Home can mean different things to different people, especially to people who may have immigrated to this country. The A Dream Called Home mural exhibit in Salem’s The Point district gives a voice to those who are striving to have a stable home. The murals were inspired by the award winning memoir by Mexican-American Reyna Grande. Reyna’s book is about daring to dream about having a stable home. The Punto Art Museum, who sponsored these 20 murals, provides a platform for creative individuals to share stories that reflect the culture of its residents.
It’s interesting to see what each artist drew to symbolize their dream home or what would make for a happy home life. From Teenage Migrant Dominicans to people cooking and picking fruits and vegetables, there are many different ways of expressing your home or path to a happy home.
I took these photos while I waited for the Salem Merry Time Festival to begin. It was a good precursor to the maritime event.
I took these photos with my Canon 5D Mark IV camera with 50 mm lens. I’ve been trying to use prime lenses more often when I take photos of murals, art and other things that don’t move. Generally, prime lenses produce sharper images than zoom lenses because they don’t have extra glass or mechanics inside that moves in order to zoom. This results in better quality photographs due to less diffraction, which increases with higher number of lens elements inside a lens as in the case of zoom lenses. Plus they can be more fun to use and more lightweight. But, the highest quality photo is always paramount. And that is what prime lenses can help deliver.
Some of the murals may have the names of the artists on the mural. However, I could not find more information about these murals.
The murals on this street do change periodically. So, I’m confident there will be new murals with a new theme later this year.
Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)
Location: 13 Washington Square West, Salem, MA
Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members. Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45. Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc.
Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4
Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.
Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.
Well, we made it ot the 10th and final house in the Christmas In Salem tour. This house was decorated a little different than the other houses on the tour as you will see later in this post. But, the house does have a rich history, just like the other homes in this tour.
The Andrew Safford House was commissioned in 1818 by John Andrew. Andrew made his fortune trading with Russia. He was also a partner with Samuel Archer in the merchant firm Archer and Andrew. For many years it was unclear who designed the house until The Peabody Essex Museum (who we will discuss later in thsi post) confirmed it was designed by Joseph True. True was a master carver and protege of famed Salem architect Samuel McIntire. The home features 4 large pine columns on the southern side of the house. The front parlor has a marble mantlepiece, a plaster -work ceiling and woodwork by Joseph True. One of the most prominent features of the house is the early nineteenth-century French wallpaper which depicts scenes of Cupid and Pysche (I had to Google that too).
After Andrew died in 1829, the house was divided between his widow Catherine and his son John Forrester Andrew. After John Forrester Andrew died in 1845 his widow, Louisa, owned the house until 1860. Over the next decade, the house was owned first by Edmund Smith, treasurer of the Naumkeag Steam Cotton Company, and a merchant named Frederic M. Creamer. In 1871 the house was purchased by James O. Safford, a leather manufacturer. The house then passed through several generations of the Safford family before being acquired by the Essex Institute in 1947. The Andrew-Safford House is still maintained by its current organization, the Peabody Essex Museum.
The Andrew-Safford House showcased both Christmas and Moby Dick decor. While that may seem like an unusual combination, it makes perfect sense.
Since the Peabody Essex Museum maintains the house, they decided to include elements of their upcoming exhibit Draw Me Ishmael: The Book Arts of Moby Dick which will feature artistic depictions of the novel. According to the museum, Moby Dick is the most continuously, frequently and diversely depicted American work of literature. So, take that 50 Shades of Grey.
This was by far the most uniquely decorated home on the tour. The decor didn’t just include whale decorations (although there were some). There were also a penguin, jellyfish and whatever that pink thing is.
However, the main decor of the house was still Christmas and, of course, whale decor.
If you look closely at the Christmas trees (I know you must be thinking “my eyes” when you look at that blue tree) but you may see some marine life in the decorations such as sea horses and whales.
Another thing that I’ve mentioned in previous posts is how much I love the design, architecture and lighting fixtures of these historic homes.
The Call Me Ishmael exhibit will be on display at the Peabody Essex Museum from June 1, 2024 to January 4, 2026. You can find out more about the exhibit here
Thank you all for checking out my posts from this tour! I learned a lot about both these homes and how to photograph these beautiful homes in low light environments which can be challenging. I hope you join me later this year when I photograph this event again! And, of course, follow me here throughout the year on my many travels!
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Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)
Location: 1 Daniels St, Salem, MA
Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members. Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45. Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc.
Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4
Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.
Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.
The ninth house, and really the *last* historic home on the tour (more on this later) is the Daniels House.
One of the oldest homes in Salem, MA, the Daniels House was constructed by Stephen Daniels I or Stephen Daniels II between 1667 and 1693. The home was occupied by mariners and shipbuilders until the mid 1800s. In the mid 1700s Stephen Daniel’s daughter Mary married into the Silsbee family and lived in the house until 1803. Mary’s son, Samuel Silsbee (who was a carpenter), remodeled and enlarged the house around the time of his marriage to Martha Prince in 1756
Silsbee’s heirs divided the house into two properties listed as numbers 1 and 3 Daniels Street in the mid 1800s. When Samuel’s daughters died in the 1860s, the properties were sold to other families. For about a century after the sale, the house went through what Samuel Chamberlain, a photographer who spent some of his life in Massachusetts, said was a period of “many vicissitudes. The house was subdivided into a double house of at least 4 apartments, served as a day nursery and boarding house. There was an ever rotating group of laborers, widows, railroad and shoe workers living in the house for the better part of 50 years. The house then went into foreclosure after the Great Depression and was vacant for almost 20 years. Eventually, the house was owned by Theodore Perry and Winifred Halter. They operated a historic tea room in the first floor. In 1962, the Halters sold the house to Thomas and Catherine Gill. Catherine “Kay” Gill operated the house first as a bed and breakfast and then an inn for 55 years until her death in 2018.
The house is a three story clapboard and wood frame home. It has a closed in front entrance that is covered by a half hipped roof. Over the years, the home has gone through a constant growth and changing architectural styles.
From the decorated Christmas tree to the tasteful decorations of the fruit bowls (no pun intended), the Daniels House was an especially fun home to photograph.
There was also an assortment of dolls, figurines and other holiday decor throughout the home.
This home had not one but two cozy fireplaces. I really wanted to sit by the fireplace and take in the warmth and history of this home.
As much as I wanted to stay there for a longer visit, I had to hurry off to the next and last home on the tour. Luckily, they did allow people to visit slightly after 4 pm which was the time the tours were supposed to end. In fact, I was one of the last people admitted to the last home on the tour. The tour lasts 2 days (Saturday and Sunday). But, I had plans for the following day. So, it all worked out! But, as I mentioned earlier, the last house on the tour was very…different. Hopefully, you’ll be able to see for yourself in the 10th and final installment of this series of posts!
Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)
Location: 1 Forrester St, Salem, MA
Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members. Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45. Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc.
Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4
Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.
Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.
The eighth house (yes we made it to house number 8) on the Christmas in Salem tour is the the John Ives house. Before I even entered the home, I was struck by the old fashioned style (it is a clapboard style capped by a low hip roof in the “Pre-Federal” style). The John Ives house was constructed circa 1760. A brick walkway leads to a pedimented portico and is flanked by cabled, fluted pilasters. A 3 story-wing is stepped back slightly from the main house on the east side. A barberry hedge runs along the west and south sidewalks.
A tanner by trade, John Ives built the house somewhere between 1750 and 1760. A tan yard was established by the Ives family on land between their house and Collins Cove. Originally, Forrester St began as an access route through the Ives property. Forrester Street would become the official designation after 1860.
Apparently, Ives didn’t want to live there very long, though. By 1764, Ives had sold the “mansion house” and additional land to Captain Samuel Webb who occupied the house with his family until his death in 1808. The house would remain in the Webb family until 1879 when the house was purchased by Stephen Whipple, the owner of a gum copal works (gum copal is a resin used in making varnishes). The home remained in the Whipple family until the 1930s and was often referred to as the “Whipple House.” This is one thing that amazes me. Despite being hundreds of years old, many of these homes only have a few owners.
Not all of the homes on the tour allowed access to all of the floors. This was the case with the John Ives home. However there was plenty to see on just the one floor of this home,
In the kitchen area by the entrance, there were dried up flowers hanging from the ceiling.
These are flowers the wife and husband have bought for each other. They are hung as tokens of their love for each other.
As you may notice from each house on the tour, some homes are decorated more than others (just wait for the last house on the tour). And, even though the more decor can make for better photos, I personally like the less decorated homes. It can feel overwhelming when there are too many decorations. But, that’s just me.
There were cute little figurines and dolls places on the shelves and window sills as well as a beautiful wreath.
This home had some cool and perhaps familiar looking models of some famous Salem homes and attractions. In the first photo (from left to right) is The House of the Seven Gables, not sure what the yellow house is). In the second photo from left to right is the Ropes Mansion, Salem Town Hall (both featured in the movie Hocus Pocus), the bandstand at Salem Commons and the Hawthorne Hotel.
This light fixture located in the dining area caught my attention. Even though it was an electric light fixture, one could easily see a candle in place of that light bulb.
Something I noticed during these tours is that each house really is different. As likely as it may seem that each house would be decorated similarly or the same (unintentionally or otherwise), each house really does have a different feel. Please join me on this tour for the 9th house on the tour!
Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)
Location: 78 Washington Square East, Salem, MA
Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members. Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45. Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc.
Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4
Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.
Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.
Welcome back to the Christmas In Salem tour! The next house on the tour is the the Gilbert G. Newhall House.
Built in 1846, the Newhall house was built for Gilbert G. Newhall, the owner of a clothing store on Essex St in Salem. The house was occupied by the Newhall family for 40 years. Newhall’s son ran a livery out of the carriage house on the property. Originally built in the Gothic Revival style, the house now displays restrained Italianate details on its exterior. Serving as a single family home for many years, the house achieved its current footprint of over 6,000 square feet by the year 1900. The interior spaces were rented out during the 1980s and 90s in the “boarding house style” with individual bedrooms, shared baths and common areas. In 2001 it was renovated to create 6 individual units, although there 5 now.
Over the years, a succession of prominent Salem families such as Salem architect F.W. Belknap and Walter H. Simmonds, treasurer of the Salem Five Bank.
The Newhall house mixed a traditional decor with a little different feel. This decor was reminiscent of gravestone etchings.
I loved the darker Halloween feel the rooms had. As the tour guide mentioned, death wasn’t thought of the way we think of it today. It was an accepted part of our lives. People didn’t live as long and there was also the belief that we would move on to a better place. These cards were “death cards” people would send to each other.
There were some unexpected visitors in the rooms downstairs.
I also loved how they kept a Salem and Halloween feel to the decor. Since Salem is known for being such a huge Halloween attraction it does make sense they would add these types of decorations.
But, the decor of the house wasn’t all dark or geared towards Halloween. These lighting fixtures were very festive.
There were also decorative dinnerware and utensils displayed throughout the dining area. I don’t know about you. But, those plates and utensils look too nice to eat off!
By the fireplace and in the dining area, there was more traditional decor in the home.
This clock reminded me of the Prague Astronomical Clock at the Old Town Hall in Prague. It is the third oldest astronomical clock and the oldest working clock still in operation. Not this one. The one in Prague.
On the way out of the home, I was greeted by this 1930 Ford Cabriolet decorated for the holiday!
This home was so much fun to photograph. I love surprises and this home was full of them! just a few more homes left on the tour! Please join me for the next home on the tour!
Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)
Location: 94 Washington Square East, unit 102, Salem, MA
Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members. Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45. Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc.
Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4
Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.
Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.
One of the great things about the Christmas In Salem tour is how each house, while still sharing a historical past and architectural similarity, can be so different. The decor for the Nathaniel Silsbee House is very different from many of the other houses on the tour.
The three story Federal stye brick building was erected in 1818 or 1819 for Nathaniel Silsbee, a prosperous shipmaster for the famous Derby family. The Briggs Street elevation still remains the original Federal entry, featuring an open portico on Doric columns and a now blocked elliptical fanlight.
Nathaniel Silsbee would go on to become a United States Senator for Massachusetts. He is said to have entertained such historical figures as Daniel Webster, James Monroe and Henry Clay in his home.
Silbee’s son, Nathaniel Jr, made extensive renovations in the Italianate style. These alterations are most prominent in the windows on the front facade and in the balustraded entrance portico on Corinthian posts.
The Kimball family would go on to own the home from 1866 to 1907. The Knights of Columbus purchased the home in 1907 and it remained as a meeting hall for them for over 100 years. The mansion was sold in 2018 and converted to condominiums.
The Silsbee home was one of the more elegant homes on the tour. In fact, I was a little hesitant to spend too much time there or get too close to the items in the home! Statues, an ornate stairway and decorations are some of the features of this home.
If you see paintings or works of art like the one over this fireplace, it’s a good bet it’s probably a flat screen TV. Some of the houses had TVs that were like the “Frame TV” that turns into a work of art when it is not being used.
Even though it’s not a holiday decoration, this clock really stood out to me. In fact, that is what struck me most about this home. You could have your home decorated like this all year round. The holiday decor was toned down. And, that may be why I liked it so much. Although I love the holidays, especially photographing holiday decor, I don’t have much of it in my home (more out of laziness I suppose) and I have a minimalist style in my home as well.
This home was one of the shorter tours I I love seeing people put a different spin on traditional decorations. These wreaths and other decorations gave the home a different holiday feel!
I especially liked the rabbit and deer decorations.
This house tour was short but sweet. But, there will be more homes on the tour that are decorated with more decorations!
Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)
Location: 23 Winter St, Salem, MA
Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members. Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45. Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc.
Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4
Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.
Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.
Update – some of these photos may look familiar to you if you have been reading this series of posts. I mistakenly posted photos of this home (the Samuel Roberts House) in my previous post for the William Roberts House (there are too many Roberts homes in Salem!) In any event, I have updated that post with the correct photos which you can find at this link: Christmas In Salem 2023 Part 4 – The Williams Roberts House (Updated). Trust me, you’ll want to check it out!
The Samuel Roberts House on Winter Street is the fifth stop on the Christmas In Salem tour. The Greek Revival home with vertical flashboard plasters was built in 1827. A wide frieze with two-part architrave and modillions (an ornate bracket, more horizontal in shape and less imposing than a corbel if that helps) wrap around the house. The entrance, which was decorated beautifully for the holidays is covered with louvered panels and is capped by a semicircular transom.
Samuel Roberts, who was a mason by trade, built the the home 1827 and immediately deed the house to his son Nehemiah Roberts, a mariner. Nehemiah, who died at sea in 1841, sold the home to his brother David in 1835. David, who was a Harvard graduate and lawyer, would go on to have an illustrious career as a state representative in 1833 and mayor pf Salem from 1866-1867. The house remained in the Roberts family until 1912 when it was sold to Dr. Martin Field who was considered one of the leading surgeons in the North Shore of Massachusetts.
You can see that before you even enter the home the home and property was decorated with a tasteful touch. Based on the many beautiful plants around and inside the property, it may not be surprising to know the The Salem Garden Club decorated the house for the event.
The interior of the house kept up with the plant and horticultural theme. It was just as pretty and festive.
The house has some really interesting decor. I am always fascinated by the fancy decor and architecture of these historic homes, especially their walls and ceilings. I thought this was a very interesting type of decor in the ceiling.
In the dining area there was a very interesting lighting fixture. Believe it or not, this ornate chandelier does not turn on. It was never set up to have any current sent to it. Instead, the home owners use candles to light the room.
You may notice the wallpaper has an interesting pattern. The home owners wanted the wallpaper to show places they like to visit such as France and Africa I believe so they could still feel like they’re traveling even though they’re in their dining room.
As we entered the kitchen area, we found something interesting and unusual. This stove. It’s always on. Always.
The visitors on this tour wore their own holiday best! This nice lady was wearing very decorative glasses for the tour.
So, we’ve made it half way through the 2023 Christmas In Salem tour! I hope you’ve enjoyed the tour so far and I hope you join me on the second leg of the tour!
Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)
Location: 41 Washington Square North, Salem, MA
Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members. Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45. Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc.
Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4
Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.
Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.
*I mistakenly posted photos from the fifth house on the tour originally. While the historical information was correct, the photos and commentary of the home are different. I have posted the correct photos in this post with my observations*
The fourth house on the Christmas In Salem tour is the William Roberts House on Washington Square North. This 4 family brick house was built by William Roberts, a mason, between 1825 and 1840. William Robert’s father, also named William Roberts, was lost at sea and his mother remarried John Osborn. Osborn is said to have taught the younger Roberts the stone masonry, plastering and brick-laying.
Roberts bought the land this house sits on in October, 1825, for the princely sum of $7,000. Well, princely for that time. Roberts then began building the house for his family (his wife and 7 children) on the westernmost part of the lot.
Because of financial hardship, Roberts had to assign his property to trustees. The house was eventually sold to Willard Brown who bought it in 1870.
This was one of the more interesting homes I photographed. From the entrance to the exit, which I will talk about more later, there were unusual decorations. For instance, this nutcracker. Look at its eyes! The eyes blink and the light of his pole changes colors.
One thing I’ve noticed as I post these houses is how much I truly do love Christmas and how Christmas and Salem seem like a perfect fit! I feel the magic of Christmas with each photo and I really have realized I should appreciate the season more. I’m already eager for Christmas in Salem 2024!
The interior of the house was tastefully decorated.
Dave Eng, who has been working in Salem for almost 50 years, decorated the home. And, after window shopping at his shop, quite literally, the decorations in the home are so Dave Eng. They are very tasteful and pretty.
I bumped into Dave while I was photographing Salem a week later. He was nice enough to pose in front of the window of his shop that he had decorated for the holidays.
After seeing the tastefully decorated living area, things took a turn. Some of the other decorations in the home were unique and certainly unexpected.
This tomb or coffin for instance. I’m not sure if there was anything in it and I don’t think I want to know!
OK, it’s just a tomb. But, then, as I looked at the wall, I noticed this. Yes, it’s nose lights up. I’m not sure what animal it was or as supposed to be. But, I hope it wasn’t Rudolph!
Not to be outdone, there was a visitor in the dining area. Meet Dolly (at least that’s what I think they called her)
There was also this mannequin all dressed up for the holidays!
This mannequin was just sitting on top of the fridge. Just hanging around.
The bedroom and kitchen were decorated more traditionally, relatively speaking.
And a keyboard player helped keep the Christmas spirit alive with some holiday tunes!
Summary: I have photographed a lot of events and people last year. Below are some of my favorites!
Welcome to part 3 and the final installment of my 2023 rewind. In this post I will be showing my photos of events and people from a variety of places around New England.
2023 was a busy year for events and celebrations! One of my favorite annual events I like to photograph is the Salem’s So Sweet festival in Salem, MA in February. Two dozen ice sculptures were displayed throughout Salem. The sculptures are lit up each night which makes them even more fun to photograph! Below are just a few of my favorite sculptures.
Some of the sculptures had lights that changed colors.
Only one of these images is an actual sculpture. Grizzly was nice enough to pose for this photo.
Another event I was fortunate enough to photograph was the Celtic Celebration in March at Old Sturbridge Village. The Celtic Celebration was a celebration of how Sturbridge celebrated the holiday in the past. Lee (MA) Irish Dance performed Irish dances
And Celtic Harpist Cate Mahoney performed Celtic songs.
There were also quite a few sand sculpture attractions and competitions during the summer.
The annual Yarmouth Sand Sculpture Trail in Yarmouth, MA, featured 32 sand sculptures located throughout Yarmouth and Dennis. These are just a few of my favorites. All sculptures were made by Fitzy Snowman
Melineige Beauregard won first place at the competition for her sculpture “Love Is A Universal Temple.”
Sadly, most of the sand sculptures at the Revere Beach sand sculpting competition were damaged or entirely destroyed by all of the heavy rain during the event. However, one sculpture did withstand the inclement weather conditions. Appropriately, it was the sculpture of King Kong.
I also came across a few sand sculptures in Rhode Island during the summer. They were sculpted in preparation for the Atlantis Rising sand sculpting event in October. Unfortunately, I could not make it to that one!
I made it out to Rhode Island again for the Green Animals Topiary Garden in July. The topiary featured a variety of animals sculpted out of the greenery.
In addition to the various sculptures of animals, the topiary also had a special exhibit by Sean Kenney. The Sean Kenney Nature Connects exhibit included several sculptures entirely made out of Legos!
I also made out to Newport, Rhode Island, to photograph the Umbrella Sky display.
But, one of the most fun and interesting photo shoots I did last year was the Beep Baseball event in September. Beep baseball is baseball played by visually impaired players.
Summary: I have been lucky enough to photograph quite a few sunrises, sunsets, full moons and nature throughout the year. Here are few of my favorites!
Although it’s not particularly close to me (an hour north of Boston on a good traffic day), Hampton Beach, NH, is my favorite place to take sunrise photos. The beach is always clean, there always seems to be waves and, as a bonus, it is relatively close to my favorite wildlife sanctuary.
I took this photo on a more calm day at the beach in August. Although it was August, there was a slight chill in the air that morning.
I generally prefer to show calm, peaceful settings in my photos. That is one of the great things (pr not so great things depending on who you talk to) about photography. You can find and show serenity in even the most chaotic places and times. There’s enough chaos in the world.
You can see and hopefully feel the morning chill in these sunrise photos from Sep (at the top) and Nov (at the bottom)
Some of the best sunrise photos don’t show the actual sun. And, contrary to my earlier comments, it’s ok to show some chaos! These photos were taken during my visits to the beach in September (in the first group) and November (in the second group of photos). As I mentioned earlier, it always seems to be wavy there.
Of course, I also took a sunrise photo in Boston. But I don’t usually shoot from there. I tend to like photographing the cities and towns surrounding the Boston area. Like most big cities, there are so many photographs of Boston. So it’s hard to get photos from places that haven’t been taken in the city.
I do like to shoot sunrise photos at Independence Park in Beverly, MA. There’s a nice jetty you can walk on and take photos. This photo was taken in February. So, it was tricky to not slip on said jetty.
Although it may not seem to be the case, it’s actually not very easy to find places to photograph the sunrise from my location. Yes, Massachusetts, and New England for that matter, does have a pretty long coast line. But, it’s not always easy or possible to get to some of these locations before the sun rises or sets and some places are not accessible as they are on private property. The worst thing is arriving at a location with nowhere to park or with no public access. Combine these factors with my desire to shoot from lesser known locations and I end up with a smaller list of places to shoot from.
That being said, there are some places I can still get to in time for the sunrise and sunsets. Below are a few of my other favorite spots. As you will see, I’m more of an early riser. So I have mostly photos of sunrises. Also, there is something special and inspiring about a sunrise. All of the promise and opportunity in a sunrise is inspiring.
Castle Rock, Marblehead, MA
Fort Pickering Light, Salem, MA
Red Rock, Lynn, MA
Hingham, MA
Revere Beach, Revere, MA
Springfield, MA (sunset)
Wollaston Beach, Quincy, MA
Speaking of Wollaston Beach, I went to this beach in February of this year on the coldest day of the year and the coldest day in some time. The temperature was -9 with a windchill of -31. There were strange weather conditions. The best I could describe it was like “Hoth” from the Empire Strikes Back. Except colder. Weirdly, there was even some mist or “sea smoke” coming off the frozen water which usually only happens when warm weather conditions mix with cold.
This particular photo opportunity made me think of a question people ask when they find out I get up so early in various weather conditions. When people ask me is photography fun? I often say “sometimes” or “maybe”. Yes, it’s extremely fun in May or June with sunny skies and “shorts weather.” But, it’s not always shorts weather. At the same time, I like the challenge and I couldn’t imagine sleeping in or doing anything else. At best, I’d call it a “labor of love.” The end result makes it all worthwhile. Besides, what else am I supposed to do!? I suppose it’s something like an athlete or artist. I know I definitely don’t enjoy running or working out. But I appreciate the feeling of accomplishment afterwards and I welcome the challenge. Occasionally the actual process is “fun” like when you photograph an owl or some other beautiful bird or landscape. But, mainly, it’s a lot of work. “Fun work.” It may sound weird. But, iykyk.
One of my favorite, and sometimes challenging, photo shoots is photographing the full moon. Sometimes, like in this photo, the moon can be hard to get photos of behind the clouds. But, in this case, the clouds gave a mysterious and forbidding appearance.
Webb Park, Weymouth, MA.
I also got some nature photographs throughout the year. Spring, summer and fall give great backdrops for nature photography of course. I took these photos in Topsfield, MA, Manchester, CT, western MA among other places. Unfortunately due to my busy schedule and the fact leaves fell off their branches before foliage got into full swing, I didn’t get many foliage photos this year.
Thank you as always for stopping by viewing, liking and/or commenting! I always appreciate you all!
New England Nomad 