Sky
The Chosen One
Some may stumble into notoriety others seem chosen. Though out of it’s element, this sunflower found growing amidst a field of oats, seems to be have been selected from above for some special honor.
This was taken a few weeks ago in the farm field behind our rural Kewaunee home. It’s not a great photo, technically speaking, due to the lack of light present when this early evening rainbow appeared. This was just a quick shot, without much thought. Given a second chance I’m sure I could have improved it. Of course, that exact moment has long past; the opportunity lost forever.
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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Lake Light Bright
The rising sun seemed to be striving to hold its own against an encroaching cloud bank behind the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse and pier. Kewaunee is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
This shot was captured in color but I thought it would be more dramatic in monochrome. Even though the sun is providing a stellar performance, the overall image maintains a dark and brooding feel. It wasn’t a great morning for sunrise photos but he sunbeams captured in this frame seem pretty cool to me.
As always, I think the images look best when viewed full-screen. You can do so 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
A Blessing
A rainbow arches over our rural, northeast Wisconsin home.
I happened to notice this rainbow at the very end of the day…just as the sun was setting. In truth, I was a little late to the party. A few minutes earlier and it would have been a full, arching beauty.
This is a panoramic image that required four images (stitched together) to capture the full view you see here.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
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 (pops@popsdigital.com) 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) 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 (pops@popsdigital.com) 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.
Awaking the Calm
On a calm Lake Michigan, the sun prepares to rise behind the pier and lighthouse at Kewaunee, Wisconsin. It was a glorious, eye-opening morning!
If you look closely you will see a fishing boat or two and people fishing off the pier.
This is one of the very few sunrises I was able to photograph through the summer…and, thankfully, it was a good one. I posted the first photo from this same morning a few days ago and will have a number of others that I will share in the coming weeks. Good stuff!
Nothing tricky about this shot – other than having to be there early in the morning. No HDR on this one, just a simple, single exposure and Lightroom processing.
To view a larger, more detailed version of this image, 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.