Few people outside of the Northeast know about New Hampshire’s picturesque coastline. An even smaller crowd knows how deeply it’s rooted in American history and maritime folklore. Portsmouth, a city built on the banks of the Piscataqua River, offers a cultural hub for the discerning traveler looking to experience the local landscape.

If you’re familiar with the area, you know that each dead end road or hidden cove possesses a natural beauty that’s rarely matched by any region of the country. Paired with colonial architecture and centuries of weathering, the local crowd is a mix of adventure enthusiasts, suburban transplants, blue collar workers, and full-time or part-time seafaring folk.

We photographed our first moonrise over Whaleback Light with our friend, Philip Case Cohen, who created the Instragram account @thedailyportsmouth years ago. Often armed with his Hasselblad, Philip captures the Portsmouth area in its purest form with a focus on natural lighting and native surroundings. We rounded up some of Philip’s recent photographs and asked him to shed some light of his own on the region below.

“Portsmouth is incredibly rich with both history & natural beauty thanks to its location on the Piscataqua River, and has been able to stay true to its historic visual fabric in the downtown.” - Philip Case Cohen

“My favorite time to shoot is sunrise. It’s always a challenge to wake up before dawn to get to a location before sunrise, but every time I have ever made the commitment to do so - I’ve loved the calm and quiet that I find, no matter the location or weather...and golden hour light is always incredible when the weather cooperates and helps to make the kinds of images that take your breath away.” - Philip Case Cohen

“It’s easy to make a photograph of a beautiful place, and there’s no shortage of them here, but I love trying to peel back another layer to make an interesting image that conveys the heart of this place with a new twist. There’s such a depth to the people and places here - I love to think that I can help people to see more than just The Decks, The North Church, and the tugboats (though I love them all just as much as the next person!).” - Philip Case Cohen

“The industrial presence gives Portsmouth a grit that I adore and gives it an identity that not many other coastal destinations enjoy. Whether it’s the lobstermen out working the water, freighters filled with salt or propane steaming up river, or the mountains of salt that dot the shoreline, I love seeing how the water is used for leisure and commerce - and I think that it ties modern day Portsmouth back to its earliest days when the river was the lifeblood of the community.” - Philip Case Cohen

“New England provides an incredible variety of opportunities for photography - and living in Portsmouth means being close to a true working waterfront on the Piscataqua River, with the ocean just minutes away, and the white mountains, Boston, Portland and the Maine coastline all within a short drive, providing endless opportunities for inspiration and exploration.” - Philip Case Cohen

“I love that New England has fierce seasons, especially its luscious summers and brutal winters. It means that the same scenes vary incredibly over the course of the year, always bringing something fresh to favorite locations I find myself drawn to. The fact that world renowned foliage rounds out the year int he fall is pretty special too.” - Philip Case Cohen

“I enjoy the challenge of aligning a favorite scene/landmark with the moon - there’s something about it that has always brought me a simple joy and endless fascination as if I’m seeing it for the first time. With the shooting window limited to an exact time each month, the weather also has to play along - bringing an element of luck to each outing (and making it extra special when it all comes together just right).” - Philip Case Cohen