Stratford Shoals
Seven miles due south of Stratford Point in Connecticut is the Stratford Shoals Lighthouse, also known as Middle Ground Shoal. It was built in 1877 to warn ships of the shallow waters in the middle of Long Island Sound. We set out from the Stratford boat ramp and arrived at the lighthouse just after sunset. It took a good hour and a half before twilight subsided enough to start making images, but the persistent ambient light from both the south shore of Connecticut and the north shore of Long Island made it difficult to see too many stars. We spent about an hour shooting several different angles on a warm and balmy early July night. The scene was lit by my friend Sean who maneuvered the whaler off the south side of the lighthouse while pointing a dimmed LED light toward the lighthouse. I hadn't intended to make it look so spooky, but it's fitting since the legend is that the building is haunted, and the constant drone of the foghorn added a mystique to the adventure.
July 6, 2016 78° 5mph wind, calm seas
Nikon D4, 14mm lens ISO 2000 f3.5 20secs
