Kewaunee
Backlit Lighthouse
This is one of my favorite photographic subjects. Well, actually four of my favorites. The rising sun, clouds, Lake Michigan and the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse. It’s nice when all four of them come together to for a memorable shoot.
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Opening Scene
I was hunting for a sunrise on a Saturday morning in September. Never actually saw the sun.
Those light streaks along the horizon were a muted orange color…so, I knew the sun was out there somewhere, but it didn’t show it’s face for this shoot. The great cloud bank redeemed the morning and gave me several interesting images. A good example is the panorama I posted as Panorama Perspective.
This was taken at the beach in Kewaunee, WI on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
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Panoramic Perspective
The clouds and the early morning light created a magical panoramic view. I snapped this yesterday morning from the beach in Kewaunee, WI.
I’m sorry the format of this blog is not conducive to getting a good view of panorama images. You can get a better view by clicking on the image.
I really wanted a huge sailboat to glide into this photo. How cool would that look. I also managed to snagged a few black-and-white images from this morning that I’ll post in the future.
Kewaunee Lighthouse Fly By
At the end of the Kewaunee, WI pier, a couple of fishermen watch a flock of Canada geese fly by.
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Risin’ and Shinin’
A Saturday morning sunrise over Lake Michigan and the Kewaunee, WI pier and lighthouse. As you can see, I took this one from the beach yesterday morning.
If you have a large monitor, you may be able to see a larger version of the photo if you click on it.
Anglers in the Grey
These anglers were at it early on a Saturday morning – fishing from the end of the Kewaunee, WI pier.
I’ve posted several other images taken on this same morning – in color and B&W. See Early Amber Rising, Gold Rush, Compelling Clouds over Kewaunee and Summertime Sunrise.
To get a better view of the fishermen, click the photo to see a larger image.
Tug Ludington – History on Display
This is the Tug Ludington, docked in the harbor of Kewaunee, WI. I took this photo in early July of 2011. Of course, the image I snapped was clear and colorful. (See the smaller version.) But, because of the rich history of this vessel, dating back to the early ’40s, I decided a “vintage photo” effect seemed appropriate.
To keep with the vintage look, I had to eliminate a red car that appears in the original photo, just above the stern. I simply cloned the foliage near it over the car.
The Ludington now serves as a tourist attraction – open to summertime visitors every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Here’s some of the historic details of the Tug Ludington found on the City of Kewaunee’s web site
Built at Jacobson Shipyard in Oyster Bay, New York, the Tug Ludington was fourth in a series of eight seagoing tugboats constructed specifically for World War II in 1943. After sea trials it was christened the “Major Wilbur Fr. Browder” by the U.S. Army.
The tug’s armament consisted of two 50 caliber machine guns mounted above the chartroom and pilothouse. Tugs were often strafed by enemy planes and submarines, but were considered too small a target to waste a torpedo on.
The tug participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy, towing ammunition barges across the English Channel. It eventually ended up in Cherbourg, France where it assisted harbor operations until being sent to Plymouth, England for the duration of the war.
In 1947 the tug was transferred to Kewaunee, Wisconsin by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was renamed the “Tug Ludington.” With its arrival in Kewaunee, the Tug Ludington assisted in the construction and maintenance of many harbors on the Great Lakes.
The City acquired the Tug Ludington from the Federal Surplus Program on December 29, 1995 with official transfer from the U.S. Government Service Administration Federal Surplus Property occurring on May 14, 1996.
After acquisition, the City, community volunteers, and donations from both individuals and organizations evolved in the proper mooring facilities being constructed and restoration of the Tug Ludington to make it available for public tours.
On March 28, 2002, the “Major Wilbur Fr. Browder/Tug Ludington” was placed on the National and State Register of Historic Places by the Secretary of the Interior.
Summertime Sunrise
Whether it’s a sunrise or a sunset, for me, it’s the clouds that make the scene worthwhile. This same setup with clear skies would be pretty bland. If you can add the silhouette of a lighthouse and the sun’s reflection off the water, all the better.
Even though I’ve photographed the sunrise over Lake Michigan near the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse many times before, it has never looked quite like this. In every case, the clouds make the difference.
Compelling Clouds over Kewaunee
I was up early and on the beach one Saturday to catch the sunrise at Kewaunee, WI.
In addition to some nice sunlit images, (See Gold Rush and Early Amber Rising.) I also snapped a few in black & white mode. This one really captured the dynamic tonal range of the clouds above Lake Michigan, beyond the Kewaunee pier and lighthouse.
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Gold Rush
The brilliant, golden sunlight rushes through a narrow breach in the clouds and easily overpowers the lighthouse at Kewaunee, WI.
To see a a larger version of this image, click on it.