Scenes from Marblehead, MA I Featured Photographer Eyal Oren

What is your connection to New England? I grew up in Los Angeles and moved to the East Coast in 1998 to attend medical school in New York. From there I moved to Washington, D.C., for an internal medicine residency at Georgetown, and then I finally made my way to Massachusetts for an allergy fellowship at Mass General in 2005. I was convinced to move to Marblehead by my instructor and future boss, and I have lived in this picturesque New England town since 2008. I quickly grew to appreciate the seasons inherent to life in New England as well as the unique qualities that have allowed me to capture over 2,000 images of this 4.4-square-mile town over the past 10 years. What kind of equipment do you use? I bought my first “real” camera, a Canon 350D, in 2005 and spent the next 12 years shooting with Canon cameras and lenses. In 2017, I switched to the Sony A7RIII, as I found that I needed to print bigger at times and that the mirrorless Sony system was a better match for the type of photography I enjoy. My lenses include the Sony 16-35/4, 24-105/4, and 100-400/4-5.6, which offer me all that I could ask for in capturing landscapes, seascapes, moonrises, and sunsets. I use a Really Right Stuff tripod and recently discovered Wotancraft bags for carrying everything around. In 2016, I purchased the DJI Phantom 4 Pro and became a licensed drone pilot. I had previously shot from various rooftops in town, but the drone has elevated that (pun intended) and allowed me to capture scenes that were previously unattainable. What inspires you? In 2009, I went on a photo walk in Boston and met Philip Cohen of The Daily Portsmouth. I was intrigued by his idea for focusing most of his photography on his hometown, and I quickly decided to do the same. Rather than searching out those iconic locations in New England, I decided to try to find and showcase the beautiful spots we had in Marblehead. I’m fortunate to live in a town with a protected harbor that offers opportunities for capturing both sunrises and sunsets over the water. We have 300-year-old houses and buildings as well as ponds, beaches, accessible islands, a lighthouse, and historic town hall. Each time I thought I had captured it all, a change in season or light has offered a new view of a familiar location. Eyal Oren has published a coffee table book, Wednesdays in Marblehead, which is now in its second printing. To see more of his work, go to wednesdaysinmhd.com.

Scenes from Marblehead, MA

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