Bonus Summer (And Houses+Gardens, Sand+Sea)


Late August and early September give us some of our warmest and sunniest weather of the year here on the Outer Cape. This fact surprised me in 2019 when I was here in September for the first time. I was also surprised that our Fall foliage doesn’t peak until late October or early November. Before I lived here, I always pictured Fall in Provincetown as a cold and blustery time. And we do get big storms this time of year, but it’s really mostly a lot of sun and relative warmth.


What this means is that we have a prolonged flower season that lasts much of the Fall. As an example, I’m writing this on 9.11.24, and the Montauk daisies are barely starting to bud. 


This also means that I get to shoot flowers and beach views throughout the Fall. Of course I do beach shoots even in the dead of Winter, but it’s nice to do them and not need packets of Hot Hands shoved into my gloves and boots as I trudge through the sand and driving winds.  


We year-rounders relish this time of year, and I’ve been lucky to have time to get out and do some nice shoots of houses and their gardens, as well as some lovely shots of the water and shore areas. 


A favorite day was in very early September when I had a hankering to go to the dunes and shoot out near Herring Cove. I started biking that way, but for some reason something told me to go back to town and shoot there. So I turned around on Province Lands Road, and started biking toward the Moors and rotary in the West End of town, thinking I’d make my way into town. 


Instead, the big dune at the edge of the Moors seemed especially beautiful–and it’s a spot I often climb in the off-season to get sunrise and sunset photos. So I tucked my bike behind some brush and then waded through the tide that was already pretty high, and I made my way to the dune, which I quickly climbed. I got to the top and about 14 kayakers from Coyote Kayaks were coming through the area. The golden hour caught them perfectly. I’m glad I listened to that voice.


Here are 12 photos of this late Summer/early Fall bliss, including some of the kayakers. I’m relishing every minute of these days.