2017 December
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2017
ICE 07243
"Pigeon River Ice Flume"
Grand Portage State Park, MN. The ice on High Falls is always very impressive this time of year. I find it endlessly fascinating to view the variety of ice formations that develop on the waterfall. Every day it's a different view!
Camera: Sony DSC-RX10M3
Focal Length: 600mm
Exposure Time: 1/800
Aperture: f/4
ISO: 200
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2017
MOONLIGHT 07151
"Foggy Moonrise on the 2nd of December"
After spending a few hours on the bike this afternoon and evening it was a nice treat to see the moon rising through the fog and trees. Such a beautiful end to a nice day in the woods!
Camera: Sony DSC-RX10M3
Focal Length: 70mm
Exposure Time: 1/4
Aperture: f/4
ISO: 800
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2017
SUPERIOR BOATS 00017
"Hugging the shore"
Very cool to see the Interlake Steamship Company's "James R. Barker" traveling so close to the shoreline yesterday. It was a cold but beautiful day. The clouds were nice for this shot and the cold air made for a nice trail of steam coming from the ship's stacks. When I spotted the ship it's tail end was just disappearing from sight around Tamarack Point on Grand Portage Bay. I had to drive to Horseshoe Bay in Hovland to get a little ahead of it then wait a few minutes to make these photos as it passed the bay.
Camera: Sony DSC-RX10M3
Focal Length: 154mm
Exposure Time: 1/1000
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 100
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2017
SUPERIOR BOATS 00007
"Hugging the shore"
Interlake Steamship Company's "James R. Barker" passing by Horseshoe Bay in Hovland, MN on December 12, 2017.
Camera: Sony DSC-RX10M3
Focal Length: 40mm
Exposure Time: 1/1000
Aperture: f/4
ISO: 100
"Cross Country Bliss"
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017
Central Gunflint Ski Trails - Gunflint Trail, MN
CROSS COUNTRY SKI 07180
Yesterday we headed up to Bearskin Lodge on the Gunflint Trail to play in the new snow that fell overnight. It sure was a beautiful day! It was fun to be the only skiers out on the trails and to be making the first tracks in 4 to 5 inches of fluffy new snow. I made this photo as we were nearing the end of our ski, heading back along Summer Home Road towards the lodge. The ski tracks, clouds, sunlight and tree shadows all combined to make a beautiful photo that really summed up what it felt like to be out enjoying the day.
Camera: Sony DSC-RX100M3
Focal Length: 24mm
Exposure Time: 1/250
Aperture: f/11
ISO: 200
"First Tracks on Summer Home Road"
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017
Central Gunflint Ski Trails - Gunflint Trail, MN
CROSS COUNTRY SKI 07184
It was a glorious day for skiing this past Wednesday after several fresh inches of snow fell on the north woods of Minnesota. Central Gunflint Ski Trails - Gunflint Trail, Minnesota.
Camera: Sony DSC-RX100M3
Focal Length: 24mm
Exposure Time: 1/1000
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 200
"Snowing on the Gunflint"
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017
Gunflint Trail, MN
FOREST 00078
Yesterday we went up the Gunflint Trail again to do some more skiing. For part of the time we were up there it was snowing beautifully. The trees were covered in a fresh blanket of white. I made this photo from the overlook on Ridge Run midway through our ski.
Camera: Sony DSC-RX10M3
Focal Length: 526mm
Exposure Time: 1/1250
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 400
"Cross Country Ski Heaven"
MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2017
Central Gunflint Ski Trails - Gunflint Trail, MN
CROSS COUNTRY SKI 00045
Ski conditions along the Gunflint Trail are heavenly right now! This past week we made it up to Bearskin Lodge for a couple of days of skiing and not only were the trails in prime condition but we had them almost completely to ourselves. We only saw a few other people out there. There is plenty of snow on the ground for the majority of the trails to be groomed and most of the trees have a thick blanket of snow on them which makes for a winter wonderland!
Camera: Sony DSC-RX10M3
Focal Length: 24mm
Exposure Time: 1/1000
Aperture: f/4
ISO: 200
"Awesome day for skiing at Kakabeka Falls!"
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2017
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, Ontario
CROSS COUNTRY SKI 00115
We couldn't have asked for a better day on the trails yesterday! December 23, 2017 at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, Ontario.
Camera: Sony DSC-RX10M3
Focal Length: 29mm
Exposure Time: 1/2000
Aperture: f/4
ISO: 400
"Going for it!"
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2017
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, Ontario
CROSS COUNTRY SKI 00110
My wife Jessica going for it and bombing one of the hills on the River Terrace Trail at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park in Ontario. What a great day for skiing!
Camera: Sony DSC-RX10M3
Focal Length: 44mm
Exposure Time: 1/1600
Aperture: f/4
ISO: 400
"Classic Lane and Skate Lane"
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2017
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, Ontario
CROSS COUNTRY SKI 00116
Can you tell I've been a little obsessed with ski trail photos lately? Ha ha. So, here's another ski trail photo from our outing at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park near Thunder Bay, Ontario. Abstract shapes and patterns really intrigue me. When we rounded a corner of the trail and saw the light accenting the difference between the classic and skate tracks, I just had to stop and make another photo.
Camera: Sony DSC-RX10M3
Focal Length: 149mm
Exposure Time: 1/6400
Aperture: f/4
ISO: 400
"Merry Christmas from High Falls of the Pigeon River!"
MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2017
PIGEON RIVER 00136
It's Christmas Day and whether you celebrate the holiday or not, I sure hope you have a great day filled with adventure, fun and family. It's cold up here in the north woods of Minnesota, and it shows. Lots of ice on High Falls of the Pigeon River in Grand Portage State Park, Minnesota!
Camera: Sony DSC-RX10M3
Focal Length: 44mm
Exposure Time: 1/400
Aperture: f/4
ISO: 200
"Beauty in the Cold"
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2017
The Spirit Tree on a minus 20 degree morning - December 27, 2017.
SPIRIT TREE 3344
This morning my wife Jessica and I bundled up and ventured out into the minus 20 degree weather to watch the sunrise over Lake Superior near our home. Thankfully there wasn't any wind because it sure was cold! Without the cold, though, there wouldn't be the incredible steam (or "sea smoke", as many people call it) to see and photograph. Sea smoke is one of my favorite things to photograph. It sure adds a lot of interest to a photo.
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikon 24-120mm f/4
Focal Length: 40mm
Exposure Time: 13 seconds
Aperture: f/22
ISO: 100
"Sea Smoke and the Spirit Tree"
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017
SPIRIT TREE 3353
A cold (minus 20 degrees) but beautiful morning on the Lake Superior shoreline in Grand Portage, MN.
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikon 24-120mm f/4
Focal Length: 55mm
Exposure Time: 5 seconds
Aperture: f/22
ISO: 100
"Cold Morning at Hollow Rock"
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017
SUPERIOR WINTER 3445
Minus 20 degrees on the morning of December 27, 2017 on the Lake Superior shoreline in Grand Portage, MN. I was going for lens flare on this one and got one of the coolest lens flares I've ever seen!
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikon 24-120mm f/4
Focal Length: 30mm
Exposure Time: 1/80
Aperture: f/22
ISO: 100
"Sky Dancers"
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2017
FOREST 3437
Sea smoke, clouds and sunlight make for a surreal image on a minus 20 degree morning on the Lake Superior shoreline in Grand Portage, MN.
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikon 24-120mm f/4
Focal Length: 85mm
Exposure Time: 1/250
Aperture: f/22
ISO: 100
"Frost Flowers"
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2017
MACRO 3540
Flowers of frost on the Lake Superior shoreline. If you look closely you can see hundreds if not thousands of tiny ice bubbles layered beneath the frost flowers. Some of them even look like agates!
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikon 24-120mm f/4
Focal Length: 120mm
Exposure Time: 1/400
Aperture: f/11
ISO: 400
"Ice Eggs at Hollow Rock"
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2017
Grand Portage, MN
SUPERIOR WINTER 3432
It's a sunburst kind of a day! Clear and cold, beautiful blue sky and blazing sun. And ice! Lots of ice coating the rocks along the shoreline!
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikon 24-120mm f/4
Focal Length: 24mm
Exposure Time: 1/200
Aperture: f/22
ISO: 200
"Frosted Cliff"
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2017
Grand Portage, MN
SUPERIOR WINTER 3464
Sunburst Saturday! Here's another cold, sunny image for today. An icy, frosted cliff along the Lake Superior shoreline in Grand Portage, MN.
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikon 24-120mm f/4
Focal Length: 24mm
Exposure Time: 1/100
Aperture: f/22
ISO: 100
"Brutal Cold on New Year's Eve 2017"
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2017
Grand Portage, MN
SUPERIOR WINTER 00246
The cold is pretty brutal out there today. My car was reading minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit on the way to work and on top of that it is very windy. According to the forecast the winds are gusting to 30 MPH and the wind chill values are ranging from minus 30 to minus 40 degrees. I stopped a couple of places on the way to work to take some pictures and in one of those places I could only stand to be outside the car for a minute or two because the wind and cold were so brutal. If you can find a spot protected from the wind, however, it's not that bad. The location along the Bay Road in Grand Portage where I made this photo had some pretty good protection from trees behind me and I had no problems standing outside to make some photos (keep in mind I was bundled up for the occasion). It is beautiful out there today but if you head outside make sure you have plenty of layers on!
Camera: Sony DSC-RX10M3
Focal Length: 41mm
Exposure Time: 1/640
Aperture: f/16
ISO: 200
"Sunset Ice Eggs"
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2017
Hollow Rock - Grand Portage, MN
SUPERIOR WINTER 3568
Happy New Year's Eve everybody! It sure was a cold day today, so this evening I'm sharing a cold sunset photo. When the rocks along the shoreline get coated with ice I think they look like eggs, so I call this "Sunset Ice Eggs". Hard to believe tomorrow is 2018 already!
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikon 16-35mm f/4
Focal Length: 16mm
Exposure Time: 30 seconds
Aperture: f/11
ISO: 400