One day while we were in pre-production for this edition of 01945, News Editor Sophia Harris sat down with me and asked a question.
“Hey, what do you think about a photo spread of Marblehead scenes taken from an airplane?” she said.
My response was an eye-roll and “Yeah, that’d be so cool, but with whose plane?”
Fast-forward a few weeks and I found myself at Beverly Regional Airport with Harris, her father, Adam, and his Cessna Skyhawk.
I’ve never flown in a small aircraft (and I’m terrified of heights), so I’ll admit that there was a split-second internal freakout as Adam showed me the ins and outs of the plan, but I quickly got over it because I understood what an incredible opportunity this would be.
Takeoff was a breeze, and in minutes we were flying over Marblehead Harbor. We circled over the town five times, with me practically hanging out the window of the plane while 1,100 feet above the ground. It was fascinating to watch life below me unfold as I took in the view, all the while capturing images.
People wandering around Chandler Hovey Park, young sailors being given a lesson, finishing touches being put on Piper Field, a fishing boat hauling in its catch, and, of course, the famous Abbot Hall were just some of the things I was able to capture from this unique, bird’s-eye view.
For some of the photos, I decided to lean into the oddity of this assignment by adding a tilt-shift miniature effect to the images. By photographing from a high angle and blurring out parts of the image in
post-production, the scenes were transformed into a miniature diorama of life in Marblehead.
Enjoy!
The salt marsh of the Goldthwait Reservation.
The new turf at Piper Field stands out while flying over Marblehead High School.
A large boat sails through the water near Marblehead Harbor.
People gather on the dock at Crocker Park on a warm summer’s day.
Cars travel down the causeway toward Marblehead Neck.
Chandler Hovey Park.
Golfers practice on a putting green at Tedesco Country Club.
A boat tows along a tube in Marblehead Harbor.
Boats fill Marblehead Harbor.
A line of brightly colored sailboats in Marblehead Harbor.
