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Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse is located on New Castle Island just east of Portsmouth New Hampshire, close to the New Hampshire - Maine state line. Because it is on an active Coast Guard station, it is generally not accessible to the public. Fortunately, you can find numerous photographic compositions by walking along the shoreline outside of the station perimeter. Because of the topography, the best angles are afforded at some distance from the lighthouse, so a telephoto zoom is probably your best lens choice. About half a mile away is a park, Great Island Common, with plenty of parking.
In looking for new (to me) New England lighthouses, I had to visit this one because its light is green, not red or white. At first I thought this was a Christmas celebration, but that’s its normal state. When visiting a new location, I much prefer evening as it affords me plenty of time and opportunity to explore the place before the best light. Unlike lighthouses like Portland Head or Pemaquid, this one is out of the way and not on most tourists’ radar.
On this occasion the best light and clouds appeared before the lamp came on. As the view of the lighthouse from the beach is looking northeast, the sky and clouds at dusk tend to be softer tones of pink and blue. I further emphasized the restful quality of the light by using a 30 second exposure. While I did then go on to photography the green lamp and its reflections on the water at dusk and dawn, I much prefer this capture.
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