These views were taken from the top of Mount Mackay overlooking Thunder Bay in Ontario. You can see that the weather on the day was quite changeable. As Summer ended and autumn began it was quite wild as we looked out across to Pie Island and the Sleeping Giant and Lake Superior. As the heavy cloud came across and the hail fell it was time to head back down the mountain but away from the top we quickly warmed up and could enjoy the beautiful greenery of the forest trail.
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.
So the first two shots are of Pie Island viewed across Lake Superior from the boardwalk at Mission Marsh. It was just after sunrise and the face of the mountain has a rich glow and the lighthouse on Mission Bay also has an early morning glow.
I like the view from the boardwalk as it give a sense of scale and perspective but I also like the second "close up" shot because you can make out a little more detail in the landscape.
The third shot is of one of the small islands between Mission Marsh and the Sleeping Giant. I shared it for two reasons, firstly because on the sky, I love the layers of clouds illuminated by the rising sun but also because of the trees silhouetted against the sky and if you look carefully you can see a bald eagle perched in one of the trees. I had watched fly across the lake and take up this vantage point to fish for its first meal of the day.
