Photographing Osterville

Photographing Osterville

Picturing Osterville

Picture perfect is an apt description of Osterville, which blends the best
of quaint villages scenes and majestic water vistas. Osterville-born
photographer David Hansen has a keen eye for what makes this special
place so visually appealing. After all, he’s been taking beautiful photographs here for decades. While he started out as an amateur, his work was so well
received that he built a thriving professional studio in the village center, where he is now joined by two of his daughters, Katie and Amy.
His business focuses on weddings, engagements, senior pictures, and portraits of families in all shapes and sizes. What they all have in common, though, is that they are firmly anchored in this picture-perfect place.

“Osterville offers many beautiful picture opportunities, from the quaint downtown area to the gardens and woodlands of Armstrong-Kelley Park,
to the many beaches, coves and marinas,” Hansen notes.
The most important element in taking great pictures, he says, is the lighting, and Osterville in the early mornings and dusky evenings provides just the right amount of softness to caress subjects.

“Family portraits are usually taken at the beach or at a client’s home,” he says. “Dowses Beach is our first choice because it offers such a wide variety of backgrounds – Nantucket Sound on one side, East Bay on another side and the channel and jetty on another side. Beach roses and grass add to
the Cape Cod setting. We are always looking for flattering, soft light.”
If you’re looking for beautiful vistas, “Landscape photography, too, is best done in the very early morning, or around sunset,“ Hansen comments. “I often see people photographing the sunset over East Bay at Dowses Beach, and this spot is great for that, but I think the best scene is often looking over Nantucket Sound, away from the sunset. Sometimes the colors are amazing, very different from the actual sunset direction.

“Another nice sunset spot is at the end of Bay Street, with the sun setting
over North Bay. The sunrise is beautiful looking over Nantucket Sound
from Dowses Beach.”

In this day and age, when so many people have digital cameras, he says it’s
important to know how your camera works so you can get the most out of it.
He’s got some tips for you: “No matter what you are photographing, good
lighting and composition are the keys to a great image. You also must know
your camera, and how to make adjustments to its settings. Once you start
experimenting with settings other than ‘Program,’ you will be on your way
to taking much better pictures.”

- Karyn Kihn (2015)
Photo courtesy of David Hansen

E-mail me when people leave their comments –

You need to be a member of Experience Osterville to add comments!

Join Experience Osterville