Lighthouse
Bathed in Beams
On more than one occasion, I’ve heard or read Algoma, WI has one of the most photographed lighthouses (technically a “pier light”). I always considered it more wishful thinking than fact. But if I just count the number of pictures I’ve personally snapped and posted, I might have misjudged.
This magical scene was captured early on a Sunday morning while on my way to church. (As the pastor, I get to the church hours before the service to prepare.) Since I always have my camera with me, it’s not unusual for me to stop near the harbor and step out to take a few photos of the lighthouse if I see something I like.
On this morning, when I stopped, it was starting to sprinkle and I didn’t want to expose my camera or suit to the rain. So, instead of jumping out, I jumped in…to the backseat of our minivan. I set my tripod and camera up, slid the side door open and snapped away, staying comfortable and dry. As the sun continued to rise and the clouds shifted, changing the angle of the beams, I had jump back to the drivers seat and move my van 3 times.
I posted a B&W photo from the same morning a few days ago, entitled Too Wonderful for Me.
Here’s a panoramic scene, taken just a few minutes later the same morning, when the sunbeams weren’t so intense.
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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.
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Power from On High
A month ago I managed to snag a number of striking B&W images of the Algoma, WI lighthouse. I posted a few of them and moved on to other subjects. Yesterday’s interaction on this blog – comparing color and b&w images (Thank You, to all who commented) – reminded me of the bunch I had neglected. This image is from that forgotten bunch.
The powerful contrast between the upper right-hand corner and the lower left-hand corner, and the range of monochrome tones between, make this a favorite for me.
Fell free to share your own thoughts below and if you like what you see, by all means, share it with others.
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Too Wonderful for Me
There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yes, four which I cannot resist photographing. The rise of a morning sun, the set of an evening sun, majestic sunbeams piercing the darkness and the form of a rainbow in the sky. (Pops Digital paraphrase of Proverbs 30:18.)
I captured this image of the Algoma, WI harbor, on the western shore of Lake Michigan, while on my way to prepare for a Sunday morning service at the church where I serve as pastor.
I always have an eye on the sky. As I was driving to Algoma I could see that there might be a worthwhile photo op developing. This is the scene I found when I reached the harbor – just a few blocks from the church.
The sunbeams poured through for about ten minutes. I captured several appealing images and will share more in upcoming posts. Check back often.
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Early Amber Rising
A lone fisherman prepares his tackle for fishing off the end of the Kewaunee, WI pier. The rising sun, filtered through the clouds over a calm Lake Michigan, create an amber backdrop for him and the Kewaunee lighthouse.
This photo was taken from the beach using a 300mm lens. I captured several good shots on this morning and will post more in the near future.
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Lighthouse Bling
The early morning sky and it’s reflection off the Algoma, WI harbor make this one of my favorites. The lighthouse gets a bit of bling from the sun rising directly behind it. (Technically, it’s not a lighthouse. It’s a “pier light,” but everyone refers to it as the Algoma Lighthouse.)
The close up image on the left, gives you a better view of the effect created by the star filter I used.
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Return to Port
A small fishing boat returns to the Algoma, WI harbor after an early morning on Lake Michigan.
This was the first morning of the Kewaunee/Door County Salmon Tournament. You can still see remnants of the heavy fog that kept a lot of boats from venturing out early this day.
The K/D Tournament is a big, big deal in these parts. According to their Facebook page…
The KD Salmon Tournament is an amateur sport fishing tournament that runs for 9 consecutive days each summer. Approximately 2,300 to 2,800 contestants participate each year and over $40,000 in prizes are awarded. The largest fish caught will win the lucky fisherman $10,000 CASH. Most years the prize payout reaches 200 or more places.
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Somewhere Out There
When you look at this image, does it evoke feelings of hopeful expectation or foreboding…or some of both? The unknown can be both exciting and unsettling.The morning of this photo shoot started out with thick fog but, eventually, the sun had it’s way. This image portrays the epic battle. The field of battle was a Lake Michigan harbor at Algoma, WI.
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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.
Point of Inspiration
This is one of my favorites of the many photos I took Saturday morning (07/23/11). It’s not the image I was going after but, believe me, I am not disappointed.
I made a special point of getting up early and heading to the harbor in Algoma, WI in hopes of capturing a beautiful sunrise. The sky looked promising as I drove, however, when I got to the harbor, it was enveloped by fog. There wasn’t going to be a sunrise to photograph. I decided to stick around anyway and capture some images of the lighthouse in the fog. Since fog has a way of draining everything of color, I switched to shooting in black and white.
Eventually the fog lifted some, the sun got higher and I kept snapping. This is the first of several images I’ll be sharing from that morning. Check back often.
I haven’t done much in black and white but after this series of photos, I think I’ll be doing more.
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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.
Harbor Lights
The full moon staged a dramatic entrance near the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse on Friday, July 15, 2011.
It was the first night of Kewaunee’s annual Trout Festival. I had scouted out the area and selected a spot to take photos of the upcoming fireworks show. While waiting, the moon slowly emerged from the horizion – starting out to the left of the lighthouse and moving directly behind the lighthouse and beyond, as you can see. 
I was excited to be able to be in the perfect spot to catch the two together. There was one spoiler, though. The pier to the lighthouse happens to be the site of the fireworks launch. The technicians putting on the fireworks show were on the pier, as were their vehicles and equipment. Photoshop to the rescue!
The image to the right is the original, untouched, photo that I snapped. The moon and lighthouse together still make a cool image, but I thought they would be better without the distracting clutter. It took a little time to digitally clear the pier, but I think the final product was worth it.
Feel free to leave a comment and give me your opinion.
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