| Places to photograph; best time
of day/year to shoot; tips about shooting there: |
Rose Island Lighthouse
The most obvious subject is the Rose
Island Lighthouse. Sunlight hits it all day, as there are no
obstructions. Angles are plentiful, mostly from seashell beaches
on either side of the lighthouse. Rocks surround the seaward
sides of the lighthouse, but they're difficult to include as
foreground elements in a photo, as the house is at too high
an angle. During public visiting hours, you may also photograph
in the first floor of the lighthouse and from the tower.
Wildlife
A large portion of the island is a wildlife
refuge, which is off limits. In fact, you can't even walk around
the whole perimeter of the island from April 1 to August 15,
when several species of birds are nesting. That said, the island
is a great place to photograph birds. You'll have very easy
access to Little Blue Herons, Canada Geese, Black-crowned Night
Herons, American Oystercatchers, Herring and Great Black-backed
gulls, Great and Snowy Egrets, and Glossy Ibis.
From late October to April, harbor seals often haul out on
the beach. Access is prohibited to seal-occupied beaches, but
you can get plenty close enough with a telephoto lens to photograph
them, especially from the rocky outcrops that flank most of
the beaches.
Plants and wildflowers on Rose Island include bittersweet,
Multiflora rose and Japanese honeysuckle.
Also ...
Another opportunity for Rose Island is
to use it as a standing point for photographing off-island subjects.
The island offers one of the best unencumbered views of Newport
Bridge, and is a great spot to photograph passing yachts and
sailboats.
The island is also home to several former military buildings.
They're all in various states of dilapidation, and will likely
be restored in the future; they date as far back as 1778, and
were used for different functions from the Revolutionary War
through World War II. Access to the buildings is prohibited,
but many of them may be photographed from a boat, or from shore
between August 15 and April 1.
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| Other notes: |
The island is open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
However, the best way to work the island is to stay
overnight at the lighthouse.
The Jamestown
Ferry is the easiest way to get on the island, but it runs
only in summer. It runs just on weekends from Memorial Day to
July 1; daily from July 1 to Labor Day; and on weekends from
Labor Day to late September or early October (dates are flexible,
depending on weather and tourism traffic).
Expect the weather on the island to be windier and colder than
that of the mainland. Very cold winters, hot summers; autumn,
spring and early and late summer can be very nice.
Also see Newport Harbor.
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