In a Different Light - Night Scenes from my home town on Martha's Vineyard
These photos were taken this past winter in my home town on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. It is sometimes referred to as a “one of a kind celebrity playground”.
The winter population of the “Vineyard” is around 15,000. During the summer months the population surges to well over 110,000 and, as you would think, a multitude of businesses open up to provide amenities and activities for everyone. So, for 3 months the place just rocks. Beaches and streets are so full of people that the small town character is completely transformed.
While there is so much glamour on the island that attracts summer visitors, I have chosen to look the other way in these photographs. Rather than photograph the charm found here, I have focused my attention to show that there is enchantment in the peace and solitude that can found when you have a chance to look at your surroundings in a different way. I head out for hours in search of isolated scenes from within the general landscape which contain a mysterious quality to them. I can plan a location to shoot but since the night is control of the stage, I never know where I will wind up. By using long exposures taken at night, I find that a familiar sight can be transformed into the unfamiliar and sometimes into a world of its own.
As summer ends and the days get shorter, the summer visitors gradually leave and the Island is given back to its year round residents. Businesses close and quiet returns. To me, these months are just as good if not better.
