From the Scaffolds at Abbot Hall

Almost exactly six years ago, Abbot Hall was in the midst of much needed repairs and I somehow talked my way (with permission) to the top of the scaffolding that surrounded the building. This was before the availability of drones making such shots commonplace. Back then I recall sticking flyers under doors throughout historic downtown Marblehead hoping for a widow's walk or some other vantage point from which to find new compositions of this town. The view from the scaffolds at Abbot Hall did not disappoint - even if the light wasn't ideal. Here you can look down on Washington [...]

By Eyal Oren|2020-11-22T22:11:24-05:00November 23rd, 2020|Categories: Rooftop|Tags: Abbot Hall, historic downtown, Old Town, rooftop, Washington Street|2 Comments

Warm Morning on Washington Street

As we approach the annual winter parking ban, I've begun to plan out early morning trips to capture views of historic downtown Marblehead's streets without parked cars in the frame. The absence of cars helps to remove a sense of time from the images as the views of these hundred year old homes could conceivably have been captured decades ago. Today's image comes from mid December 2016 when I had only had the Phantom 4 pro drone for a few months. I had flown about 100 feet over Washington Street and caught the warm glow of the morning sun bathing the [...]

By Eyal Oren|2018-11-11T18:53:14-05:00November 12th, 2018|Categories: Aerial|Tags: aerial, historic downtown, Old Town, Washington Street|6 Comments

Historic Downtown Marblehead

Prior to purchasing the Phantom 4 Pro drone, I could only achieve these types of views from select spots around town. One of them was Abbot Hall and I was fortunate to be allowed on the scaffolding during the work to restore it a few years ago. Even with the freedom of the scaffolding, I still didn't have the freedom to compose as I do with this aerial camera and had missed out on these types of view. Historic downtown Marblehead (Old Town to some) is a treasure of architecture, locally owned stores, historic homes dating back hundreds of years [...]

By Eyal Oren|2018-08-22T22:54:09-04:00August 23rd, 2018|Categories: Aerial|Tags: aerial, historic downtown, Old Town|4 Comments

Looking Down on Historic Downtown Marblehead

As I flew over historic downtown Marblehead on the Wednesday morning after a blizzard, I couldn't help but stop at the intersection of Washington and Hooper to take in the view. I had an image of St Michaels steeple in mind from this intersection but, with a slight adjustment, was able to take in the Lee Mansion, St Michaels, Grace and numerous examples of classic architecture from this one spot in the sky. The gentle curve of Washington Street and the stark contrast between the black asphalt of the road and undisturbed snow from the blizzard made for a perfect [...]

By Eyal Oren|2018-03-15T21:52:03-04:00March 16th, 2018|Categories: Aerial|Tags: aerial, historic downtown, Jeremiah Lee Mansion, Old Town, St Michaels church|17 Comments

Top 10 of 2016 – #1 – Light Dawns on Marblehead

So this is a first - my favorite image of 2016 is a brand new one that I am sharing in the countdown for the first time. On the morning of Wednesday December 14th, I headed out of the house eager to capture aerial images of Marblehead with my new Phantom drone. I had purchased the flying camera a week earlier and was just starting to get the hang of it but had not yet been able to shoot under great light. On this morning, the conditions seemed promising and I headed out towards Abbot Hall. I brought the phantom [...]

By Eyal Oren|2016-12-29T17:59:10-05:00December 30th, 2016|Categories: Favorite|Tags: Abbot Hall, aerial, dawn, favorite, historic downtown, lighthouse, Marblehead Harbor, Old Town|16 Comments

Oko of Marblehead

Having captured the annual Christmas Walk parade, my son and I stopped at Mino's for lunch before heading out to Gillette Stadium to catch the Marblehead football game. As we walked to the car, we spotted the Okommakamesit or Oko of Marblehead parked in front of the house where it is normally stationed. This old handtub has participated in musters for over a hundred years and, as part of the Christmas Walk, the Okos had opened up their place on the corner of Washington and State Streets to visitors. We headed inside and took in the small museum on the [...]

By Eyal Oren|2016-12-05T22:05:31-05:00December 6th, 2016|Categories: Old Town|Tags: historic downtown, Old Town|4 Comments

Top 10 of 2015 – Leave a Light On at Mud Puddle

I usually like to wait a little while after taking and sharing an image to decide if it has 'legs' and will remain a favorite for years to come. In the case of this image of Mud Puddle Toys and the corner of Pleasant and Washington Streets, I knew the moment I clicked the shutter. The response to the image was overwhelming and confirmed my early feelings. Here is #10 in the Top 10 of 2015 Countdown.

By Eyal Oren|2016-11-06T12:03:52-05:00December 21st, 2015|Categories: Favorite|Tags: blue hour, favorite, Grace Community church, historic downtown, Mud Puddle Toys, Old Town, Pleasant Street, Washington Street|0 Comments

From the Rooftops – Bank Square and Marblehead Harbor

Time for another entry in the 'From the Rooftops Thursday' theme and back to the cupola of the Jeremiah Lee Mansion. For this image, I decided to move the camera as close to the window as possible and compose an image of Bank Square seen below and Marblehead Harbor beyond with the sun's light diffused by a large cloud. This is how my eyes took in the scene and how I envisioned it but for technical reasons, the image needed to be composed of two shots with different focus points. A bit on the technical aspects of the image: This [...]

By Eyal Oren|2016-11-06T12:04:28-05:00June 5th, 2014|Categories: Rooftop|Tags: Bank Square, cupola, historic downtown, Jeremiah Lee Mansion, Old Town, rooftop|0 Comments

Keep it Local – Haley’s Market Cafe

For those who might be new to the site, I have been running a Keep it Local Friday theme for the past few years. The goal was and remains to highlight the great local businesses that reside within the town of Marblehead. My preference has been to capture timeless photos of the storefronts which means trying to do so without cars parked in front. And that has meant that I typically capture these scenes at dawn during the Winter months when the parking ban is in effect. This year's Keep it Local images were put on hold as I recovered [...]

By Eyal Oren|2016-11-06T12:04:43-05:00February 7th, 2014|Categories: Keep it Local|Tags: business, Haley's Market Cafe, keep it local, Old Town, reflection, Washington Street|0 Comments

Patriotism on the corner of Harris and Mugford Streets

It's hard to believe that the Marblehead Festival of Arts took place two weeks ago. On July 6th, I walked with my family around the streets of Old Town to shop and look at the many varied exhibits. As we made our way from the Unitarian Universalist Church towards Old Town House, I looked to my right and noted the abundance of patriotism on display. These house are situated at the corner of Mugford and Harris Streets and, between the bright colors, beautiful landscaping and Betsy Ross flag on display, the scene was too nice to pass up. The photo [...]

By Eyal Oren|2016-11-06T12:05:54-05:00July 18th, 2013|Categories: Old Town|Tags: American flag, houses, Old Town|0 Comments

Old Town

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