Driving over the Mount Hope Bridge from Bristol to Aquidneck Island, I often wondered how I would get close enough to capture an image of the Hog Island Lighthouse.
The “spark plug” style light was situated in the channel about 600 feet south of Hog Island, at the mouth of Mount Hope Bay. The channel can be quite busy, and if I were to take my small kayak, I knew it would be an adventure.
I was unable to “reach” the lighthouse with a 300mm or 400mm lens from shore. The distance was too great. Travel to Hog Island was out of the question. Reached only by boat, I would still need the kayak if I went this route.
Finally, one afternoon on a windless day, I traveled over the bridge and parked at a public boat ramp in Portsmouth.
I inflated my portable kayak, and set out with a 300mm lens and Canon body. I paddled at a quick pace. It was late in the day, and pleasure boat traffic had tapered off. I paddled steadily, watching out for approaching ocean tankers and commercial vessels. It was getting late. The sun was beginning to sink towards the horizon. I had misjudged how long it would take to reach the lighthouse.
Every so often I would unwrap the camera and put my eye to the viewfinder. Finally, I felt the distance was right. A few fishermen added a human element to the composition and I took several frames, the kayak bobbing in the expanse of water far from shore. The angle was pleasing to me, almost a “fish eye view” from sea level in the small boat. Satisfied, I came about and paddled madly for the boat ramp.
Even now, when I cross the Mount Hope Bridge, I easily recall the experience, which was more rewarding than the image!
An Unmapped Route: A Hiker's Blog 