Searles Castle

Today I'd like to take you to Searles Castle. It's on the Salem/Windham Nh line and while you can see a few of the turrets from Rte. 28, you owe it to yourself to visit. It's open to the public, and offer private functions and tours of the inside of the castle. But I find myself completely enthralled by the grounds and the castle itsself.

There are so many little details and bits to explore. The castle was built by architect Henry Vaughn in 1915 and cost a massive $1,250,000 to build.

This was the first time I visited the castle in the winter, and I'm glad I went! I got to spend the afternoon going for a nice long walk around the castle with a very dear friend who had never been there before. *Shout out to Ruthie!* I got to see the castle with a fresh perspective, it looks completely different in the summer!

I love using the sun to my advantage. To highlight the archway, and offer some nice shadows.

I love the shadows and light of the archway and the iron work. I spent quite a few shots just on the iron work alone!

I hope you enjoyed a walk around the castle with Ruthie and I! I'm looking forward to sharing so much more of my New England with you...

Winter Island

Let's start off by visiting Winter Island... Firstly, the lighthouse there makes an excellent photo subject from a multitude of spots. And secondly, because it's still winter here in New England! Which means thinner, crisper air for clear winter photos.

I love using the angles from various viewpoints to capture the same subject and seeing how that changes how I see it. The shadows and highlights and nuances that angle creates as compared to another viewpoint.

The view of the lighthouse from inside the gazebo makes a very nice frame for a photo and helps me to keep the horizon straight. (I'm still looking for a tripod for my Canon EOS 40D.)

After climbing to the top of the hill, I used some brambles to add interest to the photo. Nobody likes to take the same photo more than once, so when I'm photographing the same subject I try to make sure there's something different in each one.

When I turned around I was offered this breathtakingly beautiful sailboat in the harbor.

I sat on this bench for quite awhile enjoying the view...

Always bring your camera, take photos of everything and anything that interests you, and share them with others.