August, 2009

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Sunset in Lake Saint Louis

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
Sunset in Lake Saint Louis

Sunset in Lake Saint Louis

While relocating to a new city is difficult, one of the things that makes it a little easier is the view of the sun setting from my balconey in Lake Saint Louis.

The panoramic view here captures the sunset in the distance, through the trees and across the small pond of my apartment complex.

Sunset Over the Treetops

Sunset Over the Treetops

Lake Saint Louis is a relatively new community, conceived in 1966 with the first buildings erected in 1967.

It did not become a city until 1975, when it was first incorporated as Harbor Town – changing it’s name to Lake Saint Louis in 1977.

The city now has around 12,000 residents, and was recently named one of America’s top ten livable cities by Money Magazine. The lake that gives the town its name is home to water sports and recreational boating. I haven’t captured a sunset over the lake yet, but plan to soon.

Shadows

Shadows

Before I end this post, however, I wanted to share another perspective on the light cast by the setting sun.

This picture shows the shadows from the light cast through the slats of a set of blinds – the setting sun provides the warm glow to the light, with the patterns created by a lampshade and a small fan.

I like finding unexpected pictures like this – which simply involves taking time to look around and not rush the photo taking session. It’s easy to focus on the beauty of the sunset, but miss out on other opportunities.

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Hillsboro Lighthouse

Monday, August 24th, 2009
Hillsboro Lighthouse

Hillsboro Lighthouse

Just north of Pompano Beach in Florida, sitting on the Atlantic Ocean, is the Hillsboro Lighthouse.

This lighthouse, seen here at dawn, is still in service and is considered one of the brightest lights in southeast United States. From sea, this lighthouse can be seen almost halfway to the Bahamas.

I visited the lighthouse and the corresponding harbor in early morning – about a half hour prior to sunrise. This time of morning provides deep blue skies with clouds that have a tinge of orange as the sun begins to rise over the horizon.

Fishing Boat

Fishing Boat

The lighthouse is on the point of the Hillsboro Inlet, a small inlet that’s home to a number of fishing charters and private boats.

This picture shows one of the fishing boats leaving the harbor before sunrise – heading out into the Atlantic Ocean. Fisherman abound in the early morning hours, with fishing boats constantly leaving the harbor. The boats are not the only way to fish, however, as many of the fishermen take positions on the docks surrounding the harbor.

Normally, part of the enjoyment of getting up early is the silence and the solitude as I take in what nature has to provide – in this case however, the harbor was busy with lots of activity – along with the sounds of the boats heading out to sea. For the larger boats, a drawbridge separates the marina from the ocean, and in the early morning it’s busy as well.

Hillsboro Inlet

Hillsboro Inlet

This picture shows some of the houses and condos that populate one side of the harbor.

The view is from a small city park that is nestled between the main road and the harbor. What I like about this photo is the early morning light as it’s reflected on the posts of the piers.

However, my biggest challenge on this photo session was not getting up before dawn to get to the park, it was the high humidity, and the impact that had on my camera lens.

Hillsboro Lighthouse

Hillsboro Lighthouse

This last picture to the right is actually one of the first photos I took – while it looks like a foggy morning, it’s really the condensation that formed in my camera lens.

The camera took quite a while to acclimate to the humidity, so it was good that I arrived as early as I did.

Keep this in mind if you take any photos where there is such a wide discrepancy in humidity between where the camera is stored and where the photos are being taken.

And if you’re in the Ft. Lauderdale area, check out the Hillsboro Lighthouse!

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Wine and Harvest Festival

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
Cedarburg Festivals

Cedarburg Festivals

The Cedarburg Wine and Harvest Festival is September 19 and 20, 2009, and I will be exhibiting my photography there. The festival focuses on fall harvest of produce and various wines crafted by local vintners, but includes a juried art show featuring 200 artists.

This will be my second time exhibiting in Cedarburg – it’s a great venue for an art show, and if you’re in the area, I’d love for you to stop by and say hello and see some of the new work I hope to have on display.

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Picture of the Month – July

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
4th of July Fireworks

4th of July Fireworks

My picture of the month for July is an image of red, white & blue fireworks, taken on the 4th of July at Kletsch Park in Glendale, Wisconsin.

These fireworks were especially memorable because we had our 2 1/2 year old grandson, Gavin, with us. These were Gavin’s first fireworks, and as they started he squealed with delight – loving both the loud sounds and the colorful light displays.

After a little while, he began to tire of the fireworks and explore other things around him, but he quickly turned back to the fireworks as the grand finale began. Watching him watch the fireworks was as much fun as just watching the fireworks – and it definitely made for a memorable evening.

To see pictures of the month from previous months, click here.

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Hang in there…

Friday, August 7th, 2009

Readers – sorry for the lapse in posting over the past couple of weeks. I’m in the process of making a move from Milwaukee to St. Louis, and also reworking my photography library. I plan to be back online soon, with a new picture of the month (for July), and pictures from some recent trips (including a lighthouse and fishing harbor in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida).

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