North Point

North Point is one of those locations in Baltimore County, Maryland where the photographer can catch a glimpse of wildlife living amongst industrial settings.

Photographer Laura Macky recently took her camera to Waterbird Regional Preserve in Martinez, California and captured a stunning series of photos that show what she calls, “the juxtaposition of nature and man.”

Waterbird Regional Preserve is adjacent to a refinery, and her photos show the gleaming refinery in morning sunlight along with pelicans and wetland vegetation.

Her work inspired me to shoot a series at North Point showing a portion of the Chesapeake Bay where animals live right beside heavy industrial sites and busy shipping lanes.

The shipping lanes viewed from Fort Howard, Maryland – April 25, 2015

While the lower part of North Point is devoid of industry, it does have views of Sparrows Point, the remnants of Bethlehem Steel, the Constellation Energy power station in Curtis Bay, and the shipping lanes for Baltimore’s port.

The old Bethlehem Steel site – April 26, 2015

The old Bethlehem Steel site – April 26, 2015

Cranes at a gravel and coal pier- April 26, 2015

Constellation Energy power station – April 26, 201

Waterfowl and shorebirds are abundant year round, but the migration season brings an interesting number of transiting species like the Caspian tern.

Caspian tern over North Point State Park, April 26, 2015

Double-crested cormorant over North Point State Park, April 26, 2015

Ospreys do well around human development and they nest in large numbers on North Point, making their nests atop navigation markers and in hardwood trees in secluded coves.

They can be seen plucking fish from the water and bringing their catch back to their nests.

An osprey near Fort Howard, Maryland – April 26, 2015

Osprey with hickory shad over Fort Howard April 26, 2015

Ospreys nest atop a navigation marker off North Point – April 26, 2015

North Point State Park offers prime sites for photography and is very well maintained. The jetty is a great location to catch shots of water birds in flight because it extends into the bay for nearly a quarter mile, causing many birds to pass overhead.

The park also has a number of wooded and marshy areas where it is possible to photograph mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

At the southern tip of North Point is Fort Howard Park, and while it too offers stunning views of the bay, it isn’t maintained very well. You’ll see a lot of litter in Fort Howard Park, but that shouldn’t stop you from visiting it with your camera.

Fort Howard is the site of an early 20^th century artillery battery and the old gun emplacements are overgrown with vines. Adjacent to the park is the Fort Howard Veterans Hospital and while part of it remains active, it too has many derelict buildings.

The old buildings are eerie and would be the perfect subjects for a photo shoot that studies not the juxtaposition of nature and man, but the reclamation of man’s creations by nature.

An early 20th century gun emplacement at Fort Howard – April 26, 2015

 

Derelict buildings at Fort Howard Veterans Hospital – April 26, 2015

Derelict buildings at Fort Howard Veterans Hospital – April 26, 2015