Tuliptree Blossom with Guest
Another Day at Work
Apis Workers' Party
Predator
Some of Your Beeswax
Sedum Bumbler
Look of Defiance
Chicory Bee
Bumbling Bees
Garden Cafe
Buzz By Here - To Infinity and Beyond
Pick Your Poison
Blind Side Attack
On a Mission
Honey Bee on Sedum
Covering the Cosmos
Center of the Cosmos
Three's a Crowd
Popular Spot
On A Pedestal
Big Harry Fireworks Display
To Impress the Girl
Different Perspective
Sweet Ride
Perfect Little Piggies B&W
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Festival of Flights
To the Crowd's Delight
Amish Go Round
Wondersome One
The Stars In Her Eyes
Tuesday's Child
Sleeper Hold
Considering the Next Move
Sugar and Spice
Front Porch Portrait
Caged Competitor
Early Adoration
Child In the Ligtht
Stroll Through the Weeds
Attention Grabbing
Eye Contact
On the Line
Eyes of Wonder
Rounding the Curve
Troubadours of Basin Spring Park
Down by the Creek
Sun Day
Catching Some Light
EAA Fireworks
Hear Me Roar
Moon
Good Evening Kewaunee
Like a pudgy, pink ghost rising from the sea, the full moon begins its ascent over Lake Michigan and the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse and pier.
This was the full moon of April 25, 2013.
If you have a decent size monitor you can view a larger version of this image by clicking on it.
Larger Light Looming
As powerful as the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse lamp may be, it is no match for the power and majesty of the full moon of March 27, 2013.
I was pleasantly surprised at how well this image turned out; at how clearly the Fresnel lens of the lighthouse can be seen. The surprising part…this photo was taken from the shore. Anyone familiar with the Kewaunee lighthouse knows the lighthouse sits at the end of a very long pier that extends 750 feet from shore.
To get this image I used a 300mm lens with a 2X teleconverter (effectively doubling the reach of the lens). It is simply luck that the focus was as sharp as it is since I had to focus manually. (A number of other shots that night were not so sharp.) Under low light conditions, particularly with the teleconverter, the camera’s auto-focus doesn’t work.
Normally, without the brightness of the full moon behind it, the lighthouse lamp would show up as a big, bright white blob.
To get a better view, click on the image and a larger version will open in another browser window.
Tidal Moon
A late-summer full moon rises over Lake Michigan, just behind the pier and lighthouse at the mouth of the Algoma, Wisconsin harbor.
I captured this image on September 30, 2012. I remember it was a late Sunday afternoon when the Green Bay Packers were playing the New Orleans Saints. It was a close game and I debated whether to miss it and hope for a good photo or just stay home and finish watching the game. I listened to it on the radio as I drove to Algoma, but I missed the end of the game because I was out near the beach taking photos.
When I got back to my van, I heard the Packers won 28 to 27. I hated to miss the game, but I’m glad I did. Full moon photos like this don’t come along every day.
To see a larger version of the main image, click on it.
Lighthouse Companion
A full moon rising over Lake Michigan was a complimentary, short-term companion to the lighthouse at Kewaunee. Moments after this image was taken, the moon slipped behind some clouds. Kewaunee, Wisconsin is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
If you have a large monitor, you may be able to view a larger version by clicking on the image.
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Full Moon of Mystery
This was supposed to be the Perigree Moon of 2012. For all my efforts, I was unable to capture it full and unhindered.
On this particular evening, I went to the shore in Kewaunee, WI. I was hoping to catch a nice view of the moon rising near the Kewaunee lighthouse. As you can see from the photo to the right, thick clouds kept that from becoming a reality.
The large image above is the best shot I was able to get after the moon had moved up in the sky – still shrouded by the clouds. It’s not what I was going for, but I kind of like the mysterious look of it.
For some reason, this photo actually reminds me of another photo of mine which, ironically, is an image of the sun: Sailing Past the Sun
To see a larger version of either image, just click on it.
Solar Eclipse – Partial
I almost missed this. I had heard that we might be able to view a smidge of the “Ring of Fire” eclipse that the West Coast was going to experience. Even though I knew about it, I had written it off because the weather forecast talked of rain starting in the afternoon. Naturally, I assumed, we wouldn’t even see a sunset and just put it out of my mind.
As it happens, while working on some other photos on my computer, I noticed an odd color in the sky and, out of habit, took a look. Then I remembered! And, then I dashed for my camera. As I ran out the door I told my wife to look out the window and I would be outside taking pictures.
We only saw a partial eclipse, but it put on a nice show any way.
See a larger version of this image by clicking on the photo.
To Howl For
“There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.” ~ George Carlin
We recently had a Perigee “Super Moon.” Unfortunately, our local weather conditions didn’t cooperate and I never got a clear shot of the moon when it was full. Still I had the itch to snap a shot of the moon, so on an early, clear morning I was able to capture this one.
To view a larger version, click the photo.
Night Vision
A week ago the moon was full, temperatures were freezing and I was standing in the dark along Lake Michigan’s shore in Kewaunee, WI. I’ve never attempted to shoot the Kewaunee pier and lighthouse from this angle before. I’ll have to try it in the daylight, possibly for a sunrise, sometime.
I worked a bit to try and correct the color of this image. Unfortunately, the mercury vapor lights of the city give everything a reddish tint that I wasn’t able to tone down much without making the rest of the colors look strange.
To see a larger version of this image, simply click on it.
Beacons of the Night
The rising, full moon and the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse were competing for equal billing last night.
I did a little experimenting with HDR techniques. I like the different colors created in the reflections by the orange-ish moon and the yellowish light.
To get a better view, click the image and a new window will open with a larger version.
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.