Clouds
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 ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Two-Thirds Blue Hue
The sky was filled with clouds of blue for this Lake Michigan sunrise. You can see the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse and pier on the horizon.
This is a panoramic view – where I combined four separate images into one big (and in this case, long) image. I took this approach to gather in more of the sky, which I thought was the most interesting aspect of this moment.
If you look very closely, you can see a charter fishing boat heading out for the morning behind the pier, just to the left of the lighthouse. Click on the image to get a larger, better view.
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 ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
The Sun’s Warm Embrace
The sun seemed to be wrapping it’s fingers around the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse for a warm hug as it rose over Lake Michigan.
When I am catching a sunrise at a lighthouse setting, I often try to get the sun to line up right behind the lighthouse to create a great silhouette effect. The camera settings and a telephoto lens helped to create a star burst effect at the points were the sun was peeking around the edges of the lighthouse.
I like the tone and the silhouette effect here. The flying birds and the sitting fisherman’s silhouette (to the right of the lighthouse) were an added bonus.
To see more of the finer details, click 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 ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
A Little Light Reflection
The waves were calm but the sky seemed to portray a warning. This red sky appeared, in the pre-sunrise morning, over Lake Michigan; behind the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse and pier.
Scenes like this often reminded me of the old adage, “Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky at morning, sailors warning.”
This thinking was cited by Jesus in Matthew 16:2-3, “…When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening…” Shakespeare wrote something similar in, Venus and Adonis. “Like a red morn that ever yet betokened, Wreck to the seaman, tempest to the field, Sorrow to the shepherds, woe unto the birds, Gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds.”
According the Library of Congress website, there is some validity to this saying (within limits). They write…
When we see a red sky at night, this means that the setting sun is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles. This usually indicates high pressure and stable air coming in from the west. Basically good weather will follow.
A red sunrise can mean that a high pressure system (good weather) has already passed, thus indicating that a storm system (low pressure) may be moving to the east. A morning sky that is a deep, fiery red can indicate that there is high water content in the atmosphere. So, rain could be on its way.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this image 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.
Burned Into My Memory
I was able to grab a couple of shots of the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse yesterday. Even though the sun seems to be above the horizon, this is actually a pre-sunrise shot. That faux sun – the round, yellow area in the middle right – is not the sun. It is just a lighter area of cloud cover that allowed a brighter area of light to escape. The actual sunrise was still a good 15 minutes away.
The last few times I had an opportunity to get some sunrise images the weather didn’t cooperate. It was foggy or rainy or totally dreary with clouds. Yesterday wasn’t bad and I was able to pick up a few good images. Stay tuned – they’ll be more to come.
You can view a larger, full-screen version of this image 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.
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.
The Flight Brothers
A beautiful historical display – these two venerated ,war birds flew together through the blue skies over Oshkosh, Wisconsin during an airshow at the EAA AirVenture 2019. The upper plane is “Quick Silver, a P-51D, Mustang. The lower plane is a Chance-Vought F4U-4 Corsair.
One of the aspects of AirVenture I appreciate most is their emphasis on honoring our veterans and the hardware our true heroes used to protect and serve. Both of these were used to protect and secure the freedom of others.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this image 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.
Sudden Downpour
This amphibian, firefighting plane, operated by Viking, demonstrated it’s ability to smother a wildfire with water at this year’s AirVenture airshow.
After take off, this unique aircraft would skim the surface of nearby Lake Winnebago for ten seconds and scoop up 15,000 gallons of water and then return to the airfield. The total time to make its circuit and deliver a drenching to its target was only two minutes. Amazing technology and service.
You can view a larger, full screen view of this image 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.
Angel on Assignment
A United States Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet is seen climbing against the backdrop of a tumultuous summer sky.
This photo the combination of an airshow performance, a setting sun and a billowing thunderhead in the distance. As the jet was quite a distance away, likely banking to return to the delighted airshow fans. The storm front was miles away, causing no threat but providing majestic beauty. The setting sun colored the clouds in an orange-ish hue, making the scene more dramatic.
If you look real close, you can see the fire of the jet engines trailing the aircraft. I’d like to have a better view of the Jet, but the real star in this shot is the sky. To see a larger version (and get a little better view of the jet) just 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.