sails, the rays highlighted the details in the cloth.

Focal Length:  145mm

The Estrela passes Hammond Castle: 145mm

As the Estrela sailed past Hammond Castle, the sun totally broke through. The wind was quite tame, though, compared to past years. It would take a while before anyone’s sails would be seen billowing in the wind.

Focal Length:  190mm

Nautical diversity takes to the sea: 190mm

As you can see, boats of all kind gathered off the coast to either race or enjoy the day. Spectators had their own special vantage points from which to watch or shoot. For me, the diverse focal length of the Nikon 18-300mm lens allowed me to continually adjust on the fly without any problem.

Focal Length:  260mm

The Independence: 260mm

The Independence is an incredible tugboat. This shot is a good example of being fairly close to a large subject and still being able to use the bulk of the zoom. The shot was taken at f/5.6, yet there is still good detail throughout the shot’s depth of field.

Focal Length:  300mm

A plane flies overhead: 300mm

Sometimes the unexpected occurs, as was the case when this single engine plane flew overhead. Although it was pretty high in the sky, the zoom capability of the Nikon 18-300mm lens came in handy. The shot was pretty sharp and the lens autofocus did well keeping up as I tracked the plane across the sky.

My Thoughts…

This was the first event where I tested the lens at both extremes for an extended period of time. It’s definitely heavier than the Nikon 18-200mm. I didn’t have much trouble handling the extra weight for a few hours, although I could see where some people might find the weight a bit more challenging over a longer period of time. Note: I only wear my camera’s strap over my shoulder; never around my neck. I do think the additional weight around a person’s neck would be uncomfortable before long.

As for the 300mm focal length, I definitely appreciated the extra zoom strength. With that said — and in comparison to my Nikon 18-200mm – I do think the Nikon 18-300mm performs a bit softer at the extremes. However, I think that is only very noticeable when shooting things either of a small size or at a far distance. As they say, everything is relative. Zoom lenses are typically sharpest around mid range rather than at the extremes.

I think the Nikon 18-300mm is a good all-in-one walk around lens. It gives you great diversity without the need to carry a number of different lenses around with you. As long as you understand that the Nikon 18-300mm has some natural limitations by default (it does pack a lot of glass in a small space to give you the extreme focal length capabilities), then you should be pleased with its performance. Does it compare with prime lenses or fast lenses? No. Does it handle a lot of things reasonably well for an affordable price? Absolutely.

As with any photo shoot, always use the best lens you have for the image you want to capture. For my purposes at the Gloucester Schooner Festival, I would say the Nikon 18-300mm lens performed as expected based on its comprehensive focal length design. It’s not a fast lens — but it handles most things well. Not bad for a single lens covering the entire range of 18-300mm.

~ Liz Mackney

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Wikipedia defines “Street Photography” as “a type of documentary photography that features subjects in candid situations within public places such as streets, parks, beaches, malls, political conventions and other settings.”

I recently saw several examples of Street Photography that really caught my eye. I quickly became intrigued and decided I wanted to give it a whirl. So, this past weekend I went out and did just that.

Destination and People

When it comes to Street Photography, people obviously matter. I wanted faces with character and an atmosphere of gritty texture. Here on Cape Ann, the historic fishing town of Gloucester, Massachusetts, came to mind. That became my initial destination. It didn’t take long before I spotted a perfect Street Photography subject.

Window seat break time

Location, Location, Location

While my “window seat” subject was spotted down a side street, I quickly learned that Street Photography shots require you to look everywhere. That definitely includes looking… up!

Climbing towards a bird's-eye view

And sometimes looking down…

Have walker will travel

And sometimes even looking in the shadows…

Could that possibly be Santa?

Body Language

Sometimes body language alone tells a story. It could be how one sits…

Comfortably waiting

Or struts…

Strutting his stuff

Or simply strolls…

Steady, even pace

As I watched this gentleman stroll down the street, I couldn’t help but wonder why his left pant leg was tucked inside his boot, while his right pant leg was draped over his boot. A fashion statement perhaps?

There’s A Story in the Details

The old man waiting on this bench (shown above) initially caught my attention because of how he was sitting. I loved his outstretched arm and the tilt of his foot. When I later crossed the street and took a look from a new perspective, I had to smile. Between the message on his cap and the sign in the window, a new story was being told right there in front of my eyes.

Watching for the ladies

This young man caught my eye for two reasons — his body language, and the details that screamed “Today’s World.”

Cellphone, sunglasses, flip-flops and coffee

Color vs. Black & White

Most of the Street Photography I’ve seen has been in Black & White. Perhaps that is due to the documentary nature of Street Photography. However, as shown in my first image featured above in this article, color has its place and can often add another dimension to the visual story.

With that said, we all see things differently and from our own unique, internal perspective. If you saw an image first in color and then again in Black & White, would it communicate a different story to you? Let’s find out…

Protecting the corner of Free Delivery and Pizza Calzones

As you can see by the caption, that’s what came to my mind when I stumbled upon this officer working a busy street. What comes to your mind?

Now look at this image again — but this time in Black & White. Does the story remain the same, or do you now see something different or altogether new?

On duty in B&W

As you can see, the choice of color is up to you. Does it add to the story? Detract from the story? Or tell an entirely new story? That’s for you to decide.

After all, Street Photography is where you get to tell the story as you see it.

~ Liz Mackney

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