Dave Thompsen Photography

Category: New England

  • Highland Lighthouse

    Highland Lighthouse

    Highland Lighthouse

    The Highland Lighthouse is located on outer Cape Cod in Truro, Massachusetts, providing a beacon for mariners on the North Atlantic. In 1996, the 66-foot tall brick structure had to be moved away from the eroding clay cliffs common in this area. On this day in June 2023, purple flowers and weathered fence rails frame the lighthouse under gray overcast skies. Visitors to this National Park Service site can climb the stairs to admire the view of the seashore.

    This photograph uses a High-Dynamic Range (HDR) technique and artistic software filters to impart a painterly appearance.

  • Avalanche Falls

    Avalanche Falls

    Avalanche Falls

    Verdant growth hugs the granite walls as Flume Brook plunges 45 feet down into the 800 foot long Flume Gorge, a classic scenic attraction at the base of Mount Liberty in Franconia Notch, part of the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

    This photograph uses a High-Dynamic Range (HDR) technique and artistic software filters to impart a painterly appearance.

  • Seaside Curves

    Seaside Curves

    Seaside Curves

    Route 1A hugs the rocky coastline in North Hampton, New Hampshire at sunrise on this calm summer day. A bench beckons walkers and runners to pause and absorb the expansive ocean view. The curvy ribbon of asphalt also offers beautiful vistas for bikers and motorists – it won’t be empty long, due to the popularity of this portion of the New Hampshire State Seacoast Scenic Byway.

  • Coliseum Falls

    Coliseum Falls

    Coliseum Falls

    Aptly named, Coliseum Falls is a gently stepped cascade along Bemis Brook in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It can be reached by hiking the Bemis Brook trail which starts a short distance south of the Willey House in Crawford Notch and leads to the much larger Arethusa Falls.

    This image uses High-Dynamic Range (HDR) technique and an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance.

  • Perkins Cove Drawbridge

    Perkins Cove Drawbridge

    Perkins Cove Drawbridge

    A sailboat approaches the drawbridge at Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine. This small peninsula shelters a small harbor and includes art galleries and gift shops. It is located at the end of the Marginal Way, a spectacular footpath along the Atlantic Ocean.

    This image uses High-Dynamic Range (HDR) technique and an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance.

  • Plum Island Beach

    Plum Island Beach

    Plum Island is a barrier beach near Newburyport, Massachusetts. Here, the waves have been kicked up by the same storm that raked the New Jersey shore and dumped snow on Washington DC late January 2016.

    This image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance. Prints are available from my Pixels shop.

  • Parker River NWR Boardwalk

    Parker River NWR Boardwalk

    Parker River NWR Boardwalk

    The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge preserves over 4700 acres of salt marsh, sand dunes, and beachfront on the north shore of Massachusetts at Plum Island, not far from Newburyport. Home to over 300 species of animals, it is a prime area to view migratory birds. With its core mission of providing crucial wildlife habitat, the refuge typically closes large sections of beachfront in the spring to protect the Piping Plover, a shorebird that nests on the open beach and is very sensitive to human encroachment.

    This wooden boardwalk winds through the sand dunes from parking area #3 to the ocean. The scene was captured on an unusually warm November day with a stiff wind blowing. The grasses have turned to a soft tan color, most of the tree leaves have fallen, but some bushes still show off their red leaves; red berries are abundant.

    This image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance. Prints are available from my Pixels shop.

  • Shimmering Waters

    Shimmering Waters

    Shimmering Waters

    Hiking the trail up West Rattlesnake Mountain in Holderness, New Hampshire is rewarding for the small effort expended. The views on this early autumn day were spectacular as the waters of Lake Squam shimmer below the summit cliffs. The foliage is just starting to turn color and the view includes Lake Winnipesaukee in the distance.

    This image uses High-Dynamic Range (HDR) technique and an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance. Prints are available from my Etsy shop.

  • Phillips Exeter Academy Chapel

    Phillips Exeter Academy Chapel

    A photograph of snow falling in front of the classic wooden doors and stonework of the Phillips Exeter Academy Chapel in Exeter, NH.
    Phillips Exeter Academy Chapel

    Phillips Church serves the students of the preparatory boarding school Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. The church was designed by architect Ralph Adams Cram, a champion of American Gothic Revival style, who also designed the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York City as well as many of the original buildings on the academy campus.

    I captured this photograph on a early December day when heavy, wet snowflakes were starting to fall. They offered a nice contrast against the rich wood grain of the chapel doors. Symmetry is apparent in the double doors, wreaths, and planters in their matching alcoves.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance.

  • Sailing Past Fort Constitution

    Sailing Past Fort Constitution

    Sailing Past Fort Constitution

    The gundalow boat Piscataqua sails past Fort Constitution in New Castle, New Hampshire. The Portsmouth Harbor lighthouse is to the left, the lighthouse keeper’s house is the white building with the red roof. The large building in the background is the former Portsmouth Naval Prison, built like a castle on the current grounds of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The image was captured from Fort Foster across the harbor in Kittery, Maine.

    This image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.