Ruthie's Big Lighthouse Adventure

03/10/2025

ATTENTION FACEBOOK NATION!!

Announcing PREORDER call to action discount
for my two upcoming releases!

* Available in early April, Preorder Now:

Finally! A children's first reader about real lighthouses and real life! Ruthie is a recreational vehicle traveling the country visiting lighthouses--but at night! Come along on her adventures as she visits our iconic beacons around the country. She'll teach the reader about lighthouse history, geography, navigation and celestial wonders. Ruthie is a real, 25-year-old, 22-foot RV donated to the United States Lighthouse Society for use on its nighttime lighthouse photography project, USA Stars & Lights. There's a whole lot of images and information in its 40 pages! PRE-ORDER NOW! Ruthie's Big Lighthouse Adventure is due to be released in April, 2025. Pre-order now and save $3.00 to reserve your copy. Limited time price: $15.00! Once this promotion ends, the retail price will be $17.99 To order visit here: https://stars-lights.myshopify.com

*Available in early May, Preorder Now:

Announcing the upcoming new release from the USA Stars & Lights series. This new edition--The Edge of Darkness--is the third by United States Lighthouse Society Director of Photography David Zapatka and features 134 lighthouses photographed at night from 26 different American states. Each two-page spread combines Zapatka's latest nighttime creations with historical images gleaned from national collections, offering insight on how each new image was captured deep into the night. As with the past releases, this is no ordinary collection. Hours of research and outreach to lighthouse owners takes place long before any shoot happens: Who owns the lighthouse? Is it accessible at night? Might we have permission to visit it at night? Are there any lights on the property needing to be addressed? Is it safe to be on the property at night? Is it land-based or on an island? Can we get safely on and off the lighthouse property in darkness? Questions like these are vital to a successful shoot. As the shoot date nears, now it's time to gather weather and sky condition data, study tide and lunar charts for optimum conditions. This is the largest edition yet within the series at 272 pages. PRE-ORDER NOW! For a limited time, pre-order your copy at $10 off list, now $49.99. Shipping is slated for mid-May 2025. Once the book is officially released in May 2025, the suggested retail price will be $59.99. https://stars-lights.myshopify.com

10/22/2024

Calling this one: Goodnight Galactic Core. (Single image capture.) As we approach winter and as the earth repositions itself, the Milky Way's bright and dramatic galactic core becomes hidden from North America. Folks in the Southern Hemisphere are now beginning to see it at night. This is from the beach at Narragansett's Fishermen's Memorial in the Harbor of Refuge, more commonly referred as Sand Hill Cove. The foreground rocks are illuminated by the Pt Judith Lighthouse beacon. The comet is getting higher in the sky and is growing more faint as it moves away in the solar system. We'll see it again in 80,000 years.

10/22/2024

Made a return visit to Pt Judith tonight. A few nights ago, the comet was visible but the moon was nearly full. The moon tonight wasn't to appear until after 9pm, giving ample time to find the Milky Way, Venus, and the comet shining brightly once twilight had diminished. Then the issue was trying to find the balance between the bright beacon magnified by the lighthouse's Fresnel lens. There's a lot going on in this photo.

10/21/2024

So wonderful to see the Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse honored last evening by Preserve RI. For six decades, Preserve RI has been championing historic preservation in the State. Our small group of volunteers has dedicated the last 25-years in maintaining the lighthouse. If it not for a partnership with the RI DMV and the General Assembly allowing us to have our PBL Charity Lighthouse License Plates, the lighthouse would have fallen back into a rusting eyesore. As its president now for 20-years, it has been an honor to lead our small but wonderful group of friends concerned about the well-being of this historic maritime beacon. Preserve RI created a wonderful video for the event:
https://www.preserveri.org/2024-rhody-award-winner-videos

And if you can take the time, they are holding a small competition for the best video. Follow this link to vote for ours:

https://airtable.com/appTaCdsLK18ryVFO/shry0KW0mYwpDdQUC

Watch the 2024 Rhody Awardee videos, celebrating the best in historic preservation across Rhode Island.

10/21/2024

For my former NYC network colleagues and other friends still in the tri-state area:

Next Monday evening, October 28 at 7:30, I'll be giving a USA Stars & Lights talk at Long Island's Island Photo Group. It'll cover the approach used to capture most all of the area's remaining lighted lighthouses deep into the night. The event is open to the public, though the venue is of a "modest size."

The event will be at the Ellsworth W. Allen Park, 45 Motor Ave, Farmingdale, NY 11735. It is in the park's community building.

I'll be sharing stories from the field, some older images gleaned from the 11-years of capturing lighthouses at night. Might even sneak in some new images with auroras and comets!

It would be great to see some old friends!

10/20/2024

My heart is breaking today hearing the news coming out of Sapelo Island, Georgia. A walking-bridge at the island ferry landing collapsed yesterday, killing at least 7. There was a historic celebration under way when the incident occurred, and as many as 20 people were on the bridge. Sapelo is a barrier island with little to no services, yet has a strong history of families dating back to the slave trade. A community called Hog Hommock has struggled to survive with many of its residents being displaced by rising housing prices as the more affluent discover the island. I was there a couple years ago photographing its historic lighthouse while being led to it by a ranger with the Georgia Dept of Natural Resources. One of yesterday's victims was a chaplain for the service. Such a tragedy.

10/17/2024

On comet watch again tonight. Pt Judith at around 7:30. The near-full moon was casting a lot of light. Many familiar with my lighthouse work know my avoidance of moonlight. The window to shoot the comet is closing quickly and if you have yet to see it, you must be in place starting about an hour after sunset. It was only visible tonight for roughly an hour before it grows too faint to see, even on the camera. A shot time later, it dipped below the horizon.

10/15/2024

Had to go out and see the comet tonight. Big week in the sky over Beavertail! First the aurora, now the comet. I was surprised how bright the comet is given there's a ton of moonlight tonight as well.

10/11/2024

Found Beavertail and Watch Hill both aglow last night. Beavertail was immediately and immense at dusk. Drove to Watch Hill just to see if the aurora was still alive. And there it was.

10/03/2024

As folks in NC,SC,TN, VA,GA, and FL get cell service, hundreds of storm videos and its aftermath are emerging. I'm finding them all to be mesmerizing. All of our hearts should be hurting for the hundreds of thousands of people forever affected by this tragedy. If you aren't sure to whom to donate, please consider the Red Cross. I've been a volunteer for them for two years now, and many of my colleagues have deployed to the south for disaster relief. I'll most likely be heading there when my schedule allows, but your donation to the American Red Cross is vital to putting it to use where it is needed most. God help those affected by Hurricane Helene. https://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/disaster-relief/hurricane-relief/hurricane-helene.html

09/27/2024

Many have been asking where to buy the 2025 Great American Lighthouse calendar. If you can't find them at your favorite local gift store or your local Stop & Shop, Market Basket, or Kroger's, the publisher is also offing them directly from Amazon.

Great American Lighthouses 2025 Wall Calendar, 12" x 12"

09/27/2024

The McGrath Judicial Complex building super was sprucing the place up today in advance of tomorrow's USA Stars & Lights night lighthouse photography exhibit opening reception. From noon-2:30pm, the doors will be open to the public for the Rhode Island Judiciary's "Art in the Courthouse" featuring 80 lighthouse photographs from around the country. It's at 4800 Tower Hill Rd in Wakefield, about a mile from where the Wakefield Benny's used to be. For those needing a more direct visual location, it's in the shadow of the Prout High School water tower and next to the Stedman DMV building.