MENTAL NOTES

Tree and Surf -- Lake Michigan, Door Peninsula, Wisconsin ------------

I raved about what great landscape opportunities the shore of Lake Michigan at Door Peninsula can provide in the past. Joan and I have visited many of the state and county parks in Door County, Wisconsin before and often when the light and circumstances where not in our favor for a particular spot, I made a mental note for coming back. Some of those spots came back to memory this time when the surf was at its best and the light provided the opportunities that were not there three, four years ago.

LIGHTHOUSES (1)

Algoma Pierhead Light, Lake Michigan, Wisconsin

Visiting the lighthouses on the Door Peninsula in Lake Michigan is always a highlight of our trips up there. Most of them we have photographed before but every time it is different. Light and weather are never the same and looking at my older pictures reveals that some of the towers and buildings have undergone some reconstruction or maintenance.

We went as far south as Algoma, Wisconsin, to make a new photo of the Algoma Pierhead Light. Three years ago the pier had a nice ice cover but gray weather and fog didn’t lead to satisfying results. The lighthouse has a new paint and although this picture was shot in the early afternoon the light was just gorgeous.

Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Lighthouse, Lake Michigan, Wisconsin

The photo of the Coast Guard Station was shot across the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal that was opened for large-scale watercraft in 1890. The canal connects the Green Bay with Lake Michigan. The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Lighthouse is located within the premises.

MORE THAN JUST A CLOUD

Lake Michigan, White Dunes State Park, Door County, Wisconsin --------   

About a week ago I wrote about how the light itself can become the subject in a photo.  http://www.exnerimages.net/blog/2017/11/20/when-light-becomes-the-subject  I wouldn’t argue if someone who looks at this picture says, the cloud is the subject. That was at least my intend, but when the water in front of me was shaded by some dark clouds right above us and the reflections of the cloud over the horizon created some magic on the waves, I knew there was more than just a cloud in this image.

SURF’S UP

Lake Michigan, White Dunes State Park, Door County, Wisconsin

When the waves crush into the shore of Lake Michigan it’s time to get the tripod out and have a great time behind the camera. Yesterday was without any doubt one of the best days for shooting the surf. As long as you manage to stay safe and keep the photo gear dry, there are no limits to try out techniques and experiment with exposure times and different camera settings. No photo will ever be the same, even if several shots were made within a second or two. The difficulty starts in front of the computer screen, where the decision needs to be made what images tell the story the best…

ICICLES, BUT NOT WINTER YET

Icicles, Cana Island, Door County, Lake Michigan, Wisconsin

Happy Thanksgiving to all friends, family, and readers of my blog! Joan and I spend the long weekend up on the Door Peninsula at Lake Michigan in Wisconsin. After having a delicious Thanksgiving meal we wanted to burn some calories and took advantage of the gorgeous sunny weather up here. A visit of Cana Island Lighthouse has been always part of the program when we were up in Door County before and that’s where we did some walking and shooting pictures again today.

The photo of these iced bushes at the shore of the island suggests that it is very cold but it actually isn’t. There is no snow on the ground and the wind was moderate so far. However, it was still strong enough to create a nice surf along the shore of Lake Michigan, which probably formed the ice on the branches during the night.

MERGING TO A PANORAMA

Click photo for a full view ------

I mentioned before the great vistas you may find if you travel through West Virginia or on the Blue Ridge in Virginia. This panorama image is from our last day in West Virginia. We visited the very interesting Droop Mountain State Park, which has seen some bloody battles during the civil war in 1863. The view to the east includes the Blue Ridge in Virginia on the horizon, which was our destination for the second half of this trip.

It is hard to catch it all in a single shot if there is an almost 180 degree view over the country. The image was made from six photos in portrait orientation, which were merged in Adobe Lightroom Classic CC to a single panorama. This sounds complicated but took less than two minutes in post process.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150mm / f2.8 APO EX DG HSM, @1/250 s, f6.3, ISO 100, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, KIRK BH-3 ball head;

WHEN LIGHT BECOMES THE SUBJECT

At Lewis Mountain campsite, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Ok, I’m jumping back and forth between actual photos, like the Tundra Swans from yesterday, and little stories and images from our tour through the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia in October.

Photography is all about light and how we use it to bring out the subject in our pictures. During an early morning walk around Lewis Mountain campsite in Shenandoah National Park I tried to work with backlit subjects, like ferns and grasses. With every minute more warm light from the low sun was pouring in and putting out some real magic. All the backlit plants are still in the frame but they play only a small role in the story. Suddenly the light itself, hitting the forest floor, became the subject. Not a bad way to start a day…

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4, @ 35 mm, 1/25s, f/8, ISO400,

IT WILL TOUCH YOU

The Tundra Swans are still present at the Mississippi ----- 

Remember, a week ago I posted pictures and reported about the large concentration of migrating Tundra Swans at the Mississippi River, just north of the Minnesota border. Joan had to work last weekend and so we gave it a try again today and drove north on the scenic roads that follow the river. Guess what, the swans were still present and after a mostly gray and rainy week it was nice to see thousands of Tundra Swans again in good sunlight.

View from Brownsville Overlook, Minnesota

This is only a fraction of all the swans. The compressed view of the 600 mm lens makes the Wisconsin side of the river appear a lot closer than it actually is. The Mississippi is here about 3 km (~2 miles) wide. The main channel for the boats is behind the island with the tall trees.

If you live somewhere in northeast Iowa, southwest Wisconsin, or southeast Minnesota and you haven’t been there yet, take the time to see the swans. It will touch you, no matter if you a photographer or just someone who likes nature.

SHENANDOAH

At The Point Overlook, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia ------

Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and its Skyline Drive are liked by many people for the  views they can have from the top of the Blue Ridge. Other than in West Virginia the week before we were a little bit too early for the peak of the fall colors in Shenandoah, but the views, especially at the end of the day, were just magnificent. The price for having sunny and warm days was paid with the absence of dramatic clouds, another reason to look for photo opportunities around sunset.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4, @ 35 mm, 1/50s, f/10, ISO100, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, KIRK BH-3 ball head, VELLO wired remote switch,

 

WHIRLIGIG’S DANCE FLOOR

Whirligig’s dance floor, Watoga Lake, Watoga State Park, Allegheny Mountains, West Virginia ———— 

Reading at Wikipedia website I learned that whirligig beetles got their common name from their habit of swimming in rapid circles on the water surface when alarmed. They are known for the bewildering and rapid gyrations in which they swim, and for their gregarious behavior.

I named this photo “Whirligig’s dance floor”. The crazy, dance like movements of the water bugs had shaped the open circle on the water, surrounded by pine needles and grass.

In this low light situation I shot the Nikkor 24-120, f/4 wide open at 120 mm and focused on the leaves under water to give the scene some depth. The natural light of the setting sun gave shape to all the elements that make this photo one of my favorites from our trip through West Virginia.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm / f4, @120 mm, B+W F-PRO Kaesemann High Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC filter, @1/100s, f/4, ISO400

STILL INTRIGUED

Tundra Swans, Mississippi River, between New Albin, IA and Brownsville MN ----

I admit, I’m still intrigued by yesterday’s wildlife experience. Watching ten-thousands of Tundra Swans on the Mississippi isn’t an everyday occurrence even for us that live near the Mississippi Valley and enjoy bird migration every year one way or the other.

Between all the noise created by the Tundra Swans I heard, and it was confirmed by other birders, the french horn like call of at least one Trumpeter Swan.

The Tundra Swan is smaller than the Trumpeter Swan and most adult birds have a yellow spot at the base of their black bill, while the Trumpeter Swan has an all black bill. The yellow spot varies in size and shape as I realized by studying the pictures from yesterday’s photo shooting. The photo above shows the distinct field mark very well. I had the focus on the juvenile bird in the back while they took off, hence it has better sharpness than the swan in front. It is not difficult to distinguish an adult from a young bird, and there were lots of families with one to four juveniles.

NATURE CLICKS #387 - TUNDRA SWANS - LARGE NUMBERS

Mississippi River, between New Albin, Iowa and Brownsville, Minnesota ----

When I watched Friday night about 150 Tundra Swans resting on a mud bank across from Mud Lake, and far away in the Mississippi River, I knew it was time to go up north. Today I made the trip to New Albin, IA, crossed the Minnesota border, and stopped finally at the viewing deck just south of Brownsville, MN. What I found was one of the most spectacular wildlife experiences I ever had. Today’s estimate by birders that had an information desk out there was 30,000 Tundra Swans. The swans take a rest along the Mississippi during their long journey from the arctic all the way to the mid-Atlantic coast. The sound is incredible beautiful and seeing so many swans in one location was a sheer delight.

Click on photos for larger view!

After a gray and foggy morning the sun came out and awarded everybody with a piece of optical glass in their hands or on a tripod with quality light. I’m not sure if four photos can tell the story completely but I hope they make you want to go out and see this. It looks like the temperatures will stay on the moderate side this week and there is a chance that the Tundra Swans will be in the area for a few days.

NATURE CLICKS #386 - RED-SPOTTED NEWT

Two Red-spotted Newts, Watoga Lake, Allegheny Mountains, West Virginia ---- 

If you saw my photo from Watoga Lake in yesterday’s post you can imagine that Joan and I had a really good time there. Our excitement grew when we discovered a whole bunch of Red-spotted Newts in the crystal clear water at a shallow part of the lake. So, what is a newt? I found a simple answer on a website of the University of Georgia. All newts are salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts. With other words, they are a specific type of salamanders. The Red-spotted Newt is a subspecies of the Eastern Newt. This newt produces tetrodotoxin which makes the species unpalatable to predatory fish and crayfish. Key to survive! There is a lot more to tell about the biology of this very interesting critter. I trust you know where to find more detailed information in the world wide web.

Since this was not an “everyday” shooting situation I like to share my approach for this photo with you. We had an overcast day and it was already late afternoon, hence the amount of light was limited. Even if the water was crystal clear, we had to deal with some reflections of the sky on the water surface, means a polarizing filter was mandatory. The B+W F-PRO Kaesemann High Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC filter did an excellent job to keep the glare on the water out of the frame. The downside is that it swallows about 1-1.5 f-stops. The photo was made handheld with the Sigma 150/f2.8 at 1/40s, f/4.5, but to get into this speed range I had to pump up the ISO to 400. I tried to keep the focus point on the eye of the adult newt on top, but obtaining focus on a small spot under water is quite a challenge. The newts moved around but often stopped for short periods of time.

There is lots of wildlife in West Virginia. It is not always easy to spot because most of the state is forested land. Our biggest hopes to see a Black Bear again were not fulfilled, but the excitement while watching the Red-spotted Newts left a lasting impression on us.

WATOGA LAKE - EASY CLICK

Watoga Lake, Watoga State Park, Allegheny Mountains, West Virginia ————

The further south we went in West Virginia the less we saw fall colors. Some trees had already lost their leaves while others still showed a lush green. However, it didn’t deduct from the beauty this part of the country has to offer. Watoga State Park was our second base camp for exploring more of the Allegheny Mountain Range and Monongahela National Forest, a vast paradise of forest land and natural wilderness areas.

Just before the sun was about to set behind the mountain ridge the clouds opened a small gap and suddenly the texture of the forest across the lake came to life. The reflections on the lake had to be included. It was an easy click!...