Crisp Point Lighthouse
The lighthouse at Crisp Point, Michigan, along the south shore of Lake Superior near Grand Marais, MI.
The lighthouse at Crisp Point, Michigan, along the south shore of Lake Superior near Grand Marais, MI.
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Canon EOS 80D
Aperture f/8 ISO 100 Shutter 1/400 Focal Length 40/1 
Grand Marais, Michigan, US
Aug, 2019Views
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Winner in lighthouse Photo Challenge
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on the southern Lake Superior shoreline, approximately 15 miles west of Whitefish Point in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The lighthouse is located at Crisp Point, which is a very remote place to get to, but well worth the effort! However, the deer flies and mosquitoes in mid-August in Michigan's Upper Peninsula are about the size of birds, and my wife and I both had some serious bug bites after our visit...after this trip, I added insect repellent to my camera bag!Time
After over an hour's drive on a winding two-track dirt road, my wife and I arrived at Crisp Point in mid-afternoon. I spent quite a bit of time photographing the rocky shoreline of Lake Superior before switching my focus to the lighthouse, where I took this photo at around 3 pm.Lighting
As you can see, it was partly cloudy that day. The photo was taken facing east, so I had nice diffused sunlight at my back that provided nice, even lighting on the lighthouse and surrounding area. The photo was taken at ISO100, using f/8 and 1/400s exposure.Equipment
I used my Canon 80D with my EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM zoom lens set at 40mm. I was shooting hand-held at this point.Inspiration
I had wanted to visit this very remote lighthouse just to say I'd been there. Michigan has so many historic lighthouses along its Great Lakes shorelines, and this one intrigued me mainly because of its remote location. I wanted to try to capture some of the mystique of the building and its history.Editing
Yes, I did some post-processing using Luminar 3, primarily sky enhancement and lens corrections. I did adjust white balance based on the white paint on the lighthouse.In my camera bag
I typically carry my Canon 80D with my four lenses (50mm f/1.8, 10-18mm wide angle zoom, 18-55mm zoom, and 55-250mm zoom). I also have my Haida M10 pro filter holder with a 10-stop ND and 3-stop GND filter. I now carry a Godox V860-II speedlight flash as well. Of course, I always have my standard accessories like spare batteries, lens hoods, memory cards, etc. Oh, and now I carry a can of maximum strength insect repellent after this experience!Feedback
My advice is always simple...soak up everything about where you are, and feel the story that starts to reveal itself about your subject and your surroundings. I'm always amazed that eventually a compelling story begins to emerge, and my job then becomes how best to capture that story. Sometimes that's easy to do, sometimes it's damn hard, and sometimes I'm not able to do it at all. It's those times that I just enjoy the story and the moment, and then later it drives me to get better at my craft so in the future I can perhaps succeed.
