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
Sunrise
Sunrise Solo
A solitary seagull surveys the beauty of a Lake Michigan sunrise as it emerges beyond the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse and pier.
This is a scene from mid October, 2016. It was a rough morning on the lake. Of course, I was shooting from the shore, staying far enough away from the waves breaking on the beach to keep my equipment dry. The gull was a nice addition. It isn’t the only one in the sky. If you view the larger version of this, you’ll be able to see a few others nearer the lighthouse.
To view a larger, more detailed version, simply 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.
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory
Sometimes it is difficult to fit all of the beauty in one frame. This pre-sunrise view from the harbor of Algoma, Wisconsin, took a compilation of five separate images.
The travel site, Expedia, recently named Algoma as “Most Beautiful Town” in Wisconsin. I believe they must have been there on a day like this. In their words…
This scene was photographed on the same morning I photographed, “Serious Sunrise;” an image I posted earlier. You can view it, for comparison HERE.
This is one of those images that don’t display well in on my blog’s small page format. You should click on the image to view a wider, full-screen, panoramic version.
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.
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.
Abundance of Atmosphere
There was plenty of atmosphere to spare, just after sunrise, above Lake Michigan and the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse. Nothing but miles and miles of beautifully, dramatic atmosphere.
The sky was so interesting, I was compelled to capture the entire horizon. I took six individual shots and “stitched” them together to get this panoramic view. There are a lot of pixels in the compilation file. (22,526 x 3,681, a 58.6 MB file)
It’s a shame, of course, that you can’t see the full majesty of the morning with this small image due to the unfortunate width limitations of this page. However, you can get a better view with the larger version available just by clicking on the photo. That will take you to the full-screen-wide image where you can enjoy much more of the drama and detail. The wider your screen, the better. If you look close, you can see fishermen on the pier and near the lighthouse.
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.
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.
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.
In the Spotlight
The calm of morning is accentuated by the warming hues of a sunrise, poised for effect, over the lighthouse at Kewaunee, WI.
It is difficult to grab the sun in just the right position because it’s always moving…and faster than you think. By the time I get into position and get the camera set, I have to adjust a few more inches to the left…and a few more inches down…and a few more inches…. Well, you get the idea. Try it sometime. It seems to be moving very slowly until you are trying to get a precise placement. Same problem with the moon on similar shots.
The other difficult aspect of this shot is trying to get some detail in the subject in front of the sun. With the overwhelming brightness of the sun, everything else can become a black, silhouette. The morning haze helped mute the brightness a bit. However, to get the level of definition you see in the lighthouse and navigation marker, I blended several shots of varying exposures.
You can view a full-screen 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.