Moment before winter arrived

My wife and I spent the Thanksgiving weekend near the Porcupine Mountains on the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, right at the shore of beautiful Lake Superior. Our mini vacation was marked by the final arrival of winter. This photo was taken just before a big storm that came with heavy winds and snow. It was the last time that we saw the sun. Clouds in the background, the low sun, and little icicles on a drifting log, created by the breaking waves,  were the perfect ingredients for this picture. Next day the sky was covered with grey clouds, the waves were much higher, and the log was covered with frozen sand. Not nearly as nice as the evening before. I like the color version of this image too, but I believe the B/W reflects the magic of the moment better, the moment before winter arrived…

Blue hour on Lopez Island

9s, f14, -1EV, ISO100, Nikon D200, Sigma 10-20mm/f4-5.6 @ 10mm,

It was my first time on the San Juan Islands in Washington State and I fell in love with this landscape immediately. I like how laid back and friendly most people are that live on the islands and how calm they deal with the inevitable rain, fog, and unpredictable ferry connections.

After spending a rainy day in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island we returned to our campsite on Lopez Island. The clouds finally opened up. I saw my chance for some good light and headed down to the beach at Spencer Spit.

Fog started moving in and there was almost no wind. The boats anchoring near the shore line did not move much. This allowed for longer exposure times without having them totally blurred. I kept shooting until it was totally dark and the digital noise took over…

It doesn't get much better

I really have enjoyed the backpacking tour with my friends in the homeland of the Upper Lusatia. I have to admit that photography was not as important as usual during that time. There was too much to talk about after I had not been back in Germany for two years. Well, with a sky and landscape like this I still could not resist to make some clicks. It doesn't get much better than having a good time with friends and being in a great landscape at the same time. Thank you my dear friend Ecki (the last man standing without computer! ;-) ) for organizing this tour!

Yellow

Nikon D200, Sigma 18-50/f2.8

I have been back in my home country Germany for a few days in early May. When you fly over the country you may see many yellow patches at this time of the year. Planting canola, or as the Germans say:"Raps", must be good business. However, it is a great opportunity to get some colors after the winter in your pictures.

I shot this image during a backpacking tour with friends in the hills of the Upper Lusatia, a beautiful landscape in the state of Saxony. The background marks the Tri-state area between Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

Foggy morning

Nikon D200, Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 35/f2 ZF

The snow is melting rapidly but it still does not feel like spring. Fog was hanging over the valley of the Little Maquoketa River in the morning.

I grabbed the 35/f2 and walked over to the bluffs that overlook the valley behind our house. I tried to capture the mood by shooting wide open with very little depth of field.

Pattern on ice

Nikon D200, Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 35/F2 ZF

It was the pattern on the ice of frozen Catfish Creek near Dubuque, Iowa that caught my attention. The little river joins the mighty Mississippi just around the bluff in the background. There is the pattern of randomly blown snow, crossed by the shadows of trees, and illuminated by the mirrored rocks on the blank ice.  Nothing spectacular, but good enough to make my day.