Exploring New England - Historic Boston Landmark Photography
at Twilight
Faneuil
Hall
(Quincy Market) at twilight.
by Eric J. Hurwitz. Article updated on Dec. 31, 2016.
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Article and photos by
Juergen Roth, RothGalleries.com
Boston, Mass., with its scenic skyline and many historic landmarks
provides a large array of interesting photography subjects.
The familiar sights of Boston are a true inspiration and visiting the
city is a worthwhile adventure throughout the year. Early and late day
light brings out the entire texture and warm colors of a landmark while
twilight adds drama and magic to a picture. The landmarks at twilight,
lit up against a beautiful turquoise sky, make for intriguing city
photo subjects that I envy the most. The combination transforms an
often simple and familiar city attraction into a work of art. No
wonder, the amazing twilight colors in combination with the Boston
landmarks, like the Prudential Center, Trinity Church, Quincy Market or
Faneuil Hall are favorite photography hot spots for the local and
traveling photographers.
Above: Trinity Church of
Boston Two photos below: Zakim Bridge with Boston Custom House; and
Acorn St.
Every day and night many photographers are streaming into the streets
and neighborhoods of Boston in search of the once in a lifetime
shot or to
frame their memories of that day in a beautiful photograph. Late
evening is when you find me, often exploring and photographing the
Boston cityscape. Keep an eye on the weather to not miss out on clear
skies, amazing and unusual phenomena like a full moon or a super moon.
In addition, landmarks are often illuminated in special colors to honor
a day or event. For example the Prudential Center glows in different
colors; red and blue on Memorial Day, Go Sox in October or green on
Saint Patrick’s Day.
Twilight is my favorite time, occurring 20 to 40 minutes after sunset.
The best light does not last very long. The magic of twilight is often
hard to predict which is why setting up early at that memorable
location is key. Once set up with tripod and camera, you can start
photographing a landmark while closing in on the best light. This
approach requires a set of fully charged spare battery power and lots
of memory cards. Incorporate an interesting foreground feature into the
photo composition to lead the viewer into or through the picture;
street lanterns or lights may be used to light up these foreground
objects while the magical cityscape is still beautifully exposed in the
background. A flashlight might be appropriate to use and provides a
similar result. During a long exposure, car head and rear lights turn
into beautiful colored streaks of red and white adding great appeal to
a photo and are a powerful tool that makes for a strong composition.
Effectively used those colored lines lead the viewer towards the main
subject.
Boston prime photo locations for landmarks are the Public Garden with
many sights in close proximity, the Christian Science Plaza in Back Bay
with its reflective pool, Atlantic Avenue in downtown Boston provides
access to Quincy Market with Faneuil Hall, the legendary Custom House
of Boston and the old State House among many other local attractions.
Next time you are
out and about photographing Boston at these prime times of the day make
sure to bring your tripod, a good dose of patience and soak in the
beauty of Boston because it’s not always about photography, it’s also
the experience of exploring a historic city that makes it unforgettable.
About the photographer and author
Juergen Roth was born and raised near Cologne, Germany. In 1988, he
moved to Berlin
West and following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989
he enjoyed exploring the reunited city and the lost natural environment
surrounding it. Some of his Berlin photographs were shown with other
photographers' work in a local show. After a number of visits to New
York City, Juergen had his own exhibition of New York photographs in
Berlin.
Since 2001 he has been living in Brookline, Massachusetts with his wife
Helen and daughter Nina. Juergen has been participated in many local
events and shows. His work has been published in books, calendars and
magazines. Juergen finds inspiration at the nearby Wildlife
Sanctuaries, as well as, in the beautiful landscapes of New Englands'
National and State Parks/Forests. Juergen has always regarded nature as
the ultimate inspiration.
You can view Juergen's extraordinary photography at
RothGalleries.com
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