The Mighty Mac

So, after the first business trip out of state in a year and half, I came back with all kinds of energy and also anxious to get away from people and back to the woods. So on Friday around noon, I said how about northern Michigan after work. And then a few hours later we were in the car headed north. Made camp around 1:00 am in the back of the car and prepared for exploring in the morning.

Color wasn't quite peaking when we thought it would be, so we ended up further north and were rewarded with this scene late Saturday night. The fog had just started settling back in. There was a construction zone in the middle of the bridge casting extra bright light for a dramatic scene.

There's something magical about not having a plan on the road and just pointing the car in a direction and figuring it out along the way.

The Might Mac as Evening Fog Settles In

The Details:

Camera: Olympus OMD EM-5 Mark III

Lens: Olympus Kit 14 - 150mm at 150mm

ISO: 64

Aperture: F 6.3

Shutter Speed: 20 seconds

Processing: Adobe Lightroom

Guiding Light

For anyone who's followed my photography on social media, you know that there are some common themes: Waterfalls, Forests, and LIGHTHOUSES. So, when I found out that there would be a chance to capture the milky way and a lighthouse, I had high hopes.

The lighthouse itself was not lit, which was surprising but gave the group a chance to experiment with angles and light painting. I was lucky enough to capture this angle with the milky way leaning into Point Betsie with backlighting from side of the lighthouse on the windblown trees jutting out toward the water.

The waves were pounding as we staged on the beaten up concrete apron that protects the point from the constant Lake Michigan beatings. But this image gives a sense a calm and serenity as you realize how small we really are.

The Milky Way Leans Into Point Betsie Lighthouse, September 2021

The Details:

Camera: Olympus OMD EM-5 Mark III

Lens: Samyang MF 12mm

ISO 3200

Shutter Speed 10 seconds

Processing: Adobe Lightroom and Topaz Labs AI DeNoise