Steve's Photoblog
Yaquina Head Lighthouse
Posted by Steve Rice (Olympia, United States) on 5 July 2009 in Architecture and Portfolio.
This is the tallest lighthouse on the Oregon coast with a tower 93 feet (28.3 meters) tall. The light was first illuminated in 1873. It was automated in 1966 and burns a 1,000 watt electric bulb. The original first-order Fresnel lens, made in France, is still in place focusing the light into a powerful beam.
A note about Fresnel lens orders. The lighthouse lenses originally fell into six orders or sizes. A fully assembled first-order lens is about 12 feet (3.7 meters) tall and 6 feet (1.8 meters) wide. A sixth-order lens would be about 17 inches (43.2 cm) tall. It seems that many of these coastal lenses are first-order allowing their beams to be seen far out to sea. The limiting factor becomes the curvature of the Earth. An interesting video describing how a Fresnel lens works is here.
Part of the Oregon Coast series.
Dulcie from Danville, United States
This is a handsome photo. It's a lovely scene. You've done this lighthouse justice.
5 Jul 2009 5:15am
Martine from Brest, France
J'adore les phares. Evidemment, en Bretagne, nous en avons beaucoup...
5 Jul 2009 6:18am
Paco Díaz from Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Fantastic photo and sharp details, I like very much this lighthouse and also the details about it. Thanks for the video!
Have a good sunday!
5 Jul 2009 6:48am
Aurore from Paris, France
I love lighthouse. This one's really nice. Great shot !!
5 Jul 2009 10:56am
MrsAmber from West Wickham, United Kingdom
This could be somewhere on Britain's west coast....which I find fascinating! Great shot.
5 Jul 2009 11:31am
Don from spokane, United States
This is a fine shot of this famous lighthouse. The birds sailing around give it a sense of life that is good.
The fresnel lens is an interesting subject too.
5 Jul 2009 1:59pm
Stu from Kyoto, Japan
Love the crispness of this, and the centred composition. Super simplicity.
5 Jul 2009 2:10pm
Betty from New Jersey, United States
I love lighthouses. And this is one I actually saw and climbed! (Many years ago) Beautiful, sharp composition.
5 Jul 2009 2:26pm
MARIANA from waterloo, Canada
Beautiful details in this sharp picture . Great composition, plus this couple and birds that add even more to this photograph.
5 Jul 2009 4:03pm
Manola from Bassens, France
j' aime beaucoup les phares..et là le cadrage est parfait: ce cile, ces oiseaux: extra pour rêver d'un autre lieu!!!
5 Jul 2009 4:09pm
john4jack from Corvallis, Oregon, United States
Terrific capture and composition. The sky creates the feeling of a watercolor painting.
5 Jul 2009 5:09pm
Diane Schuller from Hythe, Canada
near perfection in this image: the composition, exposure, the added life that includes the people and the gulls. Great shot ... I could imagine this one on the wall of my office.
5 Jul 2009 6:05pm
micke bergling from Sweden
Great light here ... like also the angle. A great work...
5 Jul 2009 9:14pm
Xavier from Troyes, France
Wonderful lighthouse and you did it with a great talent !
5 Jul 2009 9:30pm
XaviH from Badalona (almost Barcelona), Spain
Very nice composition Steve, I like also the contrast between the colours of the sky and the land. Regards!
5 Jul 2009 10:14pm
jeff (aka dogilicious) from Millerstown, PA, United States
All around great stuff. Beautiful.
6 Jul 2009 12:51am
Tammy-Cricket from somewhere out there, United States
Look at this beautiful sky. Very beautiful picture.
6 Jul 2009 4:20am
Terry H. from Azle Texas, United States
Wonderful classic light house shot. Love the birds flying. I've got a couple shot of this light house posted as well. I did not know anything about it, just took some pictures on a trip we took several years ago.
6 Jul 2009 2:04pm
Pavan Kaul from Mumbai, India
Simply love this one with the brown grass in the foreground and the birds approaching...lovely!
8 Jul 2009 5:48pm
Francesc B. from région parisienne, France
A lovely place... The lighthouse is very beautiful and well maintained.
2 persons and 2 birds... lol...
8 Jul 2009 7:55pm
