Castle Island, Boston, Massachusetts

Sunset over Boston

I was born and bred in Boston, despite that for all the times I've been down to South Boston to swim at Carson beach, I have never been visited Castle Island.  I finally decided to bite the bullet and the last Friday night, we went down to photograph the sunset over Boston from Castle Island and also obtained a photograph of Orion and Venus over Fort Independence and the granite obelisk memorial to Donald McKay, who was known for the clipper ships that he built.

Orion and Venus over Fort Independence and the Donald McKay Monument

South Boston Shipping Terminal

Saturday, we returned and photograph the various monuments, the obelisk and the fort, plus we walked on the Head Island Causeway out to Head Island.  Head Island has a small circular path known as the "Sugar Bowl"

Normally there are usually many gulls around the causeway, but today there was almost a lack of gulls flying around.  However, we found a pair of American oystercatchers feeding on a sandbar in Pleasant Bay.

On one of the light posts, the glass globe had a hole in it and a house sparrow made a nest in it.

Light with a House Sparrow

There has been a fort on Castle Island, since 1634.  In 1703 Castle William was built by the British, who destroyed the island fortifications when the British evacuated Boston.  The fort was repaired under the directions of Paul Revere and in 1799 the fort was dedicated his Fort Independence.  The present fort is the eighth fort on the island and was built under the direction of Col. Sylvanus Thayer, the father of West Point.

Fort Independence across Pleasure Bay from the Head Island Causeway

Monument to the soldiers and sailors of South Boston who served in the Korean War

Memorial to Robert Greene, firefighter who lost his life saving a child in a fire

Fort Independence

Clipper Ship Monument to Donald McKay

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Boston Public Gardens

This past Saturday, my grandson flew in from Washington DC to spend some time with me.  This was present for his 15th birthday.  I picked them up at the airport and since it was early in the morning, we traveled into Boston and parked at the Boston Common underground garage.  We started the day touring around first at the Public Gardens, then continuing to Boston Commons, down to Faneuil Hall and finally ending up at the harbor.  We both had a great time being with each other, and photographing the various sights.

Public Garden Lagoon

The Public Gardens was designated in 1838.  Finally in 1859, an act of the legislature and the citizens of Boston confirmed the indenture.  George F Meacham was the architect who laid out the landscape plan of the 24 acres.  During the 19th century, there was built are added for granite basins wood fountains, the perimeter iron fence and gates, the bridge crossing lagoon, along with the equestrian
 statue of George Washington and the Ether Monument.

George Washington

Ether Fountain

The Bridge

The swans boats, designed by Robert Paget first appeared in the lagoon in 1877.  At present, the Paget family still operates the Swan boats.

The day my grandson I visited, the lagoon hadn't been completely filled yet, the Swan boats were not out, and the plantings were just starting to show through the ground.  All this because of the severe snowy winter we had.

The oldest Monument in the Public Gardens is the Ether Fountain, which commemorates the discovery anesthesia can qualities of ether.  The granite figures portray the parable of the good Samaritan.

Good Samaritan atop the Ether Fountain

The equestrian statue of George Washington, took four years for the plaster cast and the final bronzing had to wait till after the Civil War.

George Washington

Four bronze statues are on the side of the Gardens facing Boylston Street.  They include Charles Sumner, Wendell Phillips, Thomas Cass and Thaddeusx Kosciuszko.

Thaddeusx Kosciuszko

Thomas Cass

Wendell Phillips

Charles Sumner

Other bronze statues include William Ellery Channing and Edward Everett Hale.

Edward Everett Hale.

The duckling sculpture was presented to the city in 1987 and based on the bestseller "Make I Way for Ducklings"

Duckling Sculpture in their Easter Bonnets

In order to enjoy and photograph the Public Gardens, you need to arrive early before the tourist crowds gather.  Although, there will be many people running throughout the gardens.

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Fireworks, My Technique

Today's blog is how I photographed the fireworks over the Esplanade.  My equipment included Nikon D3s, Tokina 17-35 mm F/4 lens, a sturdy tripod, and a cable release.  My settings were ISO 200, F/11, 2 seconds at 23 mm.  I pre-focused my lens and then change the camera to manual focus.  I left the lens on autofocus, since if I accidentally touched the focusing, dial it would not change the focus, like on some of the lenses.  On this Tokina lens to manual focus, you have to pull the focus ring to manual focus.  I experimented with longer shutter speeds and found that two seconds gave me the best picture.  Really, what made the fireworks photography in Boston easy, was that the fireworks were almost continuous with hardly any delay between sequences.  The reason I chose my Nikon D3s was because of its faster continuous frames per second and it's faster buffer, then my Nikon D800.  Utilizing the shutter release.  I pressed it on and click the button to keep it on and let the camera fire away.  In this series of images which is a complete sequence from start to finish of a fireworks display. Time between the start of one picture and the start of the next picture averaged 3 seconds.  I did all my post-processing in Lightroom 5 for these pictures.

Fourth Of July Fireworks

Fourth Of July Fireworks

Fourth Of July Fireworks

Fourth Of July Fireworks

Fourth Of July Fireworks

Fourth Of July Fireworks

Fourth Of July Fireworks

Fourth Of July Fireworks

Fourth of July in Boston

Boston Skyline at Twilight

It has been many years since I been up to Boston to see the fireworks over the Esplanade.  So on this July Fourth Holiday, my grandson, a coworker from his work and I went up to see the fireworks.  Because of all the Street closures, we took public transportation in.  Because the Boston side at the Esplanade is usually extremely crowded and plus because of all the security, we decided that we would go to the Memorial Drive (Cambridge) side.  Where we found an excellent spot to photograph the fireworks over the skyline.  Security was everywhere, from the National Guard, FBI, police and fire departments and the state police.  But everybody was very friendly.  There was speakers set up near where we were so we get hear the music and all the commentary.  I must say that the fireworks were spectacular, one of the best ones that I have seen. Besides the fireworks coming off the barge in the middle of the Charles, there also fireworks on the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.

Fireworks At the Conclusion of the 1812 Overture

Fourth Of July Fireworks Boston

Fourth Of July Fireworks Boston

Fourth Of July Fireworks Boston

Fourth Of July Fireworks Boston

Fourth Of July Fireworks Boston

Fourth Of July Fireworks Boston

"Old Ironsides"

Today's blog is not about nature, but about history.  Today, August 19, 2012 the USS Constitution sailed on the her own power to celebrate the 200th anniversary of her victory over the British frigate HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812.  The USS Constitution under the command of Capt. Isaac call engaged the Guerriere often Nova Scotia on August 19, 1812.  In this battle, the Constitution received its nickname after a quote from a sailor, who saw one of the glorious cannonballs would seem to slightly penetrate the side of the Constitution, but dropped into the sea.  The sailor then called out the quote "Huzzah, her sides are made of iron!  See, where the shot fell out!".

USS Constitution, traveling under tugboat, passing Fort Jefferson on Castle Island, with an airplane coming in for landing at Logan Airport

The last time that the USS Constitution was sailed under its own power was on its 200th birthday in 1997.  Prior to that it hadn't sailed under its own power since 1881.
The USS Constitution is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat and is visited by more than 500,000 visitors per year.
I traveled out to Deer Island in order to watch the sailing of the Constitution.  The Constitution was tugged out to Presidents Roads, which is in between The Deer island and Long Island, accompanied by many small vessels, plus the usual police, fire department, and Coast Guard vessels. 

Presidents Roads

At this point she said three of her four main sails and sailed under her own power for 17 minutes traveling approximately 1100 yards.

Under Sail

21 gun salute

Then tugs were reattached the Constitution's side and she went by Fort Jefferson on Castle Island, where she exchanged a 21 gun salute with the Massachusetts Army National Guards, 101 Field artillery Regiment (this Regiment is the oldest regiment in the United States Army). After this the Constitution was tugged back to her dock at the Charlestown Naval Yard where she was once open again for visitors.