St. Joe in the Storm
Probably not the best time to pop up a beach umbrella...
The first day of winter 2012 came in with a mighty roar (via "Winter Storm Draco"...
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Probably not the best time to pop up a beach umbrella...
The first day of winter 2012 came in with a mighty roar (via "Winter Storm Draco") at the St. Joseph Lighthouse in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
Copyright 2012 - Stacy (Cossolini) Niedzwiecki - All rights reserved. http:--StacyN.com
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The first day of winter 2012 came in with a mighty roar (via "Winter Storm Draco") at the St. Joseph Lighthouse in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
Copyright 2012 - Stacy (Cossolini) Niedzwiecki - All rights reserved. http:--StacyN.com
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Jan, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photograph was taken from the beach at Tiscornia Park - it is the iconic St. Joseph Lighthouse, located in Benton Harbor, Michigan.Time
The very first day of Winter 2012 came in with a mighty roar (via "Winter Storm Draco"), about 12:20 in the afternoon. Another photographer and I decided to brave this nasty storm to drive out to see two lighthouses. The first lighthouse was not angled into the lake in a way for the waves to hit as directly, so we went a bit further south to check the St. Joseph light. We were not disappointed!Lighting
The lighting was provided by Mother Nature herself. Fortunately enough sunlight came through briefly to illuminate the high waves against the dark angry storm clouds rolling over Lake Michigan.Equipment
It was photographed using a Canon EOS 7D, with a Sigma 50-500mm lens at about 200mm, ƒ/8.0, 1/800 of a second at ISO 640. I didn't even try using a tripod that day - the sand was flying and it was too difficult to even balance myself upright. The storm was so strong, I couldn't even really stand up on the dune, so I braced myself against a tree. At the time this particular wave hit, the gusts were reaching approximately 70 miles per hour.Inspiration
Several photographer friends and I regularly watch the Lake Michigan shoreline web cams in with the goal and hope of photo opportunities during incoming storms. With enough advance preparation, we can head out and enjoy a day of challenging photography at the lake. A friend of mine suggested it might be a good time to head out. While I have traveled to most of the lighthouses along our coast, I had yet to visit this one - so it seemed like a great time to go!Editing
I try very carefully to be as "non-invasive" with my post-processing as possible. While I can truly appreciate HDR and digital art, etc. - my training goes back to film and a journalistic-style of shooting where one isn't allowed to alter what was actually seen. I think there is beauty in the truth in storytelling - I want the viewer to feel as if they are seeing the scene exactly as I did. Mostly, I employ raditional techniques for the darkroom - hand dodging and burning and then color correction. For a number of years, I have used DxO OpticsPro to process my RAW images and then work with the resulting JPG in Photoshop Elements. For this image (since it was shot at ISO 800) I made sure there wasn't too much digital noise in the sky especially and carefully sharpened. If desired, at times I will use Nik Viveza to pull out details or color within a key focal area.In my camera bag
For the past few years, one of my favorite lenses has been the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS telephoto zoom lens. My day-to-day lens for versatility a Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS because it gives me enough wide angle/zoom for in-the-moment needs. However, I will then often switch my lens to something more appropriate to the scene, such as: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM (for my animal images) Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens Along with the Canon 7d II, I carry my Canon 7d body as a backup, because I often go into remote areas and don't wish to experience an equipment failure with no means of an alternate way to capture images. For accessories I carry a small pop-up light reflector (helps with macro/floral images), Canon TC-80N3 Timer Remote Controller for long exposures/intervals, etc. a Manfrotto tripod and head, two Canon 580 EX Speedlites (and have a third 550 EX if I need more light), a Canon Flash Speedlite Wireless Remote Transmitter St-E2. Most of my lenses have an accompanying polarizing filter to reduce glare on water or to enhance colors. There's always a few snacks "just in case", my cell phone, a Petzl headlamp, extra batteries for the flashes and the headlamp, two extra Canon camera batteries with a charger, a notepad/pen, hand/foot warmers, business cards. My full bag weighs over 50lbs, and I'm only 5'2"... I do get some remarks about it from time to time!Feedback
First and foremost - safety is a HUGE CONCERN. Each year, people fall off our piers and drown in Lake Michigan (even in decent weather). It's not a force you should fool around with. There are rip tides and currents than can easily sweep a person away. Often times there is no way to quickly access emergency assistance. I have actually witnessed people (particularly photographers) going out right onto piers and breakwalls in this kind of weather. Just... don't! I safely use large lenses such as my Canon 70-200mm or my Sigma 50-500mm to obtain the reach I need, while staying safe on the shore. One must also prepare for very sudden, quick weather changes. Michigan is full of weather extremes. I carry many layers of clothing, keep dry clothing in the car to change into afterwards, various gloves and hats, and those instant-activated hand and foot warmers. While it looks awesomely nerdy... on the beach, often goggles are necessary to protect your eyes from flying sand. Your gear will experience that same flying sand (in fact, the photographer I was with ruined his lens on this day when sand got inside of it). You need to get some special lens sleeves, plastic bags, or have some means to protect your gear. If the sand gets in there, it's usually history. Watch the radar and wave reports - usually when they start approaching 15 feet or so (based on wind direction) you can start getting some stellar images.
