WI
Embrace of the Sun
One of the things I like to do is catch the sun peeking from behind the Algoma, WI lighthouse. I took this image last Sunday morning on my way to church. The sun is rising pretty early in these parts right now. This photo was snapped around 5:55 am.
More clouds in the sky would have made this a more interesting image for me. The one thing I do like – and the reason I think it’s worthy of sharing – is the way the sun seems to reach around the lighthouse. The rays remind me of arms reaching around to gently, warmly caress the lighthouse. A good morning hug!
I’ve isolated and enlarged the lighthouse to give you a better view of the sun’s embrace. (Right)
To see a larger version of the top photo, click on the image.
Foggy Boardwalk Blues
Early morning fog kept the lampposts lit well beyond the time of sunrise along the Crescent Beach boardwalk at Algoma, WI. In fact, this image was captured about ten minutes after the sun had come up.
I posted a similar, monochrome version a week ago (seen on the right). The B&W version seems more like a night scene, even though these images were taken within a few minutes of each other.
I like both of these images. Each have their own appealing aspects. I might give a slight edge to the B&W version.
To view a larger version of either image, simply click on them.
The Indianhead
When people ask what kind of photographer I am – meaning landscape, portrait, wildlife, etc. – I typically respond by saying, “I just photograph whatever catches my eye.”
On a recent getaway to celebrate our upcoming wedding anniversary, Sara and I stumbled upon the Indianhead Motel. We thought the neon sign was very cool…so much so, that we stayed the night. The Indianhead Motel is located in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (pop. 13,661).
If you’re wondering why Chippewa Falls may sound familiar, it’s because it is the birth place and hometown of the fictional characters Jack Dawson in the movie Titanic, Grand Slam of G.I. Joe, Dr. Jennifer Keller in the science fiction series Stargate Atlantis and the title character of Annie Hall.
By the way, the accommodations were acceptable and quite reasonable, but not as cool as the sign.
Morning Reverence
But to You I have cried out, O LORD, and in the morning my prayer comes before You. ~ Psalm 88:13
The sun was rising over Lake Michigan on a Saturday morning in February, 2012. I was at the beach at Kewaunee, WI. The sunrise wasn’t quite what I was hoping for so I thought I would experiment with some different different camera settings. I also decided to move into the field of view for a couple of shots.
This is similar to another shot taken the same morning where I was standing, facing the sun. I posted it a couple of weeks ago – Future So Bright.
You can get a better view of the image above by clicking on it.
Boardwalk in the Fog
This was not the image I was going for. I left home very early, hoping to catch a sunrise over Lake Michigan last Sunday morning. The sun was scheduled to rise at 6:07 am. I showed up at the beach around 5:55 am. As you can see, the sun didn’t keep it’s end of the bargain.
It only looks like a nighttime shot. This photo was actually taken shortly after “sunrise.” It is a view of the boardwalk that runs along Crescent Beach in Algoma, WI.
Click the image to see a larger view.
Just the Two of Us
This handsome pair of love birds – or…ummm…bluebirds – showed up early this spring. We have several bluebird houses around our yard and expect these (and more, hopefully) to raise a brood, as they have the last couple of years.
They are sitting on the edge of a stoneware bowl that I stock with a treat of mealworms for them each morning. It’s set on a post about three feet off the ground. As you can see from the lilac bush behind them, the leaves are just starting to sprout in our neck of the woods.
I took this photo remotely. I had my camera on a tripod about 20 feet away from the birds…while I watched from the window in our pantry (probably 40 feet in the opposite direction) and pressed my wireless remote shutter button when I saw the birds at the bowl.
Watch for more of this pair in coming days…and through the summer; now that I’ve got them trained to pose for me.
To see a larger view, click on the image.
Future So Bright
I don’t often take photos of myself…but I made an exception this time. Of course, my choices were limited since I was the only one around at the time.
It was a morning last February and I was on the beach at Kewaunee, WI hoping to catch a nice sunrise. I took several photos and then, for something different, I decided to step into the shot. A tripod and wireless remote for my camera makes this possible. It’s still not easy to get the placement right when you’re not behind the camera.
To view a larger version of this image, simply click on it.
Night Lights of Kewaunee
This nightscape features the lighthouse at Kewaunee, WI – on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The full moon was shrouded behind a layer of clouds.
I didn’t realize it until I was preparing this post…. If you use a little imagination while looking at the moon behind the clouds, it can look like the head of some kind of creepy ghoul. (I see two eyes and an open mouth. Yikes!)
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.