Clouds
Sky High Intensity
Late one summer afternoon, a storm front pushed through with an ominous intensity. The cloud formations were foreboding enough, but it was their eerie color that made the hair stand up on the back of your neck.
Turned out, it’s bark was worse than it’s bite.
I posted a panorama view of this same storm front last summer: Stormy Night Approaching
Genesis Dawn
This was how the last day of January, 2012 began at my house. It turned out to be a beautiful day with unseasonably warm temperatures.
I was in my home office, getting some things together before leaving for work, when my wife said, “Have you seen the sky?” One quick look had me dashing for my camera; hoping to get a couple of good shots in the few minutes I had.
This is a view of the pre-sunrise sky beyond the farm field that borders my home.
To see a larger version, click on the image.
Enlightening
A low hanging cloud bank was making a futile attempt to suppress the sun rising over Lake Michigan. The foreground is ice and snow covering the harbor. The black line at the edge of the ice is a flock of Canada geese waiting for the warmth of the morning sun. And, of course, the tall structure is the pier light at Algoma, WI.
I prefer the kind of sunrises where a majority of the sky turns beautiful shades of red, orange and gold. Unfortunately, I just haven’t been offered much on the days I could be out shooting. Most of them have been cold, dull, dreary days. This time of year, the days are so short, I have to leave for work before the sun rises and don’t return home until after the sun sets. My best opportunities are the weekends and weekends haven’t been cooperating lately. (I know…excuses, excuses, excuses.)
To see a larger version of this image, click on it.
Smoldering Sunrise
The Christmas gift that keeps on giving… This is another image I captured at sunrise on Christmas morning, 2011. This lighthouse is positioned on the western shore of Lake Michigan – at the harbor opening of Algoma, WI.
Algoma has had some sort of structure providing light for navigational purposes since March 1st of 1893. This current version, standing more than 40 feet tall, has been in place since 1932.
If you’d like a better look, click the image for a larger version.
Ending on a Sky Note
It is not uncommon for me to put an immediate halt to whatever I’m doing, grab my camera and bolt outside to catch a sunset. The sofa in our living room faces a western window where it’s hard to miss the warm glow illuminating the sheer curtains. There have been times, in the middle of a conversation, I’ll say, “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.” I then dash for my camera and out the door. Thankfully my wife, Sara, is very understanding. I’m rarely out there for more than a few minutes and, when I return, life generally picks up where it left off. Sometime later, I’ll get around to reviewing the exquisite light captured from an earlier moment…and maybe post one or two.
Click the photo for a larger view.
Behind the Veil
I was looking forward to getting some photographs of a lunar eclipse last weekend. In our area, the effects of the eclipse might be visible just about the time the moon reached the horizon, early in the morning.
I got up early and checked the skies. The moon was full, bold and bright. I checked the outside temperature. It was around 10-degrees above zero. That was much colder than I wanted to deal with for the time I would be spending outside trying to capture the eclipse at is peak. I started our van and let it warm up. When it was time to shoot, I packed my camera bag and tripod into the back seat and drove to the end of our driveway…where I could open the side door and shoot in relative comfort.
Just as the moon was nearing the horizon, a band of clouds rose and obscured my view. If there was any eclipse effect, I didn’t see it. Of course, I took a lot of photos anyway and this is my favorite of the bunch.
To see a larger version, simply click the photo.
Morning Charms
This is a similar shot to one I posted last week. This is the upper part of the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse. The previous post (Wisps of Light) was cropped a little closer and left the lighthouse as a silhouette. This one offers a little more sky and a little more detail of the lighthouse.
To see a larger version, just click on the photo.
Golden Awakening
Yeah, that bright yellow disc is the rising sun overpowering the low clouds over Lake Michigan. The lighthouse at Algoma,WI stands by as a silent witness.
My favorite aspect of this image is the soft texture of golden-yellow clouds in the upper part of the photo.
It looks even better when it’s bigger. To see a larger version, just click on the photo.
Wisps of Light
I’ve taken a lot of photos of the Kewaunee lighthouse, but none like this. This was a pre-sunrise shot focusing on the light of the lighthouse. The morning sky provided a dramatic background.
I have another, similar shot where the lighthouse isn’t all shadow. I’ll post it in a couple of days.
To get a better view of the lens on that light, click the photo. Feel free to share with friends.
Cloudy Disposition
The distinctive, two-part pier of the Algoma, WI lighthouse stretches into Lake Michigan and a moody morning sky.
Those who have followed my photography will realize this is taken from a different location than I usually shoot the pier and lighthouse. Usually I’m somewhere on the southern side. From a southern angle, the pier looks like one solid protrusion. From this angle, you can see there’s a gap in the pier.
To get a better look at this image, click on it and it will open a new window with a larger view.