The lighthouse may be history’s only example of a man-made structure erected in the middle of a scenic vista that did not cause public outcry and protest. You don’t have to be a lifelong sailor to appreciate the beauty of the world’s lighthouses. Even the lighthouses that fail to grace the pages of coffee-table books and the front of potato-chip bags are fantastic in their own ways. Mariner and landlubber alike often find their cameras pointing at these lantern-topped buildings, and releasing the shutter to yield stunning lighthouse photographs.
Photographs © Todd Vorenkamp
As a sailor, I have a special relationship with lighthouses. Over the years, I have absolutely loved photographing them. Making beautiful photos of beautiful lighthouses is not rocket science, nor is it the most technical realm of photography, but here are some thoughts and tips that I hope will make your next lighthouse photograph a definite keeper!
And, if you are crazy good already and don’t need these tips, but want to try your hand at photographing lighthouses at night, click here for a sister article that talks about capturing these navigation aids with less sunlight.
1. Composition and Framing
One of the more subjective aspects of lighthouse photography, composition, is completely at the discretion of the photographer. Point of view is, of course, limited by the camera-and-lens combination, as well as where you can and cannot stand while viewing your subject.
Since the lighthouse is static, feel free to play with composition. Do you want to include landscape? How much? Do you want to just shoot the beacon? Do you want to center the lighthouse in the frame? How is the Rule of Thirds working for you? Think foreground and background. Does the foreground add interest and context to the image? Or, does it detract from your subject?
Got your postcard shot? Now, sprinkle in some creative energy and put the lighthouse in the frame somewhere most people don’t. It might work on many levels.
2. Geometric Distortion
When you tilt your lens above the horizon, vertical lines converge. Many lighthouses are tapered by design, so it is not uncommon to see converging lines in images of lighthouses. However, with a wide-angle lens, and positioned close to the structure and pointed skyward, you can get some extreme converging action.
Is this distortion objectionable? Well, that is up to you to determine as the artist, and up to the viewer’s personal preferences. Not everyone is going to enjoy the effect, but there can be an artistic benefit to your image.
To eliminate or reduce the converging, you can use a perspective control (shift or tilt-shift) lens, or perform digital geometric corrections in post processing. When you photograph a pipe-covered factory or building with rows of windows, these geometric corrections can be easy to perform. With a tapered lighthouse that is narrower at the top than at the bottom, be sure not to overdo the corrections and make the lighthouse look unnatural.
3. Horizon Lines
Because many lighthouse towers are tapered, be careful not to use your camera’s gridlines to level your horizon on a tapered structure. If the sea is in your frame, that is the world’s best horizon—it is always level unless you find yourself on a small boat in the trough of a big wave!
If the sea is not in the frame, look for other buildings (keeper’s home), flag poles, and the vertical stations of the lantern gallery platform to help you keep your shot level. Of course, if your camera has one of those fancy digital horizon lines, you may use that, as well!
4. Viewpoint
Most lighthouses have limited viewpoints for the photographer, since most of them are very close to the water. Of course, you can photograph them from sea, but don’t get too close—the whole purpose of the light is to keep you and your craft off the rocks!
Sometimes there is a single viewing location for the lighthouse, but if there is not, be sure to explore the angles—both near to and far from the structure. Lighthouse photos can be equally compelling when taken from super-close range, or from a great distance. If you have time to do some scouting, do some scouting. Get up high. Get down low. Go over there. Walk around the property and see where you can get the best views. Change lenses (or focal lengths), too!
5. Details
One thing that I believe gets a bit overlooked in the lighthouse photography genre is this: details.
Most lighthouse images contain this navigational aid in its entirety. There is nothing wrong with that, obviously, but even the simplest of lighthouses can have visually intriguing details that are very photogenic.
Look for those details. Stairs, doors, windows, support structures, lightning rods, etc., all may help tell a more complete story of the lighthouse and give you a completely unique image.
6. Access
Depending on the lighthouse you are visiting, there are different options for access available. Some lighthouses can only be viewed from a distance. Others allow you to go inside. Some allow you to walk up to the base, but not go inside. And some are only visible from the sea or an aircraft.
Regardless of the level of access, it might pay wonderful photographic dividends to see if you can get inside those lighthouses that are closed to the public, or inside the fence line at another lighthouse. Never trespass. That is not cool. But, do your due diligence and contact the lighthouse keeper(s), be it government or private, and see if you can be granted permission to get closer than everyone else.
7. Staircases/Windows
If you do get inside a lighthouse, be ready to take advantage of grand spiral staircases and interesting mechanicals for those lighthouses that feature rotating lanterns. Also, many taller lighthouse towers have windows that allow light into the stairwells and other rooms—be sure to not only look out of those windows, but check out where the light falls that enters the structure.
When it comes to spiral staircase photography, tripods are a good thing to have, because the inside of the tower can be relatively dark, even at midday. Also, pay attention to symmetry when composing. Usually, you are looking straight up or straight down, trying to get the classic nautilus shell-look, and it is easy to find yourself subtly off-angle.
8. Lanterns and Lantern Room
If you can get access to the lantern room, and there is still a lantern present, get ready for some awesomeness! Even small Fresnel lenses are beautiful and jewel-like.
They are truly works of art. While a standard portrait of a lantern is cool, here is yet another opportunity to get creative and find unique images.
If you like lenses, photographic or otherwise, the Fresnel lens of a lighthouse lantern is about as amazing as lenses get. See how it bends light, notice its prismatic effects, and get up close to see if some abstract lens art speaks to you. But, do not touch the lantern—that is a lighthouse-visiting faux pas.
9. Time of Day, Time of Year, Weather
When I look back through my collection of lighthouse images, I am struck by the fact that many of them are taken on boring weather days or in the middle of the day. I then recall that many of these lighthouses were photographed while simply passing by the site on a road trip, sailing voyage, or helicopter flight.
I promise you that bi-weekly flights to Point Arena, CA, to re-circulate jet fuel were not scheduled to facilitate beautiful weather for lighthouse photography.
Lighthouses are always photogenic, but there are days when they are less photogenic. If you have the time, or live near one of these beauties, keep a weather eye on the horizon and get your shots when the light is right.
Dawn and dusk are generally the best times, fog is apropos for a lighthouse’s fog horn, and tune in to my article about shooting lighthouses at night when ready.
10. History
Maybe you are just passing by and lighthouses aren’t really your thing, but if you are spending some time photographing a particular lighthouse, I won’t hesitate to recommend that you do some research about the lighthouse. They all have stories. All of them. And, having some tidbits of history and stats about the lighthouse will serve to make the photographic experience that much more meaningful for you and, maybe, your audience.
11. Inspiration from Others
There is some amazing lighthouse photography out there for your enjoyment—truly amazing images. Enjoy them, study them by applying the above tips, and be inspired to get your own great shots!
Are you a lighthouse aficionado? What other tips do you have for getting awesome lighthouse photos?
2 Comments
As much as I enjoy still pics of lighthouses, I still enjoy flying my drone for video shoots! I had the pleasure of a Flying Santa Lighthouse Cruise, out of Plymouth Harbor this past fall. The day before the cruise I shot the Old Scituate Light, the day before the cruise. If it's allowed, my video may be viewed here. It was one of those cloudy days, where the sea was rather whipped up and made for a fantastic shoot! https://www.airvuz.com/video/Scituate-Lighthouse?id=5a284e5a07363c27c5a81f81
Great video! Thanks for sharing, Kevin!