MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2025 #7 - AURORA BOREALIS

Aurora borealis over Wisconsin, near Balltown, Upper Mississippi Valley, Iowa, @11:25PM

According to many posts in social media, tt wasn’t the big show of the aurora borealis like as the day before, but at least we were able to get out Wednesday night and see the Northern Lights. The view goes across the Mississippi Valley over to Wisconsin. Although the area isn’t densely populated but every farm up to the horizon had their lights on and due to low humidity we had a really clear view into the sky and across the country.

I had the white balance in camera set to 3200 Kelvin. With the lens wide open (f/4) I found that exposure times between 3-6 seconds worked well. The light on the grass in the foreground was welcome and came from a car that drove by. I think it gives the photo a little more depth, even if it is just a hint of light. The most difficult part is obtaining a sharp focus in the dark. Autofocus is of course not working and with manual focus I did a number of test shots until I found the sweet spot with the stars at the infinity point.

Noise reduction for such an image is a must but I do not any noise reduction in camera. It was done in Topaz Photo AI and even some additional tweaks in Adobe Lightroom.

This photo session was a great learning experience for me and I can’t wait until I hear the next rumors about the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights from our area.

Nikon Z6 III, Nikon Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4, Nikon FTZ adapter, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, RRS BH-55 ball head,    @ 16mm, 3s, f/4, ISO 10000,

AUTUMN LIGHT IN B&W, MORE IMPACT

Autumn light at the Popple River, Forest County, Wisconsin

I shot at this location for the first time in January 2014 and since I have done it several times over the years. It is in the middle of nowhere, deep in the woods of northern Wisconsin, where a small bridge crosses the Popple River. I have paddled it this summer for the first time and wrote about here in the blog, and it was an incredible experience. In 2014 the ice on the river was covered with a real thick layer of snow and any time I have been there a different photo was made from the bridge.

Last weekend the sun shined some warm late afternoon light into the bend of the river, but with most leaves already gone, and a bald and boring blue sky, the color version of the picture didn’t really speak to me. With the reflections of illuminated trees on the water I knew a black and white version would be a possibility and that’s what in my opinion made for a fall photo with more impact at the end.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 70 mm, 1/400 s, f/8, ISO 400, image slightly cropped

BIRDING IN THE NORTHWOODS OF WISCONSIN

Bastile Lake, Forest County, Wisconsin

I spent an extended weekend at a friend’s cabin up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Much of the area belongs to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest or is private land and is the home of White-tailed Deer, Black Bears, wolves, and other critters. Although I saw a young bear in August this year, my aim was to find a small bird again, some Snow Buntings migrating south. However, luck was not on my side, a flock of these fast moving birds came in sight a couple times, but never close enough for a photo. The picture below was shot already in 2023.

Snow Buntings, near Newald, Wisconsin, October 28, 2023

A few American Tree Sparrows were more cooperative and posed nicely while foraging for seeds in the vegetation beside a gravel road.

American Tree Sparrow,

Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S, Benro MSDPL46C SupaDupa Monopod, Monopod Gimbal Head

PADDLING IN THE NORTHWOODS

This juvenile Common Loon was still fed by its parents, but not every dive for food was successful. First time that I was able to make some clicks of loons with their offspring. Fay Lake, Florence County, Wisconsin

I’m back from two different trips to the Northwoods. The second one led to well known territory in northern Wisconsin. Most of the time I have been there for little ice fishing adventures with friends each year in January, but this time the kayak was on top of the car roof while traveling.

I like to share some photos from last weekend that were shot during three paddling trips. The wildfires up in Canada made for unpleasant air conditions and I didn’t really like how most of my landscape pictures turned out. However, there were some good encounters of wildlife, mostly birds, and I saw even a bear crossing the road. I hope you enjoy!

A pair of Trumpeter Swans navigated their five cygnets through the weeds into shallow water near the shore of Fay Lake.

Juvenile Spotted Sandpiper, Wabikon Lake, Forest County, Wisconsin

For almost four hours I enjoyed a paddling trip on the Popple River, deep in the woods of Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. No humans, no men-made noise, just the tranquillity of pure nature. It doesn’t get much better… 😊

ENJOYING THE TRUMPETERS

Trumpeter Swans, Mississippi River, Potosi, Wisconsin

I spent quite a bit of time on both sides of the mighty Mississippi River this weekend and like to share a some photos with you in the next few days.

This morning I saw about 25 Trumpeter Swans at the end of the John Deere dyke here on the Iowa side but all too far in the distance for a picture. A different scenario this afternoon at the Potosi boat landing on the Wisconsin side of the river, where close to 100 swans had congregated. Several family groups were feeding, resting, or socializing with each other and their loud trumpeting calls, that sound like a french horn, could not be missed.

Trumpeter Swans feed mostly with their head under water. I watched them today using their webbed feet to stir up roots. An adult swan eats up to 20 pounds (~10 kg) of food per day.

WAY TO GO

Fall has many ways to tell us that the growing season is over and nature gets ready for hibernation and all the other things we associate with the season before winter. I made this photo about two weeks ago up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. This was at a little pond, nestled between endless woods and next to a swamp. The trail cameras of a friend prove that deer, bears, and wolves call this area home, even if we hardly ever see them during the day.

The cattails I found at the shore are called ”Kanonenputzer” in the area where I grew up in Germany. This means loosely translated ”canon cleaners”. Maybe you agree that this name describes the plant as good as the english term ”cattail”.

Enough about names, it was the gorgeous side light that made the decaying cattails and grasses stand out. The water of the pond and the woods in the background are pushed back by a strong underexposure, letting the shapes and details of the plants tell the story of a sunny afternoon on a beautiful day in autumn. To me color meant nothing in this image, it was all about the light, contrast, and shapes of the subject. I thought Black & White was the way to go.

CHANGED THE PLAN

Frozen Popple River, Wisconsin

It was the traditional ice fishing weekend with friends up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. While we fished successfully one day we changed plans for the second one. The wind of the ongoing snow storm was too brutal and we decided to drive through the woods and look for wildlife or find some photo opportunities instead. No surprise, the wolves and black bears up there kept hiding but we saw a few White-tailed Deer.

One of the stops we always make is in the middle of nowhere at a bridge that crosses the Popple River. I have posted photos from this location before here in the blog but it is always interesting how different the scene can look. Due to the warm weather even up north during the last couple months, the ice on the river was very thin. Big parts of the woods have bogs and the tint of the ice comes from the peaty water. It makes for a good color contrast between the river and the snow cover. Nothing spectacular, but obviously more fun than attaching bait to the hooks in the icy wind…

WEEKEND IN WISCONSIN’S NORTHWOODS

Popple River, Forest County Wisconsin

I spent the weekend in the Northwoods of Wisconsin at a friend’s cabin, to be more precise, in the woods north of Crandon and Laona. With every mile I drove further north fall colors appeared more sparsely. In addition gray skies dominated the weekend’s weather. I still tried to find ways to tell the story with the camera about the changes at the end of the fall season.

I have photographed from this bridge, crossing the Popple River, several times in the past. My older photos show it mostly frozen, with a layer of snow on top. Most leaves were gone already but the patches of grass lead the eye to the background, where some fall colors tell us, it’s not all over yet.

Full moon revealed, near Double Bend Road, Forest County, Wisconsin

The rain had moved out of the area and the almost full moon started peeking through the clouds. The light and mood of the scene reminded me of paintings by German Romantic landscape painter Casper David Friedrich (1774 - 1840). A light at the cabin to my left gave the tree trunks some structure. It is very subtle, but made the difference instead of rendering the trees just as a silhouette and nothing but black on the lower part of the photo.

Most of the maples had lost their leaves already but I found this young maple on an island in a bog. I removed carefully everything bright below this branch to keep the background as dark as possible. After this little bit of preparation it was an easy click.

I’m always amazed about the variety of different tree species up north. On the small island in the bog near the cabin we found pine, fir, spruce, maple, birch, arborvitae, and others. With the absence of popping colors, even in the sky, the camera was set to black and white with a red filter effect applied, making the shape of the trees the subject of the image. Although the arborvitaes are evergreen trees, the may shed some of their leaves. Here they covered the forest floor and gave me another reason to make this photo.

Cascade in the Little Popple River, Forest County Wisconsin

The tinted water at this cascade is a good indicator that the river flows through a boggy and peaty landscape, shaped by the glaciers a long time ago. This was shot handhold at 190 mm focal length and 1/20 sec. exposure time. I wanted movement in the water but also keep some of the details and not making it just some ”chocolate milk” flowing over the rocks.

MARVELOUS ARCHITECTURE

Milwaukee Art Museum

It doesn’t happen very often that I have the chance and time to visit an architectural landmark during one of my business trips. However, a week ago I was able to stop at the Milwaukee Art Museum while traveling with a German business friend. I knew the museum was closed that day but the design by Eero Saarinen, David Kahler, and Santiago Calatrava has always fascinated me and there are many architectural highlights to admire while walking around the building complex.

It was the first time that I photographed the museum with snow on the ground and not a single cloud in the sky. While in most of my landscape photography I’m not thrilled about a bald blue sky, here I like the fact because the beautiful lines of Calatrava’s Quadracci Pavilion stand out nicely against the background. The Burke Brise Soleil, a moveable sunscreen with a 66-meter wingspan was unfortunately folded down during our short visit.

View towards Lake Michigan and across the Reimann bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge that connects the museum to the city.

Milwaukee Downtown, looking west from the same viewpoint as in the picture above.

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

BACK IN THE NORTHWOODS

Fay Lake, Florence County, Wisconsin

It was the traditional ice fishing weekend with friends up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Great camaraderie, good food, lots of laughters, moderate temperatures, and yes, a few fish saw the light above the ice. While here in eastern Iowa all the snow had melted, up north there was still plenty of the white stuff on the ground and the ice on the lake was solid and about 12” (30 cm) thick. Good enough for driving safely onto the lake.

I know I have posted photos of Fay Lake before, but it is never twice the same. The camera comes out of the bag shortly before we collect our fishing gear and leave the ice. The sun is low and we were rewarded with a nice glow on the ice and warm colors above the horizon. Good times!

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 24mm, 1/1000 s, f/10, ISO 100

BACK AT THE LIGHTHOUSE

Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse, Lake Michigan, Wisconsin

I’m back from probably my last business trip this year, this time to the western shore of Lake Michigan. Native Americans, who called this place home in the days before European settlement, named it Manitowoc, home of the good spirits. I have been there before in September 2021 and came back with some pictures of the Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse that marks the entrance to the marina. (Click HERE for a link to my blog post from last year )

This time the image was was created from a different angle and different light. The late afternoon sun was muted by a layer of clouds but the building stood out against the darker clouds over the lake. A little snow on the ice in the foreground and tweaking the white balance towards a colder tone give this photo the peaceful wintry mood I felt yesterday at the lake shore. Maybe this was just the prelude to a big snowstorm and arctic temperatures that are expected here in the Midwest still before Christmas…

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4,  @ 200mm, 1/400s, f/5.6, ISO 400

ONLY ONE

Rainy day deep in the woods, Forest County, Wisconsin

The last three days were spent in and around a friend’s cabin up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I had high hopes to come back with a few photos that tell the story about a landscape “five minutes before winter”. It didn’t happen. The weekend was marked with rain and a uniform gray sky. I had an image in my head, with fog and maybe some good spot light that would help to draw the attention away from the bare deciduous forest that had lost its colorful leaves already. Again, it didn’t happen.

But at least there was this short moment, when the endless rain slowed down a little bit and the different layers of conifers in the background became visible. The trunks of the birches stood out and a few remaining leaves in the foreground left no doubt about the time of season. Only one picture in three days? Yes, getting skunked is sometimes part of the game in nature photography. Well, we stacked some wood for the winter, raked some leaves around the cabin, made repairs, had some good food on the stove, drove around in the rain in search for a picture opportunity, and stopped at the local bar. Yep, only one photo, but we had a lot of fun too…! 😉

DEALING WITH THE WIND CHILL (II)

A second round of photos from last weekend’s trip to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Our friend Bryan built his cabin near this remarkable tree. I have photographed it, but never during a snow storm before. Actually I wasn’t really motivated to go out and wade through the deep snow to get the tree from this angle. Instead I just played with the camera and shot this image through the glass of a window. 

As mentioned yesterday already, no snow stuck to the trees for long due to the high winds, but I think with its toning and long shadows the photo still tells the story about a very cold winter day up north on the frozen tundra.

The question came in, “how was the ice fishing?” I guess, this picture tells it all. What you see is the black tip of the flag that goes up when a fish bites. The orange stick is just for safety, so no stranger drives over your fishing hole accidentally. The photo was shot with an iPhone 12 after I had already removed my three tip-ups from the ice. Our friend Doug had his fishing gear still out when I snapped the pic. We all cleaned the drilled holes in the approximately 15” (38 cm) thick ice quite often to prevent them to freeze over, but the drifting snow covered the depression and the tip-up within minutes. It was faster then I have ever seen it in 17 years of ice fishing fun. We had a few flags going up and it was never because of a serious bite, just triggered by the icy winds. Yield of the day, one Bluegill, caught by Bryan’s son Clayton with a jigging rod at a hole next to his truck. Experience means nothing while ice fishing… 😆

DEALING WITH THE WIND CHILL

Frozen Popple River, Forest County, Wisconsin

Last weekend was the annual ice fishing trip with friends in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Very cold temperatures are not unusual up there but due to an icy wind we actually limited our time on the ice to only a few hours. Instead we scouted some lakes we had never been before and checked them out for future ice fishing adventures. Beside all the other fun we had I used this opportunity for some photography while driving through the woods and across the frozen land. Our host Bryan, who has a cabin up there, knows the area very well. I was happy that he stopped at a location I had been before several years ago and always wanted to revisit for some better images.

Both photos were made from a bridge across the frozen Popple River. Fresh snow fell the night before but unfortunately the wind blew most of it off the trees. I liked how the shore lines lead the eye into the backcountry. The Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S lens was used the whole time and I was very pleased how the Nikon Z6II performed under sub-zero conditions (-4ºF, -20ºC). A considerable wind chill made shooting quite a challenge and everything had to be done fast. There are of course gloves in my pockets that would allow shooting for a while, but I still prefer to use bare hands while operating the camera. Nice to have a warm pickup truck as a backup when the fingers start to get frozen stiff…😉

ACROSS THE VALLEY

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4, Breakthrough GND filter 0.9,   @16 mm, 1/200 s, f/10, ISO100

A couple weeks ago we had dear friends visiting us over the weekend and as part of the program we went to a popular overlook near Balltown, Iowa, not far from home. From there the eye goes across the Mississippi Valley and over to Wisconsin. It was a little hazy but the puffy clouds let the light shine through and made for some nice sun spots on the fields below. A 3-stop graduated ND filter was used to keep some of the details in the clouds and gives them also a little more drama.