Sunshine on a Stalk
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do. – Helen Keller
The sunflowers are in bloom! In our area, we are blessed with several fields of sunflowers every summer – thanks to our good neighbors, the Kuehl Seed Farm.
When the field is on a main highway, it is quite common to see people pull over, jump out and snap a couple of pictures with a digital camera. And who can blame them. A field of sunflowers in full bloom is so bright and cheerful it’s natural to want to take it home with you. This field of flowers is on Highway 42, Just north of Kewaunee, WI. (While I was taking these photos at least four other cars stopped to do the same.)
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(Click either image to see a larger version.)
St. Paul’s Spire
Here’s the church, and here’s the steeple
Open the door and see all the people.
Here’s the parson going upstairs,
And here he is saying his prayers.
The tallest points in Algoma, WI are the steeples of its churches. (I suspect that would be the case in most small towns.)
This is St. Paul’s Lutheran church – the tallest structure in the downtown area.
The highest point in town would be the steeple of the Catholic church, towering above the city from its location on a hill in a more residential area, north of the downtown.
Click on the steeple image above for a larger view.
Auto Adornment
Every year Algoma hosts a car show in their downtown area. It’s a just a block away from the church – where I spend most of my Saturdays – so I made a brief visit and snapped a few photos. All the cars are cool and I think the old hood ornaments are the coolest. They don’t make them like that anymore. These images represent just a sample.
The one at the top of this post was my favorite because it appears to have two faces…maybe a human head wearing a lion-face looking helmet. (Click on the images – the one above for a larger view and the smaller one to the right for larger, even closer look.) Looking now, I wish I would have taken a side view shot.
I also thought some of the classic wheels and hub caps were unique and may post a few of those in the future.
I should have been taking notes so I could identify the cars these fancy hood adornments comes from. I would bet there are some true classic car fanatics who could tell you just by looking at these photos. If you’re one, by all means, tells us what you know in the comments.
I could be wrong, but I’m guessing this Indian head is on a Pontiac.
The nose cone on this car is the feature that stood out to me…though, I like the hood ornament, too. I also like the way a near by building’s reflection wraps around the hood. Studebaker?
I feel like I should be able to identify this by it’s V ornament. Something very familiar about it. Maybe a Buick.
Clicking on any of these images will open up a separate window with a larger view of that photo.
Messy Hands
This is an image that dates back to 2006. This photo was the initial inspiration for my experimentation and reasonable success with macro photography.
My old camera, a Kodak Easyshare DX7590, did an exceptional job with macro shots. When I saw what was possible – after taking this image – I started to major on the minors. I can spend hours crouched down by a flower bed, moving slowly, trying to be unnoticed while I position my camera as close as possible to any tiny creatures I can find. I was just a few inches from this bee when I snapped this photo.
I love seeing the normally, unseen details of God’s creation. For instance, in this image, I am fascinated by the bee’s wings, the pollen on the flower and bee’s legs, that little dongle thing protruding from the bee’s head, it’s eyes and the orange tipped spears of the cone flower.
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To see a larger version and even more detail, click the photo.
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Lighthouse Bling
The early morning sky and it’s reflection off the Algoma, WI harbor make this one of my favorites. The lighthouse gets a bit of bling from the sun rising directly behind it. (Technically, it’s not a lighthouse. It’s a “pier light,” but everyone refers to it as the Algoma Lighthouse.)
The close up image on the left, gives you a better view of the effect created by the star filter I used.
If you like these images, by all means, share them with your friends.
To see a larger version of either of these images, click the photos.
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.
Return to Port
A small fishing boat returns to the Algoma, WI harbor after an early morning on Lake Michigan.
This was the first morning of the Kewaunee/Door County Salmon Tournament. You can still see remnants of the heavy fog that kept a lot of boats from venturing out early this day.
The K/D Tournament is a big, big deal in these parts. According to their Facebook page…
The KD Salmon Tournament is an amateur sport fishing tournament that runs for 9 consecutive days each summer. Approximately 2,300 to 2,800 contestants participate each year and over $40,000 in prizes are awarded. The largest fish caught will win the lucky fisherman $10,000 CASH. Most years the prize payout reaches 200 or more places.
The Tournament wraps up today. For information about it, visit http://www.kdsalmon.com/. Results for the tournament are posted to their Facebook page.
(For a larger view of this image on a black background, simply click on the photo.)
Fireworks Watercolor
This image is one of my favorites from the series I took at Kewaunee’s Trout Festival fireworks show.
I wouldn’t consider the fireworks burst the best of the bunch I took, but I find the reflection on the water awesomely spectacular. The purples, the reds, the greens…a literal watercolor painting in the harbor. The full moon is showing off a bit, too.
Tiny Feet
Even though hummingbirds are very tiny birds, their very tiny feet seem to be too small for their size. When you have the opportunity to actually look at a hummingbirds feet (not an easy feat, in itself) they look like tiny strands of wire.
According to worldofhummingbirds.com…
Hummingbird’s feet are not for walking. Hummingbirds do not use their feet for launching upward in flight, They let their wings do all of this work. Hummingbirds use their feet for scratching and perching. They will perch for most of their lives. Hummingbirds have four (4) toes. Three (3) toes in the front and one (1) toe, also called the hallux in the back of the foot. The hallux works much the same way a human’s thumb does and allows the hummingbird to hang on to a branch or wire.
Hummingbird legs are extremely small, short, and stubby to reduce weight. They are also quite weak. Because of this, hummingbirds do not hop.
To take a closer look at those tiny feet, click on the photo.
Somewhere Out There
When you look at this image, does it evoke feelings of hopeful expectation or foreboding…or some of both? The unknown can be both exciting and unsettling.The morning of this photo shoot started out with thick fog but, eventually, the sun had it’s way. This image portrays the epic battle. The field of battle was a Lake Michigan harbor at Algoma, WI.
To see a larger version of this image, simply click on it.
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.
Lighting Up the Harbor
Fireworks, on the opening night of the annual Trout Festival, lit up the sky and harbor of Kewaunee, WI. The full moon offered it’s own amazing illumination and reflection.
Those familiar with the Kewaunee harbor will recognize the historic tug, Ludington, on the right side of the photo. The little bright dot beyond the point where the fireworks were launched is the light of Kewaunee’s lighthouse. On the left side is the Coast Guard station. The orange streak reflecting on the water (near the middle of the channel) is from the flashing lights of the Coast Guard boat – positioned to keep boats clear of the fireworks launch area.