THE BASIN

The Basin, White Mountains, Franconia Notch, New Hampshire

Some 25,000 years ago as the Ice Age came to a close this large pothole, now called The Basin, started to form. Melting water from the glacier eroded the solid granite bedrock. During the thousands of years that followed sand and stones were whirled around by the force of the river causing a boring action that left the sidewalls smooth.

The American Naturalist Henry David Thoreau stood at this place on his first trip to the White Mountains in September 1839 and would write later in his journal, ”this pothole is perhaps the most remarkable curiosity of its kind in New England” (source: signboard on site).

Well, we visited this place 187 years later and were probably no less impressed by this unique feature in the Franconia Notch in New Hampshire. It is a photographer’s paradise and offers endless possibilities to shoot flowing water in this rocky environment. Bringing a tripod is highly recommended but the parking lot is not very far away, so you don’t have to carry it for very long.

ROCKY SHORE AT EVANGOLA STATE PARK

Rocky shore, Evangola State Park, Lake Erie, New York

I like to go back to locations where I had some good photography before and try to approach it in a way that tells the story about a place maybe even a little better than the last time. We camped at Evangola State Park at Lake Erie in New York 13 years ago and the conditions where almost identical. A gorgeous sunset that illuminated the beach and rocky shore is hard to beat . It’s easy to fall for the colors again, but it is the structure and texture of the layered rocks that make this part of Lake Erie’s shore so attractive. Good texture goes very well in black & white and in order to predict the results better I set the camera to my stored monochrome mode, which includes a red filter applied to the scene. So, what if I don’t like the results of my presets that I can see already in camera? As always, I shoot in RAW mode and all the information, including the colors, are still in the resulting file. I can go back to any color setting if I want to. This time the anticipation met my story telling intend one hundred percent. The choice to be made was only between different compositions and how the elements of the landscape were put in the frame. I wanted the texture of the rocks but also give a sense how incredible big Lake Erie really is. Finally I love when it comes right out of camera…

Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head,    @ 24 mm, 1/3200 s, f/11, ISO 200,

MARBLEHEAD LIGHTHOUSE

Marblehead Lighthouse, Lake Erie, Ohio, Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head,   @ 31mm, 1/250 s, f/10, ISO 100

Back from a 29-day trip to the coast of Maine I’m working my way through the photos that were created during this journey. We took some time to get to the Atlantic Ocean and camped at or near several interesting places along the route. In the next few weeks I like to share some of the pictures with you here in my blog and hope you may enjoy them.

We love lighthouses and since we traveled along the shores of three of the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario) we had the opportunity to visit at least one of them.

Nikon Z6 II, Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2/35 ZF,   @ 1/8000 s, f/2, ISO 100, I have neglected this lens with manual focus for a little bit recently. I know this is a mistake because the optical quality it can produce at f/2 is unmatched by any of my other, ”more modern” lenses. A good reminder to use it again more often…

Marblehead Lighthouse is at Lake Erie and located between Toledo and Cleveland in Ohio. It is a true beauty of a lighthouse and with the keeper’s house just next to it, it is one of Lake Erie’s most-photographed landmarks. It is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the Great Lakes and has guided sailors safely along the rocky shores of Marblehead Peninsula since 1822.

WAVES, NO MATTER WHAT

Surf, Acadia National Park, Maine

It doesn’t need a Nor’easter as it crosses the east coast at the moment to produce some big waves and a beautiful surf as it was in Acadia National Park, Maine already a few days ago. The rugged shore has plenty of good spots to watch the waves crushing against the rocks any time. The big storm that followed wasn’t as devastating up here as it was further south. Yes, it rained the last couple days and shots in good sunlight were out of question, but tomorrow we may see an end.

OUT EAST AGAIN

Lobster boats in the harbor of Lubec, the easternmost town of the US

I wanted to go back to the coast of Maine, one of my favorite landscapes in the United States, since a long time. Ending the day with a good lobster dinner right at the wharf where the caught lobsters are delivered and watching the light of the setting sun touching the boats is priceless.

DAYBREAK

Daybreak at Five Lake, Minnesota

It was supposed to rain today but so far only clouds moved in. Instead the sky put on a nice show shortly after sunrise. A good reason to get out of bed!

Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 65 mm, 1/1000 s, f/8, ISO 1000, image slightly cropped

THE ”SCANDINAVIAN FEELING”

Five Lake, Minnesota

We are back in western Minnesota, with its thousands of lakes, and already on the second day the cloud formations and the gorgeous light gave me that ”Scandinavian feeling” that I had many times in Norway, Sweden, Finland, or Denmark. With dramatic clouds that roll by and that create some spot light on the landscape my choice is mostly black & white. This is the view from our cabin and with the fast changing scene the only decision that needs to be made is when to press the shutter release button of the camera…

WHAT’S THE BEST CAMERA?

My answer to this question would be always, the one you have with you. A little while ago we drove for a medical appointment to town and I didn’t even consider taking any camera gear with me. Shortly before crossing the bridge over the Little Maquoketa River down in the valley we saw this unusual and interesting looking cloud. I hit the brakes and even found a spot to move the car off the road. The cloud changed its shape quickly, leaving no time to think about a different location with maybe a better foreground. I just pulled the phone out and snapped a couple pictures. It was the only option for freezing the moment and was done with the best camera available. Is the photo good enough for a larger print? No, it isn’t, but it helps to remember and share this great moment that was presented by mother nature.

ON THE MOVE

Greater White-fronted Geese, Upper Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands

Spring is probably the most exciting season for any wildlife photographer here in the Upper Mississippi Valley. It is one of the main flyways for the birds that move up north after the winter to their breeding grounds in the arctic region of northern Canada. Thousands of ducks and geese fill the air with their chatter and communication while they rest in the wetlands or fields and we can hear the birds when they fly over the house.

I love to watch the big flocks taking off from the lakes and marsh land in the Green Island Wetlands just before sunset. It’s hard to predict where the best spot is to stand with the camera and wait for the moment. The birds have their own mind and don’t care where the photographers are positioned. Luck was on my side yesterday evening and the first flock flew right overhead towards the low sitting sun. Just what I was hoping for. The second photo reveals that a few ducks, Northern Pintails, are among the geese and Saturday morning we saw some Snow Geese as well.

There was still over one hundred Trumpeter Swans feeding in the lakes of Green Island last weekend. I’m sure most of them will move on further north soon. It’s warm here right now but snow and ice might be still present in parts of Minnesota and Canada.

Many pairs of Canada Geese have established their territories already and nest building will follow soon. Others will still migrate to Canada or the northern US.

After a busy weekend it’s a nice feeling to end it with a sunset like this over the bluffs of the Mississippi Valley. Time to drive home…

THE CRITTER AND A WORD ABOUT THE HABITAT

Striped Skunk, Upper Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

A little hike deep into the marsh of the Green Island wetlands in the Mississippi Valley started with a nice surprise. With my eyes mostly up and looking out for birds, I almost stumbled over this Striped Skunk that was obviously in search for food. After we discovered each other the skunk kept searching, had still an eye on me ones in a while but wasn’t bothered much by my presence. I kept my distance, knowing that they can spray their musk, with its very powerful odor, several meters from the two scent glands they have around their anus. If you look at this beautiful animal it is easy to understand why it was one of North America's most sought-after fur-bearers.

I took a new lens I just had acquired for the first time on a hike and wanted to learn how it performs and how it handles in the field. The Nikon NIKKOR Z 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 VR S is only since a few days in my bag and using 400 mm focal length was perfect for this shot, keeping the distance and not making the skunk feeling threatened. I still cropped the picture a little bit because at the end of winter there is a lot of dead plant material scattered everywhere in the marsh and I tried to keep as much as possible out of the frame, especially in the foreground.

Green Island Wetlands

The second picture is a view across the marsh at Green Island, with the Illinois side of the Mississippi River in the background. This was shot with the same lens at 100 mm. It was quite cold during the last few days and most of the water was frozen again. The photo shows also the dilemma we face in many parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley. Floodplain forests along the Upper Mississippi River are experiencing mass die-offs, with thousands of trees lost due to prolonged, intensified flooding caused by climate change and altered river hydrology. These "dead zones" are compounded by invasive species, specifically the emerald ash borer.

I have visited and photographed the Green Island Wetlands since 2011 and even if I shoot mostly wildlife pictures, the landscape images from the past document some of the wildlife habitat loss we can see.

ABOVE AND BELOW LOCK & DAM 11

Frozen Mississippi River, Mud Lake Park, Iowa

I start with one of the last photos I made this weekend. The Mississippi River is about 1.5 miles (~2.4 km) wide at this point and was still completely covered with ice. No chance for any duck to find food here, about 6 miles north of lock & dam #11 in Dubuque.

Male Common Goldeneye, Lock & dam #11, Dubuque, Iowa

That was different below the dam. There was quite a bit of open water yesterday and even more today with the temperatures way too warm for February right now.. Hundreds of ducks were on the move. The male Common Goldeneye, with their white body, dark head, and the yellow eye, is one of the prettiest ducks we can see at the moment. I shot this picture right below lock #11 and distance was a little bit a problem. Most goldeneyes preferred to dive for food away from the shore and despite using the 600 f/6.3 lens with the teleconverter, I still had to crop the image a bit.

Mallards, Mississippi River, A.Y. McDonalds Park, Dubuque

It’s not difficult to find Mallards any time of the season. On a sunny day and with the colors of their feathers really popping it is fun to photograph them while they do their thing along the shore. Beside what I can show today I saw Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaups, and Common Mergansers, unfortunately not close enough to make a good click. Maybe next time…

A SUNSET INSTEAD

I was out in the Green Island Wetlands today in search for a certain raptor but didn’t have any luck again. The usual suspects showed up but not the one I was looking for. While cruising slowly on the gravel road, with my eyes in the trees and the camera with long lens and teleconverter in my lap, the sun was about to set at the horizon. I never shot a sunset with 840 mm focal length and thought to give it a try. The compression effect of the lens makes it look like the sun sets right between the trees on the ridge. That a bird flew into the scene was a bonus, although it wasn’t the owl I was hoping for…

A BEAUTY IN THE COLD

Apple Canyon Lake Falls, Jo Davies County, Illinois

The tip came from my photography friend Kevin, who sent me a photo of the frozen waterfall last weekend. I have photographed the falls before, five years ago, but had almost forgotten about this great photo opportunity that may occur after a period with very low temperatures. Not much water came down from Apple Canyon Lake this time but it was obviously enough for some nice built-up of ice.

Apple Canyon Lake Falls is most of the day in the shade but there is a small time window in the early afternoon when the waterfall is hit by the sun. The high contrast reveals the texture of the ice and rocks. To be honest, it took me three days to decide if I share the color version of the image or this black & white photo with you. There was a nice color contrast between the deep blue sky and the orange and yellow of the rocks but at the end I thought the ice lost a bit of its impact. Finally I opted for this monochrome version and let the ice formations stand out from the rest of the scene and tell  the story of a really cold winter day.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head,   @58mm, 1/125s, f/20, ISO100

WINTER IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY

Mines of Spain, Dubuque, Iowa. View to the Southeast. The Mississippi River is almost completely frozen over.

Up on the bluffs above the Mississippi River is the location of Julien Dubuque’s resting place and monument. He was one of the first European men to settle in this area. In 1788 the Meskwaki people that lived here gave him permission to mine lead. Dubuque was the first city in what later became Iowa and was named in honor of Julien Dubuque. (source: Wikipedia)

During winter time the road that leads to the monument is closed but I used the gorgeous weather today for a hike in the Mines of Spain and up to the monument.

I’m really not a big fan of the classic ”postcard view”, especially if there is nothing but a bald blue sky, but I have been asked by friends from other parts of the world to show how the cold winter looks like in the Mississippi Valley these days. So here we go…

Julien Dubuque Monument, Mines of Spain Recreation Area, Dubuque, Iowa

View to the North with the city of Dubuque. The Julien Dubuque Bridge connects Iowa with the state of Illinois. The road bridge to Wisconsin is behind the bend in the river and can’t be seen from this vantage point.

All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S

OUT ON THE ICE

Fay Lake, Florence County, Wisconsin

Coming back from the annual ice fishing trip with friends I found some fresh snow covering the landscape here in the Little Maquoketa Valley yesterday afternoon. However, it was by far not as much as up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, where everything looked like a Winter Wonderland. Unfortunately the sun was covered almost the whole time by a thick layer of clouds. Ice fishing out on the lake can be very busy at times (and it really was!), but the fish did not bite always and gave us enough time to watch the development of the weather. When finally the clouds opened up for a brief moment, I took the camera out of the bag and made the click.