Northern Images Photography

Moonlight Serenade

2009-09-07T16:41:00.013-05:00

A full moon rising out of Lake Superior back-lights the South Pier Lighthouse while the Vista King follows a sailboat into the shipping canal. With the shorter days of autumn becoming more apparent with each passing day, tourists and residents alike flocked to the Lake Superior shoreline to enjoy a perfect Labor Day weekend. On this particular evening the tourists actually outnumbered the gulls.

When we first arrived at the park, it looked like the low lying haze over the lake would keep the moon obscured until it was well over the horizon, however, like many times in the past, the dimming daylight forced the moonlight to strengthen quickly and it soon beamed across the open water like a search light.

Waiting for the moonrise is always an interesting experience, you can have GPS, compasses, and navigational charts to plot out when and where the moon will pop up, but, there is still an excitement when the orange globe peaks out of the darkness while it makes it's heavenly orbit around the globe. I guess that's why God put it there, to make us stand in wonder as we gaze upon His magnificent creation.

The sun to rule by day; for His mercy endures forever.
the moon and stars to rule by night; for His mercy endures forever. Psa 136

Sand Daisies

2009-09-03T21:22:00.028-05:00

Park Point in Duluth is an amazing seven mile stretch of beach and is one of the longest sand bars in the world.

Here, the Federal Hudson, a freighter registered in Hong Kong waits at anchor to load a shipment grain.
The daisies in the foreground and beach grass decorate the beach with natural beauty while the sky fills with color of a September Sunrise.

Split Rock Lighthouse Virtual Tour

2009-08-13T14:45:00.000-05:00

Split Rock Lighthouse is a lighthouse located just south of Silver Bay, Minnesota, USA on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The structure was designed by lighthouse engineer Ralph Russell Tinkham and was completed in 1910 by the United States Lighthouse Service at a cost of $75,000, including the buildings and the land. It is built on a 130-foot (40 m) sheer cliff of anorthosite. The lighthouse was first lit on July 31, 1910. It was built in response to the loss of ships during the famous Mataafa Storm of 1905, in which 29 ships were lost on Lake Superior. One of these shipwrecks, the Madeira, is located just north of the lighthouse. Compare, Great Lakes Storm of 1913. (Wikipedia)
Click on the picture to take a virtual tour of Split Rock Lighthouse, the most photographed lighthouse on the Great Lakes.

Rainbows Over Duluth

2009-08-01T22:10:00.006-05:00

Rainbows formed and faded across the skies today as heavy rain showers raced overhead. 3 inches of rain in the past week has turned lawns and golf courses green again while watering flowers and decorating the skies with rainbows and beautiful cloud formations.

Enger Park, and Glensheen Gardens Virtual Tours

2009-07-31T09:35:00.002-05:00

It has been a great summer for flower gardens around Duluth.
Take a minute to visit the Glensheen Mansion garden. It is a beautiful place to visit. (click on the picture, or here to take a tour.)
Enger Park is another great place to browse through the flowers. Don't loose your hat in the wind. (Click on the picture, or, here to take the tour)

Rose Garden Virtual Tour

2009-07-25T13:53:00.003-05:00

This is a perfect time to visit the Leif Erikson Rose Garden in Duluth.
Take this Lief Erikson Rose Garden Virtual Tour to enjoy the scenery. The only thing I cannot include yet is the smell of the rose blossoms saturating the air.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

2009-07-23T20:39:00.006-05:00

Northland weather has been quit unsettled lately which naturally produces interesting skies. Morning sunshine turns into beautiful early afternoon clouds, followed by brief thundershowers. By 9PM most of the activity has ended and calm weather returns for the nighttime hours.

Last evening was no different. Watching storm clouds roll into the area about 5PM, was an amazing sight. A ominous wall cloud pushed across the sky followed by hail, thunder, and lightning. It seemed lake a good time for rainbows so I headed to the hillside of Duluth. The storm veered south so I back-tracked across Skyline drive, hoping that the sun would pop out enough the create a rainbow from the fast moving storm. After observing the rain for awhile I decided that it probably wouldn't happen tonight so I headed home, convincing myself that tomorrow might work out better.
As I neared the crest of the hill, a break in the clouds looked like it would soon appear, so I raced back down to Skyline Drive for one last look for a rainbow. I continued to drive west in an attempt to line up the sun with the storm. As I rounded the curves by Spirit Mountain, there it was, a beautiful rainbow in the skies over the Saint Louis River.

I seems like much of life is like our weather lately, we start off with easy sailing and blue skies, followed by the storms of life. Even when the storms have subsided, we look for the rainbow of hope, which sometimes is hard to find.

Although the following lyrics to 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow" where not actually used in the movie, they do talk of hope after a storm:

When all the world is a hopeless jumble
And the raindrops tumble all around,
Heaven opens a magic lane
When all the clouds darken up the skyway,
There's a rainbow highway to be found
Leading from your window pane
To a place behind the sun,
Just a step beyond the rain

I love how God arranges each little raindrop into a giant prism, refracting sunlight into a full color spectrum to remind us of who He is and where true hope is found.

I have placed My rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of My covenant with you and with all the earth.
When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds,
and I will remember My covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life.
When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth."
Then God said to Noah, "Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth." Gen 9:13

Virtual Tours

2009-07-22T11:07:00.002-05:00

I have assembled a few more virtual tours that will allow you to visit a few places where you may not have been before.

Grand Marais MN Harbor - selected locations around the harbor
Richard I. Bong Heritage Center - Superior Wisconsin
Clelia II cruise ship - Sailing from Toronto to Duluth, the Clelia II is a modern cruise ship making stops at major ports along the way.

Talls Ship Denis Sullivan Deck Tour

2009-07-06T13:20:00.008-05:00

The Tall Ship Denis Sullivan visited Duluth this weekend for a 4th of July visit.
The ship offered deck tours to the public on Saturday and Sunday.
If you missed the tour, you can take it now by visiting this link

Rainbow on the Harbor

2009-07-01T17:03:00.008-05:00

One of the reasons I love photographing rainbows is that you never know when they will occur. You can anticipate the weather conditions that rainbows are likely to happen, but, you can never be sure that one will appear when and where you expect.

On this particular morning in Grand Marais, MN, the skies were mostly grey and the likelihood of good picture taking weather was diminishing every minute. I walked outside at 6AM after a brief shower to find this rainbow dipping into the Grand Marais Harbor.
The beauty that appeared in the sky so unexpectedly quickly disappeared into a new band of showers, but for a brief moment, I was able to capture a piece of God's glory to show you today.

God creates the elements and than mixes them up to paint us pictures to remind us that He is still here, whether we see Him or not. I think that this is why people enjoy rainbows so much. Rainbows have always been a sign of hope during the storms of life and a promise of better days ahead.

I have placed My rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of My covenant with you and with all the earth.
When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds,
and I will remember My covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwater's destroy all life. Gen 9:13

B17 Flying Fortress

2009-06-24T21:25:00.000-05:00

The Experimental Aircraft Association brought in a restored B-17G Flying Fortress “Aluminum Overcast” to the Superior Airport.
Click on the picture to take a walk through the shiny old "war bird". The aircraft is one of only 14 such airplanes still flying, the “Flying Fortress” is an icon of the Allied strategic bombing effort that helped turn the tide of battle in World War II.
More information on this plan is available at: http://www.b17.org/
View the Virtual Tour by clicking this picture or here. View additional pictures here.

Duluth Skyline Drive

2009-06-01T08:31:00.004-05:00

Click HERE or on the picture to take the tour

Overlooking Duluth, the Skyline Parkway gives you bird’s-eye view of the harbor and the endless shoreline of Lake Superior. Observation points along the scenic drive provide picture-perfect views of the city, the lake and many parks. On the northern end of the parkway is Hawk Ridge an excellent vantage point for watching migratory birds in spring and fall.
Take this virtual tour and stop at 12 different observation points along the 30 mile drive.

Pelicans in Duluth?

2009-05-29T18:01:00.006-05:00

I noticed some large white birds across the lake and assuming they were the occasional Tundra Swans that drop in during migration season, I grabbed my camera and paddled the kayak across Caribou lake to check them out. When I got close enough to identify them, it turned out that they were large white pelicans.

Pelicans hunt in groups and round up small fish where they can easily grab them for a meal. These birds were doing exactly that. They were so busy fishing that they didn't notice me until I had floated up quit close. Once they noticed me they swam a few yards and than took the air.

The pelicans were probably blown off course from their normal migration route by strong upper winds. The birds were several hundred miles from their normal flyway up Minnesota River Valley. They didn't seem to mind the detour and found a good fishing hole right in my back yard.

It is a very large and plump bird; its overall length is about 50–70 inches , courtesy of the huge beak which measures 13–14.4 inches in males and 10.4–13 in. in females. It has a wingspan of about 95–120 in and weighs between 11 and 19 lb.

Breeding on lakes throughout the northern Great Plains and mountain West, the American White Pelican is one of the largest birds in North America. It winters along the coasts, but breeds only inland.

Duluth Lakewalk Virtual Tour

2009-05-27T09:22:00.004-05:00

This virtual tour will bring you across the Minnes0ta Slip Bridge, under the Aerial lift Bridge, and along the shore of Lake Superior. Click here or the picture to enter tour.

Duluth Seven Bridged Road Virtual Tour!

2009-05-26T20:20:00.007-05:00

I have been playing around lately with 360 degree panoramic photography.
Here is a virtual tour of Seven Bridges Road in Duluth.

You should have a high speed connection for best viewing.

Enjoy!
Dennis

Lightning Reflections

2009-04-24T17:33:00.006-05:00

In a single day, we turned the corner into spring. Ice went off the lake (Caribou), the loons returned, the frogs started croaking, and the first thunderstorm of the season rolled through the area.
The lightning photographed here was the leading edge of a small cell that veered north as soon as it hit the cool air of Lake Superior which was 10 miles further away.

Most lightning strikes average 2 to 3 miles long and carry a current of 10000 Amps at 100 million Volts. Meteorologists know the cloud conditions necessary to produce lightning, but cannot forecast the location or time of the next stroke of lightning from a storm.

The rain pours down from the clouds, and everyone benefits.
Who can understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven?
See how He spreads the lightning around Him and how it lights up the depths of the sea.Job 36:30

View more lightning

New e-Bookshelf

2009-04-12T07:51:00.002-05:00

For those that have requested more e-Books, here are a few more to browse.

Duluth Picture (e-book)

2009-04-08T16:51:00.003-05:00

I have put together an e-book that you might enjoy.
Click on the book to open it or open it from this link

Enjoy!

Sun Pillar

2009-03-30T09:19:00.005-05:00

Early spring is a great time to observe sun pillars during sunrises and sunsets. Sun Pillars appear in the sky when snow or ice crystals reflect light from the sun when it is low on the horizon.

This particular pillar was taken looking out my front door on Caribou Lake.

Only a particular type of snowflake, formed in optimum conditions for a saucer shape, form into billions of tiny mirrors that reflect the sunlight perfectly to our eye. This shape of snowflake tends to float to earth in a horizontal manner, and only the snowflakes that are lined up with the sun reflect the light into our eye. This is what created the colorful pillar of light in line with the sun.

I love how God gets our attention just when things seem to be getting the darkest.

You light a lamp for me. The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness. Psa 18:28

Gooseberry Runoff

2009-03-26T09:37:00.005-05:00

Even though recent ice storms have made springtime seem far off, the rising waters of local rivers tell another story. On this rather cool drizzly morning I made my way around the snow covered trails that surround the waterfall at Gooseberry Falls State Park. The increasing pressure from the rising flow had broken open the icy shell that had encased river for the past several months and the ice was being smashed to pieces as it crashed down the falls.

Groundwater was starting to leak from every seam along the river bank and the root beer colored river water, stained by the tannin of tree roots in the inland bogs, was now rushing its way down the Gooseberry River into Lake Superior. The swamps were warming up and could no longer contain the water that had been locked up since early winter.

Eagles and condors floated overhead in the gray skies as they scanned the ground for lunch. The migration north had begun and all of nature declared the arrival of spring.

I thought for a moment about the birds, and in some way, I think the same instinct that drives them to the same place every year is what makes me keep coming back to this place. Call it instinct or habit it happens every year.

For the next several weeks, local rivers and streams will be swollen with runoff water, thawing the ground and feeding the plants that will soon wake up to a new season, and so the cycle of life will begin once again.

View Video - View High Resolution Here (note: if video appears jerky, pause for awhile to let it buffer)

The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Isa 58:11

Northern Images Home | More Gooseberry Pictures

White Beaches

2009-03-16T18:47:00.006-05:00

The white beaches of the Northland are very similar to the white beaches of the Caribbean (at least in color). A ritual of springtime is to visit the shores of Lake Superior and enjoy the changing seasons without burning your feet in the sand.

Ice Planet - What ever happened to Global Warming

2009-03-13T08:58:00.006-05:00

The cold weather this year has created wonderful photographic opportunities along Lake Superior.
December and January were great months for photographing steam fog along the shoreline and it looks like March will be a banner month for ice formations. There is still plenty of ice on the lake and with the winds of springtime in the air, ice chunks will be banging around the lake for some time to come. We can also expect that it will be "Colder by the Lake".

Northern Images Home | View More Ice Images | View 360 Panoroamic

Fishing on the Edge

2009-03-10T19:40:00.010-05:00

Warm March days attract fishermen to the ice covered shore of Lake Superior as surely as the longer daylight hours attracts the trout swimming under the ice to the mouth of the river. It is a ritual of springtime in the Northland and a sure sign that winter is losing it's grip on the area.

These fishermen set up their portable fish houses near the mouth of the French River and basked in the warm afternoon sunshine. I didn't see any fish caught, but, I don't think anyone really cared. It seems funny how someone can be so relaxed, sitting on a plastic bucket with a fishing rod staring at a hole in the ice, yet, they seemed to have found a secret that works better than any high blood pressure medicine, its called contentment.

Although cars could be heard in the distance speeding along the highway in a seemingly frantic rush, this little cove of fishermen seemed to live in an unhurried world of their own, a special place that only a few could recognize as a medicine for the rush of life on a road less traveled.

In just a few weeks, the river will swell with runoff from the melting snow and the lake ice will back away from the shore, setting the stage for another change of seasons.

Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, told us about contentment long ago: Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind. Ecc 6:9

I drove home a bit wiser that day, learning a lesson from a little fishing cove on Lake Superior and some men who find contentment with the simpler things of life.

Winter Caves

2009-02-17T20:56:00.002-06:00

Some of the Great Lakes' most spectacular scenery can be found at the sandstone cliffs and caves of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. With daylight hours increasing and the sun becoming more powerful with each passing day, a February hike to the caves is always an enjoyable endeavor.

The 1.5 mile walk to the caves across the frozen surface of Lake Superior is relatively easy going and makes for a pleasant stroll with the pine and hardwood forest of the south shore on one side and the frozen expanse of Lake Superior on the other.

Once at the caves, the carved out sandstone cliffs stand in stark contrast to the blue February sky and the pure white snow of the surrounding landscape. Although there hadn't been much thawing yet, giant icicles rimmed the cliffs and hung from the cave ceilings like crystal stalactites.

One cave in particular was interesting as a small frozen waterfall formed right in the mouth of the cave. The falling water could be heard splashing inside the ice encrusted waterfall and with springtime fast approaching, it won't be long before it will brake out of its cold tomb. I decided to step into the cave and compose a 360 image in order to show more closely the beauty inside. Here is the interactive panoramic.

I never could understand why northerners flee to the white sand beaches of Mexico this time of year when they have the beauty of the white beaches of Lake Superior to enjoy. Maybe someday, I'll catch on, or at least my wife Debby hopes.

Walking back along the tundra-like landscape, the days when waves would once again be hammering out the caverns and caves of the Apostles seemed a long way off. But, longer days and the water starting to trickle off the cliffs, appeared to whisper that things are changing and I should enjoy the day.

God uses His creation to teach us many things, and one of them is to help us understand the march of time, however imperceptible, our time here is limited, we must spend it wisely.
"LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to You; at best, each of us is but a breath."
We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.
And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in You. Psa 39:4

Fire and Ice

2009-02-08T20:27:00.006-06:00

Ice shards are now decorating much of Lake Superior's North Shore like a crystal necklace.

Walking along the shoreline, the tinkling sound of the ice capped waves pushing against the shore adds a special touch to the winter landscape.

In this picture, a fiery sunrise over Lake Superior floods the scene, making even the ice pieces seem warm.

View More Ice Photos | Lake Superior Gallery