Sky
Serious Sunrise
There was a very serious mood to this morning’s sky as the sun breached the horizon behind the lighthouse and pier at Algoma, Wisconsin. It was a good morning to be on Lake Michigan’s western shore.
I was up early to make my way to Algoma, hoping for a worthwhile sunrise. I was not disappointed. The temperatures were cool but the sky had a warming effect…at least on the psyche. This shot was taken from the harbor embankment at the marina.
I’ve got a few other good shots from this vantage point that I’ll be working on when time allows. Watch for a wide, panorama shot of this morning’s sunrise in the future.
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.
October Surprise
I encountered a number of surprises on this early morning visit to the lake shore at Kewaunee, Wisconsin.
The morning light was a very pleasant surprise. The variations of color in the sky, from yellow to blue with a hint of purple on the fringes, was another welcome surprise. The rough water was an exciting surprise – normally the lake is pretty calm in the early morning hours.
The overall result of this image was a very nice surprise. I didn’t think I’d be able to capture as much of the dynamic range as I did. As bright as the sky looked and as dark as the water looked, I thought it would be difficult to see much of the detail in this image.
To view a larger, more detailed version of this image, click on the photo.
Morning Dance On the Beach
The waves seemed to be dancing with delight on the western shore of Lake Michigan as the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse and pier greet the new day.
As you can see, I had excellent conditions to try this type of image. Normally, at sunrise, the overwhelming brightness of the sun has a tendency to turn everything in the foreground into a silhouette. On this morning, there was some serious haze in the sky and clouds that blocked the harsh light and gave me enough to work with. The lake was a little rougher than it usually is at sunrise giving me the challenge of capturing a wave splashing on the shore.
There is plenty to like in this scene. The calming color of the sky, the landmark lighthouse with some fishermen on the pier, the texture of choppy water, the refreshing wave splash and reflection of light on the beach. This will be one of my favorites for the year.
If you have a larger monitor, you can view a more detailed version of this image by clicking on it.
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.
Splash of Light
The waves seemed to dance on Lake Michigan’s western shore as the sun emerged from behind the lighthouse at Kewaunee, WI.
I snapped this yesterday. It was the kind of morning perfect for an early stroll along the beach. The temperatures were comfortable with a slight breeze, the sun provided comforting color and the fishermen – on the pier and in boats further out – provided points of interest in the distance.
Photographing waves, and capturing the light in them, is a challenge that I still want to improve on. Of course, as you can tell by the relatively calm lake, these were very small waves and tiny splashes. Some good rolling waves might provide a bit more action and, consequently, opportunity.
You can view this image in greater detail with the larger, full-screen version – available 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.
Pure Algoma
The Algoma lighthouse and pier present a welcome sight to shore-side visitors and, more important, the watercraft entering and departing the small Lake Michigan harbor.
This image doesn’t contain the dramatic sunrise elements usually seen in my photos of the Algoma lighthouse. I was there at the break of dawn, hoping for a dramatic sunrise, but it never materialized. Still I like this photo for the clear, clean feel of the blue water and sky…with a hint of sunrise pink on the horizon.
You can get a larger view 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 for digital purchase and licensing options.
Colorful Kewaunee Fourth
A crowd of wide-eyed spectators watch the Fourth of July fireworks show from Selner Beach in Kewaunee, Wisconsin. Along with the booming colors the crowd was serenaded by the gentle, rhythmic sound of Lake Michigan waves on the shore.
I enjoy photographing fireworks. I particularly enjoy capturing the fine detail. Unfortunately, you have to really zoom in to see the kind of detail I’m talking about. Fortunately, with the large megapixels of today’s cameras, you can see some amazing detail when you enlarge the image. You won’t be able to see that kind of detail in this image, but you can view a larger version to get a better, overall view 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 for digital purchase and licensing options.
Sunrise and Splendor
A magnificent, pre-sunrise, panoramic display by the morning sky and clouds seems to envelop the Kewaunee lighthouse and pier. The warm reflection off Lake Michigan’s calm waters only accentuates the exhibition.
I’ve always believed, the best part of a sunrise is not the sun, but the clouds. The sun creates the light and color, but the clouds provide the character. Not heavy cloud cover, but the light, wispy kind that provide natural texture and interest to a scene. To me, a cloudless sunrise is pretty bland.
It seems I’ve been writing a lot about how I don’t often post panoramic images because their wide-view perspective doesn’t fit well within the typical web site parameters. Well, I must be on a bit of a panoramic kick these days, because I’ve posted more panoramas in the last few weeks than I have in as many years. I guess, when the mood and the beauty hits me, I can’t pass it up. It’s a little more work in processing, but I believe the results are well worth it.
Of course, when I post a panoramic image I must urge you to click on the photo so you can view a much larger version. There are a lot of birds in this photo, but you’ll miss most of them if you don’t view the larger version. Again, just click on the photo and 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 for digital purchase and licensing options.
Tall Drink of Comfort
The sky above, the water below and the sun rising over its shoulder all combine to make a warm, comforting atmosphere around the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse. This image was captured on the western shore of Lake Michigan, just south of the pier in Kewaunee.
This is a panoramic image. Usually we think of panoramas as being wide, horizontal images. In this case, I wanted more of the sky and water in the shot than a single frame would allow, so I combined three frames (high, middle and low) to create a tall image. The changing hue in the upper sky adds to the interest of this image, as does the sun’s reflection dancing along the ripples of the lake.
As I’ve said before, I don’t normally post many panoramas because they don’t display well within the size constraints of most webpages. This one would be truly awesome if you could view it very large. It is a large file and could be printed as tall as eight feet. Wouldn’t that would be cool!
You can click on the image to view a larger version but, again, because of webpage constraints, you won’t see a much larger 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 for digital purchase and licensing options.
Fully Charged
Lightning lit up the sky as a post script to the powerful storm that just rolled through our rural area of Kewaunee County in northeast Wisconsin.
A severe storm had just pushed through. On the horizon, the sky turned a wild, orangeish-red and the lightning continued to flash for awhile. I’m afraid I was a little late to the party. I should have gotten my camera out sooner. I was able to capture three shots with lightning – this, being the best one.
In the foreground you see the farm field, planted with corn in its early stages, soaked with water that reflects the brightness of the lightning. This shot was taken from a third-floor vantage point in the attic or our home. Very cool to watch.
This is one you’ll want to view in the larger version to see the fine detail in the lightning. You can do so by clicking on the 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 for digital purchase and licensing options.
Beyond the Harbor
This is a panoramic view at the mouth of the harbor at Algoma, WI; on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
A couple of weeks ago I set out to capture a sunrise, but as you can see, the sun was blocked by the thick clouds on the horizon. The best feature of the morning were the lighter clouds, highlighted by the hidden sun, that filled the sky above.
To capture this wide-angle view, I took four separate photos and combined them for the final image you see here.
I don’t often post panoramic images because of the width limitations of most websites, including my own. To get the best view of this one, you should click on the photo. When you do, a larger 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.