Clouds
Horizontal Rainbow
The early morning hours is the best time to catch a sky full of color. The best moment is just before the sunrise.
This is the beauty I found this morning at Kewaunee, WI. The time-stamp from the camera reads 4:49 am. Sunrise was at 5:09 am.
To get a better view, click on the photo and a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
Clandestine Candlepower
The early morning sun seems to be hiding behind the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse. I always try to get the rising sun close to the lighthouse. Occasionally, as in this case, I’m able to get the sun directly behind the lighthouse. It doesn’t always make a great image because the sun will overpower everything in the frame. The sun was hidden enough by the lighthouse – along with some camera and post processing wizardry – to create an interesting image.
April Awakening
A very calming morning scene on Lake Michigan as the sun prepares to rise behind the lighthouse and pier at Kewaunee, Wisconsin. This morning’s sun has a “tell” for exactly where it will breach the horizon. That little pink area to the right of the lighthouse is marking the spot where the sun will appear.
You can view a larger version of this image by simply clicking on the photo.
Break of Dawn (vintage)
This is an image that dates back a few years. I was searching for it on this website and was surprised that I had never posted here. It’s a digitally enhanced version of one of my most popular images – Break of Dawn. (See the original HERE) The original is a wonderful color image. It would be my favorite of the two, but I also like the aged look this one receives from the monochrome and textured effects.
To view a larger version of this photo, click on it.
Sundown Hotspot
Fire Painters In the Sky
This image is a combination of stunning, natural beauty and a generous helping of digital magic. Let me share some of the details.
This is one of my earliest photos taken with my first decent digital camera. The camera a Kodak EasyShare DX7590 that I purchased to document my first trip to Liberia, Africa in 1995 . The DX7590 was a minor step up from a typical point-and-shoot camera with a whopping 5-megapixels. (Pretty impressive, in those days, for a small, consumer grade camera. My current camera provides 24-megapixels.)
This photo was taken in march of 2007. At home in the early evening, I saw the wonderful colors in the sky out my living room window. Of course, I grabbed my camera and dashed out the door.
I crossed the road in front of my house to be able to frame up the sky without any interference from the power lines and poles between me and the beauty. I included the dormant tree to add contrast and interest to the scene. I snapped several frames of the incredible sky with the trees and field before me.
If you haven’t guessed by now, the water you see in the foreground wasn’t part of the original scene. I added the water, digitally, after the fact. The lovely, rippling reflection of the water in this image replaced a barren farm field, mostly covered with melting snow. You can see a couple of the original images I took – with out the water effect – in this earlier post: Fire In the Sky
The farm field was dark and dreary, compared to the sky, so I thought it needed an upgrade. I had been trying out a trial version of software developed to add a water effect and thought the reflective quality of water might add more interest and color to the bottom of the image. In fact, I extended the bottom area of the photo, to fit more ripples in the view.
You can view a larger version of this photo by clicking on it.
Cold Pastels
Hidden Power
The sun had risen by the time I snapped this image but was being blocked by a low bank of clouds over Lake Michigan. Still, it managed to break through and make it’s presence known behind the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse and pier.
The image seems kind of dark…but that’s because it was kind of dark…until the sun hit that open band.
Night Watch Ending
This was a glorious Sunday morning on the shore of Lake Michigan at Kewaunee, Wisconsin. This is a pre-sunrise shot. The colors were so vivid, I actually had to pull back the saturation. Even so it still may seem a little over done.
You can view a larger version of this photo by clicking on the photo.
Winter Blues
As you know, winter has been reluctant to release its grip on Northeast Wisconsin. This is a scene that reminds me of the battle between warmth and cold. The cold seems to be winning, preventing the sun from having its full effect. We’re all believing for the sun to triumph, the ice and snow to melt and warmer summer breezes to induce the gentle sound of waves on Lake Michigan’s shore.
This is a view of the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse shortly after sunrise…as seen from the snow and ice-covered beach. To view a larger, more detailed version, click on the photo.