For this month, March 2024, the theme challenge is “Iconic Location“. Go out and make photos of some of the locations in your area that are most famous and many tourists come to visit each year. The hard part of this challenge is to try to take a photo that shows the location differently than anyone has photographed it before. Below are just a small sample of iconic locations in Nova Scotia. This month share some of your iconic location images.

Peggy’s Cove; Nova Scotia has many lighthouses, and one of the most well known is Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse. Many tour companies bring many tourists from around the world to see this lighthouse and local fishing community. The Lighthouse was originally established in 1868 which was subsequently replaced in 1914 with the existing structure, automated in 1958, and it is one of the most photographed lighthouses in Nova Scotia. A recent Revitalization Plan implemented an upgrade to the walkway, surrounding road and parking area as well as an accessible viewing area completed in the fall of 2021. Out of season is the best time to get images at Peggy’s Cove, providing the opportunity to take images with less people around. The images shown in this first gallery were taken in 2022.

This following image was taken in 2012. Remember to be safe in these types of locations, be aware of the water levels, tides, and stay away from black rocks which indicates the water has reached that level.

Halifax Town Clock; The Old Town Clock, Halifax Nova Scotia, is one of Halifax’s iconic locations. This clock was erected in 1803, survived the Halifax explosion of 1917, and had many restorations over the years, 1960, 1990, 2005, & 2018. To find out more take a look at the “Halifax Town Clock Wiki”. This image was taken during civil twilight to include the backdrop of some of the downtown of Halifax as well as the dramatic clouds in the sky and the light trails from the traffic.

Three Churches, Mahone Bay; The town of Mahone Bay , founded in 1754, includes three prominent churches along it’s shoreline, St James’ Anglican 1887, St John’s Evangelical Lutheran 1869, and Trinity United 1923. There are many angles to take images of these century old churches with reflections when there is little to no wind and are lit by the light at sunrise and are basked in colourful sunsets as the light disappears behind. Mahone Bay hosts many shops and celebrations throughout the tourist season and the fall.

St. John’s Anglican Church in Lunenburg; (Wiki) Was the first church established in 1753 Lunenburg Nova Scotia which suffered significant damage from a fire in November 2001 and was restored and rededicated June 2005. This image was taken using a tripod and multiple exposures.

Chester Yacht Club; A drone image of Chester Yacht Club, incorporated 1902, is the home of Chester Race Week known as Canada’s largest keel-boat regatta in which racers come from across Canada and New England to complete.

Share with us the images of your iconic locations you create this month.

We try with our monthly theme challenges to seek out additional instructional resources, below are a number of YouTube video links to help with some hints and ideas. Taking Photos of Iconic Locations instructional aids:
■ How to get Unique Photos in Popular Locations: by Nigel Danson (20min 14sec)
■ In The Field: Photographing Iconic Places: by Scott Davenport (7min 11sec)
■ Making Unique Photos of Iconic Photography Spots: by Brendan van Son (11min 8sec)

Students are encouraged to develop their ability to tell a story or invoke an emotion, as well as how to plan and troubleshoot while creating their images. As such it’s important to not only create the image but to also include a “title”, and write a short paragraph about; how they came up with the idea, any interesting back ground that compelled them to make the image, and describe any techniques on how they overcame any obstacles. Also do some research and include the story behind your iconic location.

An important part of improving your photography is practice, which is one aspect of the monthly theme challenge, in addition you have an opportunity to learn about different genres, techniques and tips.