This little fellow was kind enough to pose for me yesterday so I could test out my new Nikon Z 100-400mm lens. Initial impressions are WOW what a great lens! So nice and sharp, and very easy to hand-hold and shoot without a tripod or monopod! Can't wait to test it out some more.
It's that time of year again when the temperature dips below zero and we are treated to one of Lake Superior's most fascinating and mesmerizing moods: steam or "sea smoke" rising off the surface of the lake. I love these days in early winter where the air is so much colder than the water that we get the privilege of witnessing this beautiful phenomenon. Ice is my most favorite thing to photograph in winter but a close second has to be the sea smoke. No matter how many times I get to see it I always look forward to when I can see it again.
A common comment that I hear when people visit Grand Portage and see the dramatic hills that we have is "Wow, we didn't know Minnesota had mountains!" Indeed, we do. Not by western standards, of course, but our mountains are ancient and at one time were a lot more dramatic than they are today. Of course, in some places, they are still quite dramatic such as the view shown here, of Highway 61 on the east side of the Mt. Josephine pass. The hills and bays of Lake Superior in the background are actually in Ontario, Canada where the landscape gets even more dramatic.
In this photo, Dean Berglund's 2007 Peterbilt Model 379 transport truck is heading south on Highway 61 as it climbs to the summit of the Mt. Josephine pass. Dean (of Grand Marais, MN) makes the run from Hedstrom Lumber to Thunder Bay twice a day hauling wood chips. Mt. Josephine is big enough that it has its own local weather patterns. Its not uncommon for it to be shrouded in fog in the summer or experiencing more dramatic snowfall in winter than the immediate areas surrounding it.
One of the most interesting things about this time of year is how close the ships hug the north shore. It gives us great views and perspectives that we don't get at other times of the year. Yesterday my dad alerted me that the Stewart J. Cort and John G. Munson were passing by our area in fairly close proximity to each other. As I was heading home from work I was lucky enough to catch them as they were passing by Hat Point in Grand Portage.
We certainly have had our fair share of snow already this winter! It's been a little hard to comprehend after having a winter of almost no snow last year. Just this past weekend we received anywhere from 12 to 16 inches of wet, heavy snow in Grand Portage. Because it was so wet and sticky, the entire landscape was covered in a blanket of white. The drive to work this morning was especially beautiful with the morning sun lighting up the road ahead of me.
Well, it may not "officially" be winter yet, but I feel like its okay to say that autumn is over. We got our first snowfall and the temps the last couple of days have gotten down into the teens so it sure feels like winter. I captured this photo a few weeks ago while exploring the forest roads of northwest Ontario. I felt the lack of leaves and ominous sky clearly evoked the feeling of autumn ending and winter beginning. I hope you all are enjoying a nice Thanksgiving holiday, wherever you are and whatever you might be doing!
It's that time of year again, where we can wander out in the woods at night and see incredible views of the night sky above the forest canopy. While these images were made in March of this year, you can see similar views right now. If you are willing and able, take the time to go lay under a maple tree at night. You won't regret it.
