Random Scenes, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

A gray, moody view at low tide in Provincetown harbor at the tip of Cape Cod. Variation between high and low tides in this area exceeds ten feet which makes for dramatic visual differences.



Midway along the Cape heading back to the mainland, this is high tide at Rock Harbor in Orleans. These trees are sunk into the mud in Cape Cod Bay and generally mark the channel into the protected harbor. I'm not sure how they survive in the salt water but, they seem to do so.

Out and About, Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Provincetown is a creative kind of place with interesting works of art randomly displayed outside in addition to regular indoor galleries.



A view of the public library from the downtown wharf area.



Cute name for a boat. I can't figure out what the bare feet mean.



Walking the dog on the main downtown beach as a roll cloud moves in.



Kayaks waiting for customers to go for a ride in the harbor.



Another art sculpture in a yard. Note the recycled bicycle chain for a cheek.



See ya next time!

Sunrise, Provincetown Harbor, Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Slug that I am, I didn't make it downtown to the wharf for sunrise with Amy's group but, I did walk out of the hotel onto the beach. This is sunrise the next morning after the wet trek to Race Point Light which I blogged about last. A ten-foot low tide makes a wide sand flat. The light was magical.



With the tide way out, I was able to wander out onto the wet sand for the added reflections.



There were also some clouds to make it even more interesting........

.....and a couple random cooperative birds put the icing on the cake.  Life is good at the end of the world in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Race Point Light Sunset, Herring Cove Beach, Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

I didn't intend to walk in the water.  Really.  I am an adult not a 5-year old. I had on regular shoes and socks - not the waterproof kind. The tide was going to be low, I was optimistic, and I thought I could stay on dry sand or sand bars and successfully walk from the Herring Cove Beach parking lot to Race Point Light under the conditions......



....but it was a long walk and it turned out even at low tide that there was a lot of water between us and the lighthouse.



I was with a group of Amy's photographers and our goal had been to photograph the sunset at Race Point Light and then a short while later, the moonrise from the opposite horizon. We were almost successful. The sky was certainly glorious enough but........



....try as I might, I couldn't get across all the water to get closer



I carried both of my point-and-shoot cameras on this walk.  My regular camera has a 1" sensor (Sony DSC-RX100M2) but only a 3.6X optical zoom (equivalent to about a 105mm zoom in 35mm camera language), and, my older model with a tiny 1/2.3" sensor (Sony DSC-WX500) but it has a 30X optical zoom (equivalent to about a 700mm lens).



The water was warm on my soggy feet, the air temp and breeze were comfortable, gulls were crying out, and the sky was on fire.



It was a special moment in a beautiful spot on the planet.



After I returned home, it took my shoes three days to dry out....... I'm not sure they'll ever be the same. I like being 5-years old again.

I walked way farther over more difficult sand than I had expected or desired. The long trip back to the parking lot was in near total darkness but, all in all, I felt enriched and inspired by the beauty of this hard-earned sunset, standing in a wetlands with an iconic lighthouse in the distance, feeling the richness of natural life all around me.

I earned that view and it was even better because I had to expend a lot of effort to achieve it. Another life lesson........especially for a 5-year old in wet shoes.

Sailboats, Provincetown Harbor, Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

There was a fresh breeze in Provincetown Harbor on this day. It is the last weekend this summer and the sailors were out enjoying it to the fullest.



These three are passing abeam the tip of Long Point.



Long Point Light comes into view. Congress began in 1826 to earmark money to put a lighthouse at this location.



It is a long walk out there if you are a beach-goer, but a beautiful place to sail by.

This boat takes visitors out for a few hours of sailing on a classic vessel.

Long Point Light, Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

A nice way to start a day but.............

....it quickly turned hazy and overcast from an approaching weather front........

.....but just as quickly, the skies cleared and all was right in the universe again. Long Point Light marks the edge of the entrance to the Provincetown Harbor.

Later, the wind picked up and out came this three-masted schooner for a late afternoon cruise.

 She even started raising her sails but, turned away from me so I didn't get any images with all sails flying.  Maybe next year...........

Motion Blur, Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Continuing my series from Provincetown...............Hanging out in the center of town provides a great opportunity for experimenting with motion blur. It's a photographic technique wherein one moves the camera at the same rate as the moving subject, hopefully rendering the subject mostly sharp and the background blurred creating the sense of motion..........  

.......it's easier said than done........

......frankly, my results look more like bad photographs than edgy art.

Better luck next time. In any case, hanging out in downtown P-town is never a dull moment. (For photographers, my shutter speed was around 1/10 of a second for most of these attempts).  

No motion blur in this one but, I liked the reflection of vibrant street life in this downtown storefront window. 

Silhouettes, Provincelands, Provincetown, Cape Cod National Seashore, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Seeing this beautifully back-lit cloud gave me the idea to narrow my focus and just concentrate on capturing images of silhouettes.

Contrary to typical photographic guidance, I often enjoy pointing the camera directly into the sun to see what I might capture.

Sometimes, it works out well..........

....... and sometimes it's a little bit too cluttered to make much sense of.........

.........and sometimes, it's just pretty to look at and enjoy for a moment.

So here's my favorite of this series - the body language and posture of these two folks fascinates me, imagining their conversation.

A last bit of pink highlights the darkening sky. (Astute observers may recognize the hatted figure above). A beautiful place, the Outer Cape.  No wonder it attracts so many visitors to experience its magic.

Lighthouses, Provincetown - Part 3 of 3, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Just a short distance from downtown Provincetown, there are three lighthouses, each with their own dramatic storied histories.  They are located in the adjacent Cape Cod National Seashore. They were built in the 1800's and are still operating. I was able to see two of them.

The image above is Long Point Light. It is my favorite from this entire trip. I really like the clean lines and simple elements in the composition. 

Same scene a few seconds later.

Race Point Light.

 Race Point Light after I performed some processing manipulation.

A Herring Cove fisherman with Race Point Light in the background. 

It was a great trip to a great area - Cape Cod is a special place and going in the spring or fall avoids the crowds - I especially like that.

Out and About, Provincetown - Part 2 of 3, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

I have attempted to make this image hundreds of times over the years - usually unsuccessfully - either I get the bird wing angle wrong, or I miss him altogether, or the background is wrong, or the sun is too bright........or, or, or.   But this time, I like what I got! The zoom-blur effect adds just a touch of implied motion in a still image. 

This is another of my favorite activities while in Provincetown - climbing up to the top of the Pilgrim Monument. The 252-feet high tower (which rises 350 feet above sea level) was completed in 1910 with a dedication ceremony by then President Taft. It's the tallest all-granite structure in the United States and all the granite came from Stonington, Maine.

The staircase up involves alternating steps (116) and inclined ramps (60).  It is a fairly easy climb all things considered.

The spectacular view is a worthy reward. View toward the east.

This panorama (click on image to view in full width) isn't really so wide as to capture the curvature of the earth - I was holding the camera through the safety bars while trying to pan evenly without dropping the camera while not banging into the bars - I like the effect although it wasn't intended.

The view toward the west.

About three-quarters of the town's land area is comprised of the Cape Cod National Seashore parkland with beaches, bike trails, dunes, and just beautiful scenery everywhere. This fall day was windy, bright, and fresh for wandering about.

These dunes line the east side of the cape in the protected Cape Cod National Seashore. When the Pilgrims arrived 400 years ago, the cape was fully forested.  Generations of overuse led to the dunes of today. Under current parkland designation and oversight, the slow regeneration of the land is underway.

This life-saving station was built in the late 1800's and was originally at Nauset Beach south of here in Chatham. Beach erosion required it be relocated so the National Park Service moved it to Provincetown in 1977. There were more than 1000 shipwrecks off this small stretch of Cape Cod coastline back in the olden days and life-saving stations were often busy rescuing folks.

Late afternoon light reflected in an outbuilding near the life-saving station.

Enjoying the late afternoon golden light and cool breeze.

Long shadows in deep ruts in the late afternoon.

When it's time to head back home, this sign is posted on the highway. It creates a clear picture of the width of the United States to follow this road all the way across.

A short distance farther is this sign.  There must be a large number of turtles to merit their own sign.