Dave Thompsen Photography

Category: New England

  • Minuteman Statue at North Bridge

    Minuteman Statue at North Bridge

    A photograph of the Minuteman Statue at North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts.
    Minuteman Statue at North Bridge

    This iconic statue in Concord, Massachusetts was sculpted by Daniel Chester French in 1875. It commemorates the Minute Men, colonists who organized during the Revolutionary War to form trained militia groups in anticipation of battle against Great Britain. These men were often farmers as indicated by the plowshare in the statue. Typically deployed as sharpshooters and skirmishers, they prepared their equipment such that they could quickly be ready to fight, hence the term Minute Men.

    The statue is located next to North Bridge which spans the Concord River. Rebuilt several times, the current bridge replica was completed in 1956. This was the site of the first day of battle in the American War of Independence, where Americans fired upon the advancing British troops, killing three of them.

    At the North Bridge location in the summer, one often sees volunteers dressed in Colonial period attire, role-playing to educate visitors about life during that era. The National Park Service operates a visitor center a short walk up the hill from the bridge, and features a short video on the battle and exhibits that include “The Hancock”, a brass cannon that was smuggled out of Boston in 1775 and was subsequently confiscated by General Gage of the British Army.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance. Prints are available from my Pixels shop.

    The composition was inspired by The Minute Man stamp (Scott #619) issued in 1925 which depicts the statue as well as tablets inscribed with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1836 Concord Hymn poem.

    Signature Aviation requisitioned this image for their terminal lobby at Bedford L.G. Hanscom Field in Massachusetts.

  • Gundalow Piscataqua

    Gundalow Piscataqua

    A photograph of the Gundalow boat sailing in Portsmouth Harbor, NH.
    Gundalow Piscataqua

    Gundalows were cargo boats unique to New Hampshire and Maine waters. They were used to transport goods along the estuaries and harbors of the region, particularly in tidal areas. Propulsion was a combination of drifting with the tides and using their single lateen sail, which could be quickly lowered to pass under bridges. The Gundalow Company in Portsmouth New Hampshire operates educational cruises aboard the newly constructed replica, Piscataqua, named after the river flowing through Portsmouth Harbor.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.

  • Point Lisas Pearl

    Point Lisas Pearl

    A photograph of the Point Lisas Pearl cargo ship unloading salt in Portsmouth, NH.
    Point Lisas Pearl

    The Point Lisas Pearl freighter is unloading its cargo of road salt at the  Granite State Minerals terminal in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. According to Shipspotting.com, it’s a 188 meter long general cargo ship built in 1984 currently sailing under the Bahamas flag. That website also provides the current position of the ship as reported by the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which uses transceivers on ships to transmit their location to base stations.

    I converted this image to black & white and used an artistic filter to enhance the ship’s superstructure.

  • Odiorne Point Sandy Coastline

    Odiorne Point Sandy Coastline

    A photograph of early dawn on the sandy beach of Odiorne Point in Rye, NH.
    Odiorne Point Sandy Coastline

    Early morning light at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, New Hampshire. This side of the park borders Little Harbor where the calm waters have allowed a sandy beach to form along the rocky coastline.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses High-Dynamic Range (HDR) technique and an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance. Available from my Etsy shop.

  • Albany Covered Bridge

    Albany Covered Bridge

    An autumn photograph of the covered bridge crossing the Swift River in Albany, NH.
    Albany Covered Bridge

    The covered bridge in Albany spans the Swift River which parallels the Kancamagus Highway east from the route’s high point (2,855′) at Kancamagus Pass, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Built in 1858, it uses a Paddleford truss design, developed by Peter Paddleford in the 1800’s and characterized by a fairly complex arrangement of rafters, posts, and struts that support the roadway and roof. The bridge is 100 feet long and 15 feet wide. It still carries vehicle and foot traffic across the river, although additional supports were added to handle the heavier loads of today’s cars and trucks.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.

  • New Castle Sunrise

    New Castle Sunrise

    A photograph of early dawn at New Castle Common, NH with a view of the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.
    New Castle Sunrise

    A shapely tree stands in silhouette during an early summer morning at the Great Island Common park in New Castle, New Hampshire. The Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse stands watch in the distance.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.

  • Southend Yacht Club

    Southend Yacht Club

    A photograph of a dory moored in front of the Southend Yacht Club in Portsmouth, NH.
    Southend Yacht Club

    A dory lies still on its mooring in front of the Southend Yacht Club in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Taken from Peirce Island, the brilliant yellow of the building and the vibrant topside of the dory is reflected in the waters of the harbor.

    A dory boat is characterized by its shallow-draft, high sides, flat bottom (often with a slight rocker-shape), and sharp bows. An easy design to build, it’s capable of carrying a heavy load, hence it’s popularity with fishermen.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.

  • Old Harbor Life-Saving Station

    Old Harbor Life-Saving Station

    A photograph of the old life-saving station and surrounding sand dunes at Race Point in Cape Cod.
    Old Harbor Life-Saving Station

    Surrounded by sand dunes and ocean, the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station Museum chronicles the history of the United States Lifesaving Service, a government agency chartered to patrol the coastline and save victims (and cargo!) of shipwrecks.

    Created in 1871, this agency utilized stations such as the one in the picture to base operations for these life-saving duties. This building was actually built in Chatham, Massachusetts in 1898, one of thirteen stations along Cape Cod’s ocean-side beaches. It was moved to this location on Race Point in 1977 and now serves as a museum. When in operation, crews kept watch for ships in distress, ready to use surfboats, breeches buoys, and other apparatus to save shipwrecked sailors and passengers.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.

  • Mount Washington Auto Road

    Mount Washington Auto Road

    A photograph of the winding Mount Washington Auto Road in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
    Mount Washington Auto Road

    A vantage point from the Mount Washington Auto Road, a winding road that climbs 4,700 feet to the highest point in the northeast, the summit of Mount Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The vista includes other peaks in the Presidential Range.

    On this summer day, the weather in the valley where the auto road starts was comfortable, with temperatures in the 70’s (F). As I drove up the mountain, the winds started to howl, rocking my sizable Honda Pilot SUV back and forth. At Mount Washington’s summit of 6,288 feet, it’s reputation for extreme weather was reinforced by winds of over 60 MPH and frigid temperatures in the low 30’s. Just walking across the observation deck above the summit building was an adventure – I had to walk with my body angled into the fierce gale to avoid getting knocked over. If you take the road, be sure to visit the extreme weather exhibit in the lodge – it chronicles the day in April 1934 when the fastest wind ever recorded at a manned weather station occurred – 231 MPH!

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.

  • Autumn Sunrise on Mount Chocorua

    Autumn Sunrise on Mount Chocorua

    A photograph of colorful autumn foliage blanketing Mount Chocorua in the New Hampshire White Mountains.
    A photograph of colorful autumn foliage blanketing Mount Chocorua in the New Hampshire White Mountains.

    Sunrise bathes Mount Chocorua in glowing orange. Dark evergreens are punctuated by colorful fall foliage of deciduous trees along the shore of Chocorua Lake at the base of the mountain. At 3,490 feet, this is the easternmost peak of the Sandwich Range of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Although not as lofty as some, it’s bare, rocky summit stands out and can be seen for miles. It is an iconic fixture of the region and is the subject of many photographs and paintings.

    Images taken from the same vantage point in summer and fall…

    A photograph of colorful autumn foliage blanketing Mount Chocorua in the New Hampshire White Mountains.

    Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.