Dave Thompsen Photography

Tag: Portsmouth

  • Lobster Boats

    Lobster Boats

    Lobster Boats

    This photograph features the working boats moored at the Peirce Island commercial fishing pier in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Prescott Park and the historic Sheafe Warehouse appear across the channel while the Memorial Bridge spans the Piscataqua River behind it. The clouds were nice and puffy this late spring day.

    This is a High Dynamic Range (HDR) photograph – several bracketed exposures were combined to yield a single image with greater detail and wider tonal range. An artistic filter was also applied to give it a painterly look. Prints are available from my Etsy shop.

  • Pink Impatiens

    Pink Impatiens

    Pink Impatiens

    Colorful Impatiens flowers take center stage in the Liberty Garden, part of Prescott Park in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. A gnarly tree provides an almost sinister look behind the cheery floral display. Brick walks and picket fences fade in the distance.

    A framed print of this image is on display this September (2025) at the New Hampshire Art Association just up State Street a short distance from this location.

  • 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.

  • Portsmouth Harbor

    Portsmouth Harbor

    Portsmouth Harbor

    This image captures the waterfront along the harbor in Portsmouth, New Hampshire as seen from the newly constructed Memorial Bridge that spans the Piscataqua River between the town and Badger Island Maine. The iconic dark red Moran tugboats can be seen in the distance. Brick residences and offices meet the water’s edge. Penthouses afford commanding views of the pleasure boats and transport ships as they cruise by on their passages between Great Bay further in or the Atlantic Ocean going out. The incredibly strong tidal currents in this area are fascinating to watch as boats fight their way through the narrows.

    This image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance.

  • Working Waterfront

    Working Waterfront

    A photograph of the fishing boats at Peirce Island in Portsmouth, NH.
    Working Waterfront

    One of my favorite places to walk is Peirce Island in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It offers interesting views of the the harbor, including Prescott Park and the Fish Pier with its working boats. This scene shows the fishing boats docked at the pier on an early June day, with the steeple of North Church and the historic Sheafe Warehouse (c. 1740) in the background. The viewpoint is from Four Tree Island, a picnic area connected to Peirce Island by a short pedestrian causeway.

    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.

  • Dinghy at Wentworth-Coolidge

    Dinghy at Wentworth-Coolidge

    A photograph of a dinghy moored in the shimmering waters off the historic Wentworth-Coolidge mansion property in Portsmouth, NH.
    Dinghy at Wentworth-Coolidge

    The Wentworth-Coolidge historic site is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on the shores of Little Harbor. This was the home of Benning Wentworth, the first royal governor of New Hampshire. The Coolidge family owned the property from 1886 to 1954, developing it as a summertime artist community. The Wentworth-Coolidge Commission continues this tradition of sponsoring arts and music events on the site, which includes a short walking trail and is open for house tours.

    I’ve taken many photographs of this site, but particularly like the image with the dinghy in the foreground, taken from the Heritage  cruise ship operated by Portsmouth Harbor Cruises.

    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.

  • Portsmouth Harbor Light at Sunrise

    Portsmouth Harbor Light at Sunrise

    A photograph of the Portsmouth Lighthouse on the coast of New Hampshire.
    Portsmouth Harbor Light at Sunrise

    Taken during an early springtime morning in New Hampshire, this image of Portsmouth Harbor lighthouse shows the trees just starting to leaf out in the background. Although the vantage point is Great Island Common in New Castle a half-mile away, a telephoto lens in concert with a tight image crop pulls in the houses across the harbor in Kittery, Maine.

    This is the only lighthouse along the New Hampshire seacoast located on the mainland. The original wooden lighthouse was established in 1771, and replaced in 1878 by the current 48-foot cast-iron, brick-lined tower. It is still an active navigational aid outfitted with a fourth order Fresnel lens made of green acrylic, visible for 12 miles.

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

    The photograph was inspired by the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse postage stamp (Scott #4792), part of the New England Lighthouses series issued in 2013.

    Image of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse USPS postage stamp
    Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse USPS postage stamp
  • 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.

  • 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.