The Outer Banks is a very long length of coast in North Carolina. We rarely get to travel down to Orcacoke. It requires a ferry ride. But when we do I like getting to take photos of the lighthouse there.
This is one of the shorter lighthouses I've seen, standing only 75 feet tall. It was finished in 1823, and there is a one bedroom light keepers house on the property.
According to the National Park Service:
The exterior’s solid white coloration serves as its identifying mark to mariners by day. The original whitewash “recipe” called for blending lime, salt, spanish whiting, rice, glue, and boiling water. The mixture was applied while still hot.
A fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed in 1854, replacing the old reflector system. Its hand-cut prisms and magnifying glass greatly intensified the light. Early in the Civil War, the lens was dismantled by Confederate troops but was re-installed in 1864 by Union forces. Originally an oil-burning light, the Ocracoke Light was electrified in the early decades of the 1900s. The present light is equal to 8,000 candlepower and casts a stationary beam that can be seen 14 miles at sea. A battery powered back-up light operates during power failures.
These were shot with a 17-40mm L series Canon lens, and edited in Lightroom CC.
I like the black and white texture of this shot.
I like adding the sepia tint to this. Reminds me of photographs from the early 20th century.
From a different angle, you can see the light keepers house there on the right.
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