I shot these two photos seconds apart looking out across the bay at Pie Island in the distance.
It was a strange day with showers coming across in waves followed by periods of clear sunny skies. It was cold on the edge of the lake but this is a spectacular spot. We had watched a large eagle circling out near the point, I am not 100% sure but it might have been a Golden Eagle although from the pictures I got it is inconclusive.
I have my typical dilemma in that choosing between the colour or black and white images is almost impossible. I like the moody feel to the first image and the sense that the storm is closing in. I like the second image though, with the splash of blue sky and the light on the horizon giving a sense of hope, hope for a brighter day and warmer weather.
Because I can't choose I post them both and leave that choice for you.
Three more lake views today but for today I have jumped a continent and instead of a small lake in Switzerland here are three views of Lake Superior taken from the top of the Sleeping Giant.
The first two are looking across towards Thunder Bay. Having hiked up to the top my legs were a little shaky and standing on the edge of the rocky fissure but it was such a great view I got up close to the edge.
The third shot is of Tee Harbour, can you see why it has that name? On the horizon you can just make out Isle Royale National Park just across the border in the USA.
Yesterday we saw the interior of the lighthouse and the lens that projected the light across the lake at 10 second intervals.
Today here are three views of the lighthouse itself perched high on the cliffs and you can see why it was so important to have a light to assist the safe passage of ships along this stretch of the lake.
So these three images of the Sleeping Giant were captured on two different mornings and from two different vantage points during my recent stay in Thunder Bay.
The first was on a rather overcast morning shot from the along the waterfront near the marina. The ship on the horizon looks huge in comparison to the giant and the low cloud in the distance resembles a plume of smoke adding to the atmosphere of this image.
The second and third views are from the boardwalk at Mission Marsh Conservation Area at sunrise. As you can see it was a beautiful golden morning with colours changing rapidly as the sun rose higher in the sky.
Following on from yesterday's post here is another pebble balance from the shore at Duluth. Again I have photographed it from different angle so you have the horizon in one, the rocky backdrop in another and the wooded background in another.
From some angles this looks like quite a simple stack but in the first image you can see just how precariously these pebbles are balanced and you can see that it wouldn't take much to set the whole thing tumbling down.
I like the third shot because of the bokeh which looks really cool and I also like the fact that the biggest pebble looks a bit like a tongue poking out(at least it does to me).
I really like these shots of Horseshoe Bay just off Highway 61 along Lake Superior's North Shore in Minnesota.
You can see that there is a storm brewing out over the lake with the sun breaking through, or trying to break through the low clouds.
I have applied a "cool light" preset in Lightroom to emphasise the moody nature of these scenes and I think it looks really impressive. I like the way the surface of the lake sparkles in spite of the overcast sky and I like the trees standing straight on the edge of the lake.
For two days of our trip to Canada we went across the border into Minnesota to drive along the north shore of Lake Superior. One stop along the way was the town of Grand Marais which was a really nice spot with a harbour protecting the town and the boats from the extremes of the lake.
I like the lighthouse on the end of the harbour wall and even though it was a calm day you can't underestimate the importance of the lighthouse because the lake can be treacherous and many ships have been sunk after crashing against the rocks along the shore.
I shot this scene in colour and in black and white. It was an overcast day with not a lot of strong colour so I thought that it would work well as a black and white image. I like both images but I think I prefer the colour image because it has a warmth about it.
After a short hike to this little cove I had a bit of fun making a splash and then I spent some time experimenting with some stone balancing.
There were plenty of stones to choose from and with some of the driftwood to provide contrast (and a platform) I constructed a few cool looking stacks. I think they look really good set against the backdrop of Lake Superior and the forest of the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
I may have said this before but Silver Islet is one of my favourite places. It is hard to say why exactly but there is something really special about this place, steeped in history and set on the shore of Lake Superior I felt a connection the first time I visited and each time I have been back. I cycled here early one morning a couple of years ago and in the calm of the morning I had seen deer and a fox along the road and a flock of waxwings chattering in the trees.
Years ago it was the site of the richest silver mine in the world, the mine itself being located on a tiny island out in the lake. Here on the mainland a small community of migrant workers, miners from places as far away as Cornwall grew up on the edge of the lake. Many of their cabins are here still used as summer homes and others are lived in year round even though in the winter conditions are harsh as the lake freezes.
On a warm and still day like this at the end of summer it looks idyllic and when I look at these images I just want to be there.
I love the old store and harbour (see my post from Sept 2016 here) which stands behind where these pictures were taken but I also love the cabin on the shoreline. It is a bit of a tumbledown place to be honest but with a little bit of attention it would be the perfect place to live. Just imagine the wonderful views through every season of the year and when it is too cold to go outdoors imagine how cosy it would be snug inside with logs burning on the hearth while looking out at the frozen lake.
In the first image I started to build a stone stack but it evolved into more of an Inukshuk (a traditional stone marker used by Inuit people for various reasons and often seen in Canada and all points North) I think this is a really nice image and I have deliberately used a wide aperture to blur the background and balance the overall image.
The second and third image are the same shot but with different treatment. I really like the split toning in the second image but I know that some people prefer a colour image so the third one is for you. Of course in the colour images you can also see how the leaves are beginning to change.
Can you see why this is one of my favourite spots?
Capturing these images wasn't easy and required the help of two willing volunteers (who shall remain nameless but they know who they are) who gathered the rocks and threw them as best as possible to the predetermined spot. Judging distance was not easy and more often than not either they, or I missed the target but when we managed to get it right I think the result was pretty good.
I think the first of these shots is a little blurred, suggesting a fast shutter speed was required but even so I like the overall composition with the splash and the reflection in the smooth surface water.
I like the second image which is more abstract and was taken from immediately above the splash zone. I like the way the water droplets are rising towards the lens and the small ripples as the droplets fall back to the lake surface.
When I first saw this bird I thought it was a juvenile Loon, but looking at the pictures I am pretty sure it is not a Loon but I haven't been able to accurately identify it.
I have called today's post Good Morning Grebe because it was a very good morning and I think the bird is a variety of grebe although I may be wrong. I would really appreciate it if anyone could say for sure what type of bird it is because I don't like not knowing what I post.
I do however like the way the early morning sun lights up the birds face and gives it a gleam in its eye and I like the reflection, because I always like reflections.
A variation on yesterday's theme here is another shot of the harbour at sunrise but today I have a fishing party heading out to Lake Superior, perhaps on the hunt for some nice fresh Pickerel.
The guys on the boat were aware that I was taking the shot, I am not too sure they were that pleased but I think it makes a good picture and I wished them well on their way.
I really love the warm glow in the sky above Lake Superior in this shot. It was a great day to get up early to enjoy the dawn and I hope you agree it was worth it.
Not really sure why the bay where this picture was taken is called Old Woman Bay, but it was a spot we were told t look out for as we traveled along the Trans Canada Highway. It was good advice and a welcome break in the journey. There a few people enjoying the sunny weather and others canoeing in the bay but what caught my eye more than anything was the driftwood.
I really liked this view of the tree laid on the beach. The gnarled roots because they create interesting shapes. I had considered calling the blog Roots of Canada, but that would be free advertising so I didn't.
The shore of Lake Superior is full of little gems with wonderful vantage points and great views like this one from Sibley Cove looking towards Silver Islet. This was a beautiful calm summer's morning and I tried to imagine what it would be like here in the winter with the lake frozen over. That is a sight I would love to see.
Following on from yesterdays driftwood art on the beach at Neys Provincial Park here is another shot from the beach of a really cool reflection in a nice calm inlet . There was actually quite a strong breeze and the surface of the lake was fairly choppy so it was somewhat of a surprise that this small inlet was so calm. It really is a lovely spot.
On the long drive back along the North Shore of Lake Superior we stopped off at Neys Provincial Park. During the Second World War the park was used as a prisoner of war camp for German prisoners. They worked in the logging camps and after the war many returned to this part of Canada with their families. I can understand why because it is such a lovely spot.
There is a beautiful stretch of sandy beach with lots of driftwood washed up along the shoreline. Apparently you are not supposed to remove any of the wood as it is part of the ecosystem within the provincial park. So of course I didn't take any souvenirs but we did create our own mini artwork recreating Stonehenge with wood. I think we did rather a good job.
Whenever I am out and about with my camera I look for nature's hearts and on the beach at Squaw Bay I found this heart shaped stone which when placed on a piece of driftwood looks really good.
When I wrote the title for todays post I thought of the song by Talking Heads (or the excellent cover version by Local Natives). I wasn't thinking about that when I actually took the picture though.
This shot was taken down by the sailing club at Thunder Bay marina looking out into Lake Superior with the grain silos/elevators in the background. I had spotted an otter swimming just beyond these rocks and had walked around for a closer look. The otter had gone but I thought the view was great.
Today I have spent several hours editing and updating my new website and as much as I have enjoyed sorting through folders of photos and playing around with different layouts I am ready to put my computer to one side and take a break.
This would be a great spot to take a break, particularly on a sunny day as it was when this picture was taken. This is a view of the Sleeping Giant seen from Thunder Bay. The ship is a grain carrier coming in to the massive grain silos to collect its cargo and then sail through the great lakes and then who knows where.
