Boston Harbor and Seaport Photography — by Boat
From Boston Light to fireworks, portraits, and time on the water #015
My Favorite Boston Harbor Photo
We got out to the Boston Light on Little Brewster (Beacon) Island last weekend. Its one of my favorite spots in Boston Harbor to visit in our boat. Luckily, the water was calm and we had great puffy clouds circling us. I keep going there and getting different angles, varying skies, and different tides.
With great historical significance, Boston Light sits at the center and mouth of the Boston Harbor/Massachusetts Bay. The original lighthouse was built in 1715, but destroyed and later occupied by the British in 1774. It was destroyed again by fire in 1775 during the Revolutionary war and demolished as the Brits left Boston at the endo the war. The current structure was built in 1783 and raised in 1859 to its current height of 89 feet, with a focal plane at 102 feet
More to learn at the link above.
Museum Quality and Giclée Printing
This shot location and Photos are framed and on display in my home. Its also in high demand by my friends.
Last December, I bought a Professional grade printer to produce my photographs in high quality for camera club and other competitions. I use the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 printer with 12 pigment ink cartridges.
I print these and other photographs in color and monochrome following Museum Quality, archival processes. The feature image of Boston Light looks so impressive and colorful following the Giclée process on thick matte paper. When handled properly— it will not fade for 150 years. (I am not old enough to validate the test, yet). Be glad to share more, just ask.
Where would you hang these pictures and what sizes would you choose?
I am out of the BOOT and Back on My Feet!
I’ve been walking actively again—between friends visiting Boston, Labor Day weekend, and new photo projects, it’s been busy. What you’ll see here are some of my initial favorites.
Its amazing to the see the jump in my step activity since I was freed from the Boot in July. It took me a while, but I started hitting my stride at the end of July. The chart below came from my Oura ring and iPhone Health Data.
Not to be a nerd, but Lightroom easily shows me the shots by year, month and data. This chart shows you when i got injured, at the end of April, and my step count plunged way down. Then, in August, I surged and shot 4X more pictures than July.
Many of the pictures between mid-May and August were taken from and around my building and home. Some were shared in my previous posts:
Back to the Good Stuff - Boston Light by Boat
My boat buddy Stan Lee, presides at the front of the boat to point the way as seen below. He knew we were heading to Boston Light!
Pups love sightseeing on the boat. Coco wanted to get into the water.
Near Fan Pier Marina, my boating base, its always great to see people hanging out and enjoying amazing weather.
And even from the Boat, I capture my street photography candid shots.
Rowes Wharf flying the flag in the great hall is always a spectacle to see from the street or the road.
And of course, my vanity runs deep and I have to capture a self-portrait from the Pier 4 building. Can you spot me? (Hint: I am in a boat 🔱)
Evening in The Seaport Marina on Labor Day
Boating during the day. Dinner at night in the Seaport.
The weather and holiday brought out the crowds, good music, and a new exhibit at the ICA. On my way walking to dinner, I noticed a new exhibit wall at the Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA). I paused at the colors and street vibes and hand-held this shot.
Walking to dinner, there was a really good band playing soulful and upbeat music at the ICA Steps. I arrived in time for the last two songs, before I went next door for dinner.
Boston Harbor Fireworks and Ghosts in the Seaport
By luck, within 30 seconds of sitting down to dinner at Woods Hill, FIREWORKS STARTED! What timing! Normally I would be on my balcony with a tripod, but I forgot about the Labor Day schedule.
It was glorious and I was sitting with my wife and friends, and YES! I had my camera. It was my street favorite 35mm F1.8 lens, wide and fast enough to capture the fireworks and the crowds watching. No tripod, but I was able to prop it up, and steady it on the table and Voila! So here are some shots of the fireworks and ghosts of seaport!
I did a double take when I reviewed this in Lightroom. Does it look like a monster character or is it just me?
I was using exposure of 3-10 seconds to capture and not over-expose the fireworks. But notice the movement in that time? And some people stood still.
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And… If you missed it, here is my last post, Ghosts of Grand Central Station, from my last IMAGE FRONTIERs post.
So, do you like the long exposures?
More Boating — Portrait Shots of Friends
Some friends came out on the boat with us, and joined Stan Lee and me, along with their pups! The pups all had life jackets and we were all good.
Our friends are really photogenic and I want to include some posed portraits to go along with my candid portraits that I love to shoot. I am also experimenting with a new flash, can you tell?
How am I doing?
Click on the photos below to see them without cropping!
My Boat Buddy: Stan Lee Rosen
And finally, last but not least, is a Portrait of Stan Lee with good Bokeh! He loves the boat, can you tell? Its not only my Zen place, but his as well.
Boating with my boat buddy, a cigar, and good friends is my favorite Zen time. Its even more de-compressing than Flyfishing or Photography itself.
Come join me when you get a chance. Be glad to have you on board!
Lessons learned 🧠
As always, here are some observations that struck me while preparing this post:
Grateful for mobility — Being back on my feet means August was full of 10,000–20,000 step days.
Persistence pays off — Even when limited to my neighborhood, I kept my eye fresh.
Long exposures surprise — Fireworks and ghostly shots of the Seaport reminded me how timing changes the story. Expect more long exposure from me.
Portraits matter — Friends on the boat encouraged me to push past my street photography candid photos into more intentional portraits.
Your Turn 🤔
I truly want to hear more from you. Not only what you think of my work, but also what if anything is moving you?
Have you visited Boston Light or the harbor islands? What memories do they hold?
Do you prefer candid shots or posed portraits when capturing friends?
How do you display photos on your walls—prints, canvases, or digital frames? What kind of art do you put on your walls?
If you’ve made it this far — thank you! 🙏 So, PLEASE: ⬇️
Closing Thought This Week
I am back.
I had more than 25 people respond to help me pick my paintings to be hung at the Gallery. Thank you all for your amazing support!
So tell me—WHAT’S UP with You? 👀 What are you shooting, seeing, exploring, or just thinking about this summer?
Copyright Stuff
All photographs and images are copyrighted and created by me, David Rosen, unless otherwise noted. If you are interested in prints or using these images, simply reach out and ask at click@imagefrontiers.com.
I have few walls in my apartment covered with photos. I'd share a photo, I do not know how.
I have few walls in my apartment covered with photos. I'd share a photo, I do not know how.