WI
Pre-Sunrise Pastels
The unpredictably of the sky is what makes sunrise and sunset photography so enjoyable and challenging for me. You never know what you’re going to see…or miss if you’re not there. Another consideration is how rapidly the conditions can change. Sometimes, an usual color or effect will fill the sky and only last a moment before fading. This is a good example. For just a moment the sky, behind the clouds, turned pink. I wanted to get more shots of this effect, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
Keep in mind, this was before sunrise and the low light conditions created a lot of digital “noise” on this image. Sorry about that. I didn’t have time to fiddle with camera settings.
Click on the photo above to see a larger version.
Skylights
The lighthouse at Kewaunee, WI is one of my favorite subjects. This was taken early in the morning, shortly after sunrise. If you look closely, you’ll notice a little bump at the end of the pier. That’s a lone fisherman. I took this photo kneeling at the very edge of the beach while Lake Michigan gently lapped the shore.
Click the image to see a larger version.
Path to Splendor
My favorite quote about photography…
“Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.” George Eastman
This was a photo where the star of the show is light. It’s a winter sunrise taken at the sparkling, snow-covered beach in Kewaunee, WI.
To see a larger version, click on the image.
Band of Gold
The only visible evidence of Saturday’s sunrise behind the Kewaunee, WI lighthouse was a horizontal strip of color. This image was taken from shore. The “rocks” in the foreground are really chunks of ice and dirt.
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In the Still of the Light
A Sunday morning sunrise over Lake Michigan and the tiny harbor of Algoma, WI. I snapped this last Sunday on my way to church. It was one of the coldest mornings of this year’s unusually mild winter.
I normally like to see more clouds in the sky in my sunrise/sunset images, but I thought the light, wispy clouds just behind the lighthouse were a nice change.
To see a larger version of this image, click on it.
Sky High Intensity
Late one summer afternoon, a storm front pushed through with an ominous intensity. The cloud formations were foreboding enough, but it was their eerie color that made the hair stand up on the back of your neck.
Turned out, it’s bark was worse than it’s bite.
I posted a panorama view of this same storm front last summer: Stormy Night Approaching
As the Rooster Crows
This is the panorama version of the January, 31, 2012 pre-sunrise at my house. (See my previous post)
This is one of those photos where the larger the better. Unfortunately, you can’t really get it large enough for my liking. Still, you can get a larger/wider view by clicking on the photo.
Genesis Dawn
This was how the last day of January, 2012 began at my house. It turned out to be a beautiful day with unseasonably warm temperatures.
I was in my home office, getting some things together before leaving for work, when my wife said, “Have you seen the sky?” One quick look had me dashing for my camera; hoping to get a couple of good shots in the few minutes I had.
This is a view of the pre-sunrise sky beyond the farm field that borders my home.
To see a larger version, click on the image.
Enlightening
A low hanging cloud bank was making a futile attempt to suppress the sun rising over Lake Michigan. The foreground is ice and snow covering the harbor. The black line at the edge of the ice is a flock of Canada geese waiting for the warmth of the morning sun. And, of course, the tall structure is the pier light at Algoma, WI.
I prefer the kind of sunrises where a majority of the sky turns beautiful shades of red, orange and gold. Unfortunately, I just haven’t been offered much on the days I could be out shooting. Most of them have been cold, dull, dreary days. This time of year, the days are so short, I have to leave for work before the sun rises and don’t return home until after the sun sets. My best opportunities are the weekends and weekends haven’t been cooperating lately. (I know…excuses, excuses, excuses.)
To see a larger version of this image, click on it.
Mellow Morning in Kewaunee
The sun is just slipping above the horizon of Lake Michigan, providing a very mellow mood to this view of the lighthouse at Kewaunee, WI.
This is similar to another image I posted in mid December that I entitled Serenity Beach. They are very similar in composition, but differ greatly in tone. The difference is just a matter of minutes in time. It’s a great illustration of the rapidly changing mood of early morning light. (Click the link and compare them. Which do you like best?)
Click the image to see a larger version of this photo.