Lighthouse
Should Have Been There
The blazing orange, pre-sunrise sky provides a brilliant background to the lighthouse and pier at Kewaunee, WI located on Lake Michigan’s western shore.
This is a compilation of three separate images, stitched together to create the full image you see here. The lens I was using was limiting my view, so to expand the viewing area I took several shots with the intention of joining them together later. Normally the process doesn’t work well when there is movement in the frame – as you see with the waves in the foreground. This one blended better than expected.
You can take a closer look at the details in this image by clicking on the photo. When you do, a full-screen version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Rehabilitation Rising
The Kewaunee, WI lighthouse has a different look lately. It is undergoing renovation, as evidenced by the scaffolding surrounding the structure.
This was a photo taken just after sunrise from the beach at Selner Park, on the western shore of Lake Michigan. I’d heard they were sprucing up the lighthouse and decided I needed to get a photo while the work was in progress.
If you look closely, you can see a small fishing boat leaving the harbor, just visible off the end of the pier, where the sun is reflecting on the water.
This photo has a lot of detail that can be viewed better by clicking on the photo. When you do, a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Kewaunee Light & Sky – Video Slideshow
This is another attempt at showcasing some of my favorite photos using a video/slideshow. These images are from my Kewaunee lighthouse collection.
I used a different, more complicated, software solution. I’m not sure the results are so dramatically different than using the simple software I used in my previous post. Only the pros might notice or care about the difference. I was glad that, with a little determination, I was able to figure out the software and get the results I wanted.
I’ve seen varying activity for the slideshows when I post them to social media. On Facebook, I got fewer “Likes” than a normal photo post but a lot more comments and many more shares. Oddly, with all those comments, shares and views I’m not seeing any increase in actual traffic to this website. On Google+ they seem to barely get noticed – much less activity than for a normal photo post; even when I put them in a “Collection.” Well, I still consider this the experimental stage.
For the best viewing experience, I suggest you click on the “full-screen” icon in the bottom right corner of the video.
All of the images featured in this video can be found on my sight.
Algoma Light & Sky – Video Slideshow
I have been wanting to produce a slideshow of my images for some time. I finally got around to getting one done.
For my first effort, I decided to focus on sunrise images of the lighthouse and pier of Algoma, WI. Of course, I have plenty of other material to work with, as well, so that poses a couple of questions. What will be my next slideshow theme and how long before I get it completed?
I’m sure the next one will come together quicker. This one took me much longer than I anticipated. Finding the right software or app was a big hurdle. (I actually tried several software options before I found something simple enough to be workable, at least for me.) It took me hours just to find music I liked. And, of course, I’m trying to create a masterpiece and stay within my budget of $0.00.
Well, now that I’ve released it to the wild, I guess I’ll find out if the beauty that was in the eye of this “beholder” resonates with others.
For the best viewing experience, I suggest you click on the “full-screen” icon in the bottom right corner of the video.
All of the images featured in this video can be found on my sight.
Splash of Light
The waves seemed to dance on Lake Michigan’s western shore as the sun emerged from behind the lighthouse at Kewaunee, WI.
I snapped this yesterday. It was the kind of morning perfect for an early stroll along the beach. The temperatures were comfortable with a slight breeze, the sun provided comforting color and the fishermen – on the pier and in boats further out – provided points of interest in the distance.
Photographing waves, and capturing the light in them, is a challenge that I still want to improve on. Of course, as you can tell by the relatively calm lake, these were very small waves and tiny splashes. Some good rolling waves might provide a bit more action and, consequently, opportunity.
You can view this image in greater detail with the larger, full-screen version – available by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Pure Algoma
The Algoma lighthouse and pier present a welcome sight to shore-side visitors and, more important, the watercraft entering and departing the small Lake Michigan harbor.
This image doesn’t contain the dramatic sunrise elements usually seen in my photos of the Algoma lighthouse. I was there at the break of dawn, hoping for a dramatic sunrise, but it never materialized. Still I like this photo for the clear, clean feel of the blue water and sky…with a hint of sunrise pink on the horizon.
You can get a larger view of this image by clicking on the photo. When you do, a full-screen version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Sunrise and Splendor
A magnificent, pre-sunrise, panoramic display by the morning sky and clouds seems to envelop the Kewaunee lighthouse and pier. The warm reflection off Lake Michigan’s calm waters only accentuates the exhibition.
I’ve always believed, the best part of a sunrise is not the sun, but the clouds. The sun creates the light and color, but the clouds provide the character. Not heavy cloud cover, but the light, wispy kind that provide natural texture and interest to a scene. To me, a cloudless sunrise is pretty bland.
It seems I’ve been writing a lot about how I don’t often post panoramic images because their wide-view perspective doesn’t fit well within the typical web site parameters. Well, I must be on a bit of a panoramic kick these days, because I’ve posted more panoramas in the last few weeks than I have in as many years. I guess, when the mood and the beauty hits me, I can’t pass it up. It’s a little more work in processing, but I believe the results are well worth it.
Of course, when I post a panoramic image I must urge you to click on the photo so you can view a much larger version. There are a lot of birds in this photo, but you’ll miss most of them if you don’t view the larger version. Again, just click on the photo and a full-screen version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Out of the Blue
The deep red color of the Algoma lighthouse stands in sharp contrast to the deep blue of Lake Michigan and the early morning sky above.
I have taken a lot of photos of this lighthouse. On this trip, I was hoping for another nice sunrise. Unfortunately, the rising sun was concealed by a band of clouds on the horizon so a true sunrise photo wasn’t in the cards. I decided to catch a low angle view of the lighthouse across the Algoma harbor. To get this shot, I crawled down on the rocks near the mouth of the Ahnapee River, just off the marina parking lot, and held my camera just above the water.
I like this image for 1) the different perspective, 2) the reflection of the lighthouse, 3) the ripples in the water giving it depth and interest, and 4) the predominant blue color with contrasting red.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Tall Drink of Comfort
The sky above, the water below and the sun rising over its shoulder all combine to make a warm, comforting atmosphere around the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse. This image was captured on the western shore of Lake Michigan, just south of the pier in Kewaunee.
This is a panoramic image. Usually we think of panoramas as being wide, horizontal images. In this case, I wanted more of the sky and water in the shot than a single frame would allow, so I combined three frames (high, middle and low) to create a tall image. The changing hue in the upper sky adds to the interest of this image, as does the sun’s reflection dancing along the ripples of the lake.
As I’ve said before, I don’t normally post many panoramas because they don’t display well within the size constraints of most webpages. This one would be truly awesome if you could view it very large. It is a large file and could be printed as tall as eight feet. Wouldn’t that would be cool!
You can click on the image to view a larger version but, again, because of webpage constraints, you won’t see a much larger image.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Beyond the Harbor
This is a panoramic view at the mouth of the harbor at Algoma, WI; on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
A couple of weeks ago I set out to capture a sunrise, but as you can see, the sun was blocked by the thick clouds on the horizon. The best feature of the morning were the lighter clouds, highlighted by the hidden sun, that filled the sky above.
To capture this wide-angle view, I took four separate photos and combined them for the final image you see here.
I don’t often post panoramic images because of the width limitations of most websites, including my own. To get the best view of this one, you should click on the photo. When you do, a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.