It is easy to forget everything around if you have an interesting subject in the viewfinder of the camera, like the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse at Lake Superior on the Keweenaw Peninsula. This pine on the cliffs just below the lighthouse wasn’t less captivating and it was the puffy clouds over the bay that made for a balanced composition.
Eagle Harbor Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Upper Peninsula, Michigan
All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S
Split Rock Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota
The last day of our trip through the Northwoods of Minnesota in September came with strong winds and rain. Big waves broke into the rocky shore of Lake Superior and it was a challenge to find moments with the camera when gray was not the only color visible at times. Split Rock Lighthouse is probably one of the most photographed landmarks along the north-shore and even in not so popular weather conditions, lots of people liked to see it.
No, this wasn’t my model, posing for pictures below the lighthouse, but I couldn’t resist to ”steal” some color on this gray day from the person who took pictures of this young lady in front of rough water.
I know this blog post comes ”a little late” but life stood in the way too many times lately. I hope you enjoyed my photos about some of Minnesota’s beautiful and wild places and maybe it inspired you to get the camera out of the pocket more often…
Fall colors, Road in Superior National Forest, near Schroeder, Minnesota
This photo was made on our last day up in the Northwoods of Minnesota. We had moved to a campsite at Ninemile Lake in Superior National Forest, not far away from Lake Superior. It was raining almost all day long but we still went out and tried to capture some beauty along Lake Superior, the worlds largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. If nothing else can be done on a very rainy and almost stormy day, searching for interesting looking stones along the shore is still an option…
This was two and and a half weeks ago and while we drove back to camp, we enjoyed already the colors of fall. Well, we had to stop for this view to soak it all in and make a few clicks, but fifteen minutes later we entered the TRESTLE INN, a saloon and restaurant in the middle of nowhere, not far from our campsite. Great food, good beer, and just an incredible friendly staff! A great way to beat the rain and to end another wonderful day in the Great Outdoors!
Lake Superior, Split Rock Light House State Park, Minnesota, August 2016
The tour around Lake Superior during our vacation in August / September led to a lot of photography fun. At many places we stayed or just stopped I wished we would have more time. Sometimes I see the potential for a landscape image but a bald blue sky or heavy gray overcast makes me want to wait a few days until the sky comes up with more dynamic.
The water in this bay near Split Rock Light House in Minnesota was very calm and the light had a kind of mystic touch on this day in late August. Not very dynamic, but still appealing to me.
High Falls, Magpie River, Ontario, Canada ------------
Nothing really new today. I have been on the road almost all week and the camera has been used only for business purposes. The good thing is that I still have a lot of photos from previous shootings on my hard drive that have not seen the eye of the public yet.
Lake Superior is considered the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area and the third-largest by volume. The lake is fed by over 200 rivers and as you can image there are numerous waterfalls that are accessible for visitors.
Middle Silver Falls, Magpie River, Ontario, Canada
Probably almost all landscape photographers are attracted by waterfalls and I’m no exception. They are a good subject to hone the technical skills and it is just fun to find a good composition and to manage exposure and sharpness. All three images were made near the town of Wawa, Ontario.
Middle Silver Falls, Magpie River, Ontario, Canada
Point Iroquois Light, Lake Superior, Eastern Upper Peninsula, Michigan ---------
Although we were running out of time towards the end of our trip around Lake Superior we still took every chance to visit lighthouses along the lake shore. Point Iroquois Light was constructed in 1870 and served until 1962. It is now a museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The photo was made at 16 mm with the Nikkor 16-35, f/4 lens and my Nikon D750. Working in black & white gives the image a more dramatic look and was finally my preferred version.
While entering the 20 m tall lighthouse tower the simplicity of the stair case caught my eye. The small window you can see in the upper photo shaped the light of the low sitting sun. Subtle shadows and the imperfections of the paint add charm and make this photo work for me.
Lake Superior, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Upper Peninsula Michigan ------
Most of the time during our trip around Lake Superior the weather was relative calm or at least moderate. This is nice for camping, kayaking, and a lot of activities, but it just sucks when you are eager to make photos with some dynamic. Towards the end of our tour, at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, we found what I was hoping for…
Lake Superior, Neys Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada ------------
I like to take you back to our trip around Lake Superior about a month ago and show you a couple more pictures. One of the most interesting trails we hiked along the rocky coast line was the “Under the Volcano Trail” in Neys Provincial Park. Beside being a good terrain for adventure with great photography it reveals Neys’ unique geologic, glacial, and volcanic history.
These abandoned old boats cannot be ignored for a photograph. Joan and I spent quite some time there and tried to find the best way to make the click that tells the story.
All images: Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4
Gooseberry Falls State Park, Minnesota ----
While hiking up the trail from the waterfalls along Gooseberry River this tree and its roots, nestled into the rocks, caught my attention. On the way back the light was in my favor and I stuck the legs of the tripod in the sand and made the click. How about the waterfalls? Sure, some photos were made as well. Everybody does that. Sometimes looking away from the main attraction of a known location leads to a photograph that is special. At least it was for me at this time.
Split Rock Lighthouse, Two Harbors, Minnesota, put into service in 1910
It doesn’t matter what kind of weather we have or how good or bad the light treats me, I like to photograph lighthouses. As you can imagine there are quite a few around Lake Superior and any time I had a chance a click was made. For me it is the fascination of the technical side that every lighthouse bares, combined with the fact that not even two are exactly alike. It is story telling about our heritage and a great chance to work with architecture, quite often embedded in a natural environment.
The bivalve fresnel lens of Split rock Lighthouse was built in Paris, France. While operating, the lens made one revolution every 20 seconds, floating on a thin layer of mercury. Light for the beacon was provided by a kerosene vapor lamp, which was replaced in 1940 by a 1000W electrical bulb. (source: Visitor Guide: Split Rock Lighthouse)
Agathe Bay Lighthouse, Two Harbors, Minnesota
Lake Superior, Silver Bay Harbor, Minnesota
Over the years I discovered that making an image of just “the ambience” of a landscape seldom leads to a reasonable, story telling result. The lack of a clear subject is usually the reason for these frustrations. Sometimes it works but more often not. Imagine the photo above without the ship. The rocky islands did not offer enough to make it interesting and the “angel rays” coming through the clouds were not strong enough to make them a good subject. No waves on the lake didn’t help either. But there was this very soft, warm light and subtle reflections on the water creating a special ambience that I liked. The “LAKE GUARDIAN” came to my rescue as it approached the islands and rocky pier of Silver Bay Harbor, Minnesota. Suddenly the picture made sense to me…
