2014 was a heckuva year filled with road trips, snow, friends and bluegrass. I witnessed many amazing things and I did my best to capture those sights with my camera. My camera is still a mysterious beast to me, but I'm learning. Here's to a great 2014 and excitement for continued growth through the lens.
This photo was taken at Grand Portage State Park in Minnesota after a suggestion from the girls working at Grand Portage National Monument. They were surprised anyone was actually traveling around Lake Superior in December, but said I had to check out High Falls on the Pigeon River. I stood in awe as the roar of the falls incased in ice echoed around the canyon. A giddy smile was plastered on my face as I went from viewing platform to viewing platform, trying to find the best angle. Changing the setting to black and white on my camera made the falls even more powerful. I can still feel the falls.
Visiting the Apostle Island Ice Caves has been on my list of things to do for a few years, but 2014 granted me the first shot to traverse up to the Bayfield peninsula. My friend Jo and I headed up after deciding the best time to see the ice caves was in late afternoon as the sun went down. We were not disappointed. It was cold as hell, but the shapes and colors kept me pulling me along, stoking my inner hearth.
As I skimmed a recent Backpacker Magazine, I came across a section on how to take a photo of your tent with the carpet of stars overhead. When the opportunity arose to test those tips, the only one I remembered was to try and get the Milky Way in the shot. I played around for hours in the cold, trying to find the right settings while Lake Superior gently lapped the shore a few feet away. The stars stretched to eternity above. I look forward to taking a better shot than this in 2015!
Another photo from the Ice Caves. This one was taken the following morning with not a soul around except for my photo friend Jo. The wind chill of -30 may have had something to do with it. The vagaries of ice can be so interesting. The warm reds and oranges of the previous night were replaced with cool blues. The gaping maw of ice sucked many a people in, including me.
Walking at dawn along the cloudy Outer Banks in North Carolina created a bleak scene. A fellow lonely beach walker picked up shells washed in from the Diamond Shoals. Hurricane Bertha sat offshore, kicking up the waves, increasing the power of the Atlantic.
Working for the Ice Age Trail Alliance enables me to travel the state, working with a diverse group of volunteers doing anything from clear trees with a chainsaw, building a rock wall or dressing up for Swanky Saturday. This day found me working along the Mecan River with Gary and Roger, chiseling the stringers for a 32 foot long bridge. It was a beautiful day to learn from Gary and help the Trail.
Another photo from the Ice Age Trail, this time from Springfield Hill in Dane County. This area was called "Gorillas in the Mist." A fitting moniker I'd say. Black and white became a stronger presence in my photos in 2014 and this one stands out.
I spent over an hour darting around Bond Falls in Michigan, attempting to capture the mighty cascades. I played around with the settings on my camera whenever an idea on how to improve the shot popped into my head. This photo doesn't really feel like a photo, but more like a painting. It was a fun day.
Growing up in Eau Claire, I read about the Blue Hills Felsenmeer in the paper and put it in my bucket list. I jumped at the chance to explore it last summer. The thickly green forest opened up to a sea of rocks, devoid of green except for this one tree, somehow anchoring its roots in the talus field. Note the person in the upper left hand corner. The Felsenmeer (not a true felsenmeer because of the steepness of the slopes) is not an easy place to visit, but the vista is worth it.
Now, this may not be a very good photo, but the weird colors and lack of focus seem to work. The naked man ran across the stage during Horseshoes and Hand Grenades set at Boats and Bluegrass. The band didn't miss a beat.
For the rest of my favorite photos from 2014, click over to my Flickr page.
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