Tuliptree Blossom with Guest
Another Day at Work
Apis Workers' Party
Predator
Some of Your Beeswax
Sedum Bumbler
Look of Defiance
Chicory Bee
Bumbling Bees
Garden Cafe
Buzz By Here - To Infinity and Beyond
Pick Your Poison
Blind Side Attack
On a Mission
Honey Bee on Sedum
Covering the Cosmos
Center of the Cosmos
Three's a Crowd
Popular Spot
On A Pedestal
Big Harry Fireworks Display
To Impress the Girl
Different Perspective
Sweet Ride
Perfect Little Piggies B&W
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Festival of Flights
To the Crowd's Delight
Amish Go Round
Wondersome One
The Stars In Her Eyes
Tuesday's Child
Sleeper Hold
Considering the Next Move
Sugar and Spice
Front Porch Portrait
Caged Competitor
Early Adoration
Child In the Ligtht
Stroll Through the Weeds
Attention Grabbing
Eye Contact
On the Line
Eyes of Wonder
Rounding the Curve
Troubadours of Basin Spring Park
Down by the Creek
Sun Day
Catching Some Light
EAA Fireworks
Hear Me Roar
Beach
Prepare for Flames
A serene sunrise casts a warm glow over Lake Michigan, highlighting the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse in the distance. On the sandy beach, two pyramids of firewood are prepared to provide warmth on shore.
This is an HDR image that was taken in May of 2020. As I was processing this, I was tempted to swap out the sky because the original looked like it didn’t belong. (But, of course, it does belong.)
You can view a larger version of this image by clicking on it. When you do, it will open in a new browser window.
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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Superior Gems
These are some of the beautiful rocks on the shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. You’ll notice the effects of sunlight through the ripples as these were photographed in about 6 inches of water.
I took a similar photo many years ago and it was always one of my favorites. I’ve wanted to get back there and get more photos so, on a recent get-a-way to the UP, we made a trip to the beach at Grand Marais, MI. 
I spent a long time trying to photograph through the water, in between the waves, to catch a calm enough moment when the waves wouldn’t obscure the beauty but the ripples would cast their magical spell over the rocks.
It was one of the most restful and enjoyable parts of our trip. We spent a good deal of time just sitting on the rocky beach, looking a rocks and enjoying the sunshine. My wife took a photo of me with her smart phone camera – catching me in action.
To really enjoy the gorgeous colors and detail of this shot, you should click on the photo. When you do, it will open up a larger version in a different 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options. I think this would make an awesome and challenging puzzle; one of the purchase options you’ll find on my sales page.
Deposit of Gold
I enjoy this calm, inviting view of a Lake Michigan sunrise from the shores of Kewaunee, Wisconsin. If you look closely you’ll see a long pier, extending from the left side, to a lighthouse on the horizon. Kewaunee is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
This image is a blending of three different photos, exposed at three different levels, to create an image with more dynamic range. There has yet to be a camera created that can capture all the light and contrast and color and detail as well as the human eye can capture it and the brain can process it. The HDR (high dynamic range) process is our effort to compensate for the camera’s shortcomings.
To see more of the detail, click on the photo to view a larger, full-screen version of this 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Great Awakening
The sky is beginning to wake up behind the Kewaunee lighthouse and pier. It was a calm morning on Lake Michigan.
This is a panoramic image – created by “stitching” together three separate shots. For the three shots combined here, I had my camera in portrait orientation. This method gives me a much wider view of the area I was photographing than a single image would capture.
One problem with this method, is it gives the waves an odd look because the water doesn’t pause its movement for the few seconds I takes to snap all three shots. So, if you look closely, you will notice the horizontal lines of the slight waves don’t line up well. The hope, of course, is that the beauty of the sky will capture your attention and you won’t pay a lot of attention to the water. (Unless you take the time to read my notes.)
You can view a much larger version of this image by clicking on the photo. When you do, a new, 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.
A Clear Calling
The vibrant color of a summer sunrise along with the wooden pathway to calm waters provide an irresistible invitation to the Lake Michigan shoreline at Selner Park Beach in Kewaunee, Wisconsin.
When I glanced out my window and saw the early morning sky – long before the sunrise – I thought it looked promising for a cool sunrise. I dropped everything to get to the lake shore and was able to capture a great batch of lighthouse sunrise photos. (Watch for future posts.) Just as I was packing up my camera (I was running late for an early morning appointment elsewhere) I decided to throw my wide-angle lens on and see what I could capture. At this distance, the wide-angle makes the lighthouse just a dot on the horizon but it captures a whole lot more of the sky, which was the goal. Framing up the wooden path in the foreground makes it all the more interesting.
This is the last shot I snapped that morning. This is actually an HDR image. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. To try to capture the full dynamic range of this scene I blended four separate shots at different levels of exposures (from light to dark). Without blending the images/exposures you would end up with either a normal looking sky and everything else in darkness or a normal looking lake and land in the foreground with a colorless, completely white sky. The camera is not able to adequately handle such a wide dynamic range on its on so a little processing magic is needed to get these results.
This is one you will want to view the larger, full-screen size. To do so, simply click 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.
Turbulent Solitude
Lake Michigan’s waves were churning during an otherwise peaceful morning as the sun was ascending behind the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse and pier. Look closely and you can see people fishing on the pier.
I checked the date stamp on this image and it appears I took this photo on the morning of my birthday in September of 2017. It took me long enough to finally get around to processing and posting it. I may need to get more focused.
You can view more of the details in this image 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.
Sun Kissed
A relaxing morning on the shore of Lake Michigan as the sun rises behind clouds and the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse and pier.
This is an image I took last May and just never got around to processing it. I love the gentle roll of waves and the reflection of the sun on the water, leading to shore. I did post a monochrome image from this same morning awhile back – “Praise From On High.”
You can view a full-screen version of this image by simply 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.
30 Second Sunrise – Kewaunee, WI – 06-09-18
One morning, when I was at the beach in Kewaunee, Wisconsin to photograph the sunrise, I set a small video camera on the hill of the park and let it record the sunrise. This is the result. The camera doesn’t provide the highest quality but I think it is still interesting.
The most impressive part of this video is the gradual transformation of the sky; the changing colors and moving clouds. The most interesting part of this video are the little dots that move from left to right. They are the fishing boats leaving the Kewaunee harbor in the early morning hours. If you watch closely, you can also see two fishermen walking along the pier to fish at the end, near the lighthouse.
Show Me Your Wonder
The beach at Kewaunee, Wisconsin is the perfect place to catch a dramatic scene as the sun rises behind their lighthouse and long pier.
This was a great morning to be on the beach with the sky providing a nice show and a few sunbeams. Not many were at the beach to experience it; just me and a young couple cuddling with themselves and their smartphone.
This image is actually a panorama – where I “stitched” two photos together to include more of the scene than is possible with a single frame. Usually, my panoramic images are pictures that are joined side-by-side. This image is comprised of two images stacked, one on the other. With my camera in “landscape” orientation I took a photo of the lower half with the lake and the beach and then a photo of the upper half with the sun and clouds. Together they give you the taller, “portrait” orientation image you see here.
Of course, the final image is nearly twice the size and resolution of a normal photo, giving you more detail. To see that some of that detail, click on the photo and a new browser tab will open with a full-screen version of this image. Then, to zoom in, click on the full-screen 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.
Splashed Onto the Scene
Even a gentle wave can make a big splash if it encounters a solid obstacle on the shore. Some wood that drifted ashore on the beach in Kewaunee, WI, provided a splash point for the waters of Lake Michigan. Not exactly sure, but It looked like the roof of small small shed.
The Kewaunee lighthouse, seen in the background, was surrounded by scaffolding during its renovation in the summer of 2017. This was a June capture.
If you have a large monitor, take advantage of it to view a full-screen version of this image simply 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.