Midwest Seascapes | Pictured Rocks

Midwest Seascapes | Pictured Rocks

Midwest Seascapes | Pictured Rocks   In the fall, Michigan’s UP bursts into color.  The weather was a bit chilly on this mid October day.  Although it was a nice sunny day, the wind was blowing hard; making a 40° day seem much colder.  For the whole story with all images, see Midwest Seascapes | a 7 Image Story.

Midwest Seascapes | a 7 Image Story

Midwest Seascapes | Timeless Manistee LightMidwest Seascapes | a 7 Image Story  Seascapes may seem like a stretch.  In the Midwest, we have no seas or oceans, just lakes; big lakes, small lakes, lakes of all shapes and sizes.  Perhaps, we should call these images lake-scapes.  Several  images are long exposure. Time tends to smooth the rough spots, depicting a sense of natural tranquility. 

Timeless Manistee Light  With wind blowing at 25 knots, waves at 3 to 4 feet, and hard sun light, a long exposure seems near impossible.  Enter a 6 stop neutral density filter and magic; a 5 second exposure tames those waves, calms the wind a bit, and takes those shadows out of the image.  Tranquility at last!

Pictured Rocks  In the fall, Michigan’s UP bursts into color.  The weather was a bit chilly on this mid October day.  Although it was a nice sunny day, the wind was blowing hard; making a 40° day seem much colder.  Not tranquility today!

Point Betsie Lighthouse in northern Michigan sees some pretty dramatic weather. There’s plenty of good clouds, wind, and waves any time of the year. Too get the best views and images, a short hike north up the beach is usually necessary. Watch for wind surfers and sailboats; they can make rather interesting images in rough and tranquil waters.

Lake Superior South Shore The timed exposure calmed Lake Superior’s waves as they broke on shore in the UP.  A nice sunset just adds to the tranquility.

Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Midwest Seascapes.

Click any image below for a slide show!