Mike Hedge Photo: Blog https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog en-us Michael J Hedge (Mike Hedge Photo) Sat, 24 Oct 2020 13:52:00 GMT Sat, 24 Oct 2020 13:52:00 GMT Into the Woods https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/10/into-the-woods Into the Woods - This scene almost invites me to take a walk down the trail and into the woods. I have seen this little building many times in the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve in Mahomet, IL, but had no idea that there was a walking trail. It made for an interesting composition and the overcast rainy day seemed to bring out the colors and textures in the photo.

 

Fujifilm X100V + WCL-X100II Into the WoodsInto the Woods

 

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) autumn champaign county fall forest fujifilm fujifilmx100v illinois lake Mahomet of photography preserve the trail velvia woods https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/10/into-the-woods Sat, 24 Oct 2020 13:49:44 GMT Small Turtle on a Log https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/9/small-turtle-on-a-log Small Turtle on a LogSmall Turtle on a Log I usually return from a visit to Heron Park near Danville, Illinois with a number of bird photos, but on a recent stop there late one afternoon, my search for birds to photograph was not very fruitful. On the walk along the boardwalk I spotted this small 2 inch turtle sitting on a log and somewhat camouflaged. Sometimes, the photograph in front of you is not immediately obvious. Fortunately i spotted this little guy and was able to zoom in with my 100-400 zoom with a 1.4 teleconverter.
 

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) a7riv danville green heron illinois park sony turtle https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/9/small-turtle-on-a-log Thu, 01 Oct 2020 03:08:17 GMT Chrome & Rust https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/9/chrome-rust Chrome & RustChrome & Rust The textures and reflections in the chrome and rusted metal in the light and shade of the late afternoon sun created a visually interesting close up of this old truck.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) chrome fender grille headlight rust Truck https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/9/chrome-rust Tue, 22 Sep 2020 03:22:07 GMT Lone Tree on a Dirt Road https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/9/lone-tree-on-a-dirt-road Lone Tree on a Dirt RoadLone Tree on a Dirt Road I enjoyed watching the sun set behind this peaceful view of a lone tree along the dirt road separating these two fields.
 

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) agriculture clouds corn dirt road evening illinois path road rural silhouette soybeans sunset tree https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/9/lone-tree-on-a-dirt-road Sat, 05 Sep 2020 02:20:37 GMT Blue Ridge Silhouette https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/8/blue-ridge-silhouette Blue Ridge SilhouetteBlue Ridge SilhouetteBlue Ridge Silhouette It has been awhile since I have gone to the country to photograph the skies at sunset.  My heart was rather heavy tonight with thoughts and prayers for the difficult time some of my family members are going through right now.  Sometimes I need to see the glory and majesty of a sunset to remember that the God of this universe who created such beautiful sunsets, holds each of us in His hands even in the most challenging times.  This evening's sunset did not disappoint.  Though I have been here many times, the skies behind the silhouette of the blue ridge elevator and the grove of trees were spectacular tonight, declaring the glory of creation.  May this photo bring a sense of calm to you this day.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) agriculture Blue Ridge central Illinois E-M1ii evening getolympus Illinois OM-D O-MD E-M1ii orange Piatt County rural Silhouette Sunset https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/8/blue-ridge-silhouette Mon, 31 Aug 2020 01:45:39 GMT Last Round https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/7/last-round Last RoundLast Round Last Round - After shooting a couple of silhouettes of the old grain elevator at Blue Ridge, I had packed up and was driving home when I spotted this crop duster about a mile away trying to get in a last round or two before daylight disappeared. A 400mm focal length allowed me to completely orange out the background highlighting the old grain bins and crop duster plane.

 

Sony A7Riv

FE 100-400mm GM

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) agriculture blue ridge crop duster orange piatt county plane rural silhouette sonyalpha⁠ sonyalphagallery⁠ ⁠sonyworldclub⁠ sunset https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/7/last-round Fri, 17 Jul 2020 04:04:40 GMT Dirt Road https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/6/dirt-road Dirt RoadDirt Road Sometimes you just stumble upon a scene where the lighting is too good to pass up.  This was the case here while driving through the country on the way back from Glen Arbor Michigan area to Traverse City last week.
 

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) 24-105mm A7iii Dirt Road Golden Hour Honor Michigan path Pure Michigan road rural Sony https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2020/6/dirt-road Thu, 18 Jun 2020 15:30:00 GMT Tranquil Sunset at the Beach https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/3/Tranquil-Sunset-at-the-Beach Tranquil-Sunset-on-the-BeachTranquil-Sunset-on-the-Beach

As the sun dropped below the horizon on the beach at Naples, Florida I captured a few final images before the light faded away.  This photo captured the tranquil mood of the evening:  waves gently coming onto the beach, pelicans sitting comfortably on the pilings out into the Gulf, wispy clouds being lit from below with colors of yellow and orange and the lone pelican silhouetted against the orange glow where the sun disappeared below the horizon. 
 The timing of this photo came together with lines leading the eyes along the water on the beach to the pilings, the pilings guiding back toward the horizon where the sun just set, clouds from the upper left of the frame drawing the view back toward the glow of the sunset and finally the lone pelican being silhouetted against the glow of the sky.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) florida photography sunsets water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/3/Tranquil-Sunset-at-the-Beach Sun, 10 Mar 2019 08:53:31 GMT 2nd Sunset at Big Carlos Pass https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/3/2nd-Sunset-at-Big-Carlos-Pass-2 Sunset at Big Carlos PassSunset at Big Carlos Pass The skies looked promising for a nice sunset, so I decided to photograph a 2nd sunset at Big Carlos Pass at the north end of Lovers Key State Park. Tonight I used a Nisi 10 stop filter and a medium GND8 filter to slow my shutter time to 10 seconds. This photo was shot in High Resolution mode on a tripod on my Olympus OM-D E-M1x.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) florida photography sunsets water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/3/2nd-Sunset-at-Big-Carlos-Pass-2 Fri, 08 Mar 2019 21:13:44 GMT Hualalai Sunset https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/3/Hualalai-Sunset-2
Hualalai SunsetHualalai Sunset Beautiful sunset from last month on our last evening on the Big Island of Hawaii. The view from the Hualalai Resort was the most colorful that we saw. The water in the foreground was very shallow over an old lava bed which made for some nice textures as did the sandy beach as the tide flowed back out. Thanks Jamie A MacDonald for recommending the Nisi Reverse GND8 to me about a year and a half ago. I haven’t got to use it a lot, but it makes a huge difference on photos of sunsets over water.
 
OM-D E-m1ii
12-100mm F4 PRO
Nisi Reverse GND8 filter.
 
For the full resolution photo, take a look at my Flickr link: https://flic.kr/p/2dVyDFJ
]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) 12-100mm f4 pro getolympus hawaii hualalai nisifolters olympus om-d e-m1ii orange photography sunset sunsets water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/3/Hualalai-Sunset-2 Sun, 03 Mar 2019 19:56:25 GMT Morning Tide at Wailea https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/2/Morning-Tide-at-Wailea-2 Morning-Tide-at-WaileaMorning-Tide-at-WaileaMorning Tide at Wilaea

Morning Tide at Wailea

On my recent trip to Maui, I enjoyed being out around sunrise and spent a bit of time photographing the tide coming in and out using a neutral density filter to slow the shutter speed. I like the sense of movement that the long exposure conveys as the tide is moving back out.

OM-D E-M1ii
12-100mm F4 PRO 
ISO 200, 12mm, F9, 3.2 sec.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) beach getolympus hawaii maui ocean photography sand tide wailea water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/2/Morning-Tide-at-Wailea-2 Wed, 27 Feb 2019 10:45:05 GMT Morning view across Maalaea Bay https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/2/Morning-view-across-Maalaea-Bay-2 Morning-view-across-Maalaea-Bay-2048Morning-view-across-Maalaea-Bay-2048

While staying in Wailea on the island of Maui, I enjoyed the morning views of the mountains across Maalaea Bay. There seemed to be regular clouds wrapped around the mountain each morning I was out. On this particular morning, the sun came through a small spot in the cloud cover to light the center of the cloud below. I used a neutral density filter, 6 stop I believe, with a 2.5 second exposure to smooth the water and create a sense of motion around the rocks in the foreground.  I made the photo on Olympus OM-D E-M1ii camera with the 12-100mm F4 PRO lens @16mm.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) Bay clouds hawaii Maalaea maui nisi nisifilters photography water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/2/Morning-view-across-Maalaea-Bay-2 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 20:51:08 GMT Bay Bridge from Pier 14 https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/2/Bay-Bridge-from-Pier-14-1 Bay-Bridge-fron-Pier-14Bay-Bridge-fron-Pier-14

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) bay bridge bridges Island night photography san francisco Treasure water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/2/Bay-Bridge-from-Pier-14-1 Mon, 04 Feb 2019 11:17:49 GMT Bay Bridge from Treasure Island https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/2/Bay-Bridge-from-Treasure-Island Bay-Bridge-fron-Treasure-IslandBay-Bridge-fron-Treasure-Island Beautiful start to the morning at 5:15 a.m. This view of the Bay Bridge from Treasure Island looking east toward Oakland was spectacular. Low clouds reflected the light from the bridge below.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) nightscape photography san francisco https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2019/2/Bay-Bridge-from-Treasure-Island Sun, 03 Feb 2019 21:10:19 GMT Pre-Dawn Morning at Fernandina Beach https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/12/Pre-Dawn-Morning-at-Fernandina-Beach-1 Pre-Dawn-Morning-at-Fernandina-BeachPre-Dawn-Morning-at-Fernandina-Beach Pre-Dawn Morning at Fernandina Beach

My visit to Amelia Island last January included a couple of mornings where I went to the beach to photograph the sunrise near the pier. This photo was taken moments before the sun peeked across the horizon. I like the orange glow against the night sky and the silhouette of the pier in this 2 second exposure taken on a tripod with the Sony A7Riii and FE 24-105mm F4 lens at 24mm.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) 24-105mm a7riii amelia island beach dawn fernandina beach florida ocean photography pier silhouette sunrise water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/12/Pre-Dawn-Morning-at-Fernandina-Beach-1 Mon, 10 Dec 2018 19:51:31 GMT Drama over the Frankfort Light https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/11/Drama-over-the-Frankfort-Light Drama-over-the-Frankfort-LightDrama-over-the-Frankfort-LightDrama-over-the-Frankfort-Light This is one of those images I have always thought had potential, but I could never seem to get the post processing to give me the right look.  I took this photo back in September 2013 shortly after getting my first micro four thirds camera, the Olympus OM-D E-M5.  Back in 2013, I was just getting started with processing RAW files using Lightroom.  I come back to it on occasion, trying do to a better job with the highlights and shadows, but was never satisfied with my results.  Today, I came back to this photo as I was browsing through my catalog and decided to give it a try in Luminar.  While I could probably spend more time with it, I do think that I was able to get something that works and reflects the type of drama in the skies that I have always been trying to capture.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) clouds frankfort getolympus lake michigan light lighthouse lighthouses luminar michigan olympus om-d e-m5 photography pure michigan sunset sunsets water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/11/Drama-over-the-Frankfort-Light Sun, 18 Nov 2018 12:24:02 GMT Fulton Street Bridge https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/11/Fulton-Street-Bridge-2 Fulton-Street-BridgeFulton-Street-BridgeFulton-Street-Bridge I spent a several days in downtown Grand Rapids a few weeks ago at a business meeting. On a late afternoon walk along the Grand River I encountered a number of interesting bridges. This photo of the Fulton Street Bridge was interesting in the late afternoon as the light reflected off the water to the supports under the bridge. I processed the photo in Lightroom using the Black and White profile with a red filter, which served to darken the skies and causing the clouds to pop. I also enjoyed the repetitive pattern of the arches under the bridges and the lines of the bridge leading to the left edge of the frame.  This photo was taken with the Sony A7Riii and the Loxia 21mm f2.8 lens.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) a7riii b&w black & white black and white bridge bridges clouds fulton street bridge grand rapids grand river loxia 21mm michigan photography pure michigan river sony water zeiss https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/11/Fulton-Street-Bridge-2 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 18:15:22 GMT Windswept Lake Michigan Shore https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/11/Windswept-Lake-Michigan-Shore Windswept-Lake-Michigan-ShoreWindswept-Lake-Michigan-ShoreWindswept-Lake-Michigan-Shore A few weeks ago on a Northwest Michigan Photo Workshop sponsored by The Camera Shop of Muskegon we made a brief stop at the Bass Lake Outlet at Lake Michigan near Pentwater, Michigan. I captured a number of images at that location, but the one that intrigued me the most was this shot looking north along the shore of Lake Michigan. I first processed the photo in color, which never fully captured the feel of the scene with high winds coming off the lake laying down the long grasses along the shore. I decided today to go the black and white route in an effort remove some of the distractions of color and cause the wind blown grasses to stand out more in the image. I was looking for a feel that was almost as if someone was doing a pencil drawing of this scene. This conversion was done in Luminar 2018. I would be interested in your comments as to what you think about the end result.  

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) #getolympus . om-d e-m1 markii 12-100mm 12-100mm f4 12-100mm f4 pro b&w bass lake outlet black & white black and white e-m1 mkii e-m1ii fall lake michigan landscape luminar2018 michigan monochrome mzuiko 12-100mm f/4 pro oly olympus om-d e-m1 mkii om-d om-d e-m1ii pentwater photography pure michigan https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/11/Windswept-Lake-Michigan-Shore Sun, 04 Nov 2018 13:42:34 GMT Wet Walk to the Light https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/11/Wet-Walk-to-the-Light Wet Walk to the LightWet Walk to the LightWet Walk to the Light

Wet walk out to the St. Joseph Lighthouse

On my last visit to the St. Joseph Lighthouse, the waves were so high that I didn’t walk out closer to the light, but it was such a beautiful day that I managed to capture a number of nice images. I like the perspective from this view which was taken at 35mm. There are multiple lines coming from the corners of the frame that converge at the lighthouse at the end of the walk. The wide-angle perspective also gave me a good look at the beautiful skies and the white puffy clouds overhead.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) blue catwalk clouds lake michigan lighthouse lighthouses michigan photography pure michigan sky st. joseph water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/11/Wet-Walk-to-the-Light Sun, 04 Nov 2018 07:01:36 GMT Skies over St. Joseph https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/11/Skies-over-St-Joseph Skies-over-St.-JosephSkies-over-St.-Joseph I passed through St. Joseph twice in a week. On this day the winds and waves were still strong, but the skies were beautiful with white puffy clouds being lit by the sun against a blue background.  In all the times I have gone back and forth to spend time in Northern Michigan, it is hard for me to believe that I have never stopped here to see this lighthouse until this week.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) clouds lake michigan lighthouse lighthouses michigan photography pure michigan sky st. joseph water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/11/Skies-over-St-Joseph Fri, 02 Nov 2018 17:07:43 GMT High Waves at St. Joseph https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/10/High-Waves-at-St-Joseph St.-Joseph-WavesSt.-Joseph-WavesSt.-Joseph-Waves

After a day of shooting in Northwest Michigan on October 20, I made my way back to Illinois on Sunday morning.  St. Joseph is one of the lighthouses on the western shore of Michigan that I had never visited before, so I took a small detour to head out to the park to break up the drive home.  The cool conditions from Saturday continued into Sunday as did the very high wind off of Lake Michigan.  Waves at St. Joseph were probably 8 foot, often washing over the catwalk leading out to the two lights.  The first two photos give a good perspective of the size and strength of the waves looking out to the light from the shore.

St.-Joseph-Waves-4St.-Joseph-Waves-4 While the skies were mostly cloudy on Sunday, there were glimpses of blue sky peeking though as you can see in these wider perspective photos.   Even as waves approached the shore they were still quite large.
St.-Joseph-Waves-3St.-Joseph-Waves-3 Occasionally during this visit, the sun would peek through the clouds for a few moments and land directly on the lighthouse.  I managed to capture a few images while this was going on.  The sunshine really made the white and red colors pop against the overcast skies.
St.-Joseph-Waves-2St.-Joseph-Waves-2 St.-Joseph-Waves-1St.-Joseph-Waves-1

 

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) #getolympus lake michigan lighthouse lighthouses michigan olympus om-d e-m1ii photography pure michigan sky st. joseph water waves https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/10/High-Waves-at-St-Joseph Wed, 31 Oct 2018 19:51:41 GMT Skies over Pere Marquette Park https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/10/Skies-over-Pere-Marquette-Park Skies-over-Pere-Marquette-ParkSkies-over-Pere-Marquette-Park Skies over Pere Marquette Park

While I do enjoy post processing images to bring out the best in them, sometimes it is nice to show a scene with an image straight out of the camera. You may have seen my previous image from Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Michigan which was shot with at a full frame equivalent of 420mm. The orange and purple hues backlighting the light were quite spectacular. I wanted a perspective of the whole landscape we were experiencing and grabbed a couple of ultra wide images to show just how bright the skies were beneath that heavy cloud cover. The only thing done to this photo was to crop it to a 16×9 perspective and apply the Camera Vivid Profile to the raw file with no image adjustments. This definitely is one image that will probably be better viewed on a large computer screen.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) #getolympus 7-14mm f2.8 pro clouds dramatic fall lake michigan lighthouse lighthouses michigan muskegon om-d e-m1ii orange pere marquette photography pure michigan sky sunset sunsets water wide angle https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/10/Skies-over-Pere-Marquette-Park Tue, 30 Oct 2018 18:55:36 GMT Fire and Water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/10/Fire-and-Water Fire-and-WaterFire-and-Water

Fire and Water

After a long day of shooting through sunshine, cold, rain, and snow along the northwest side of Michigan, we ended the evening at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon Michigan. The wind had been blowing all day long at 30 to 40 miles per hour and given the temperatures around 40 degrees, it would have been easy to call it a day and skip this site. We arrived a little before sunset. Above us was a thick layer of clouds continuing the overcast conditions we had for most of the day. However, as soon as the sun moved below the low hanging clouds, I would tell that we were in for something special. The sunset did not disappoint. As the sun dropped to the horizon, we witnessed one of the most spectacular sunsets I have experienced along the western shores of Michigan. The winds were still strong, causing magnificent explosions of waves as they crashed into the south breakwater light. This photo was captured just as the sun disappeared from sight creating an explosion of color that backlit both the light the waves that splashed over it.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) #getolympus clouds fall lake michigan lighthouse lighthouses michigan muakegon pere marquette photography pure michigan skies sunset sunsets water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/10/Fire-and-Water Mon, 29 Oct 2018 19:55:59 GMT Windy Afternoon at Point Betsie https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/10/Windy-Afternoon-at-Point-Betsie
Windy-Afternoon-at-Point-BetsieWindy-Afternoon-at-Point-Betsie

Cool and windy fall afternoon at Point Betsie Lighthouse near Frankfort, Michigan

 
I have been to Point Betsie Lighthouse near Frankfort, MI many times, but I have never been there in conditions as windy as this visit. The winds were blowing between 35 and 40 miles per hour and the temperature was around 40 degrees F. Waters here were as rough as I have seen. Point Betsie is one of my favorite lighthouse in Michigan as the water there is always a beautiful shade of turquoise blue.  Image was shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M1ii and m.Zuiko 12-100mm F4 Pro lens.
 
]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) #getolympus 12-100mm f4 pro beach fall frankfort lake michigan lighthouse lighthouses michigan olympus om-d e-m1ii photography point betsie pure michigan water waves https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/10/Windy-Afternoon-at-Point-Betsie Sun, 28 Oct 2018 13:21:16 GMT Crashing Waves at Pere Marquette https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/10/Crashing-Waves-at-Pere-Marquette Crashing Waves at Pere MarquetteCrashing Waves at Pere Marquette I am not sure where to start with photos from this weekend in northwest Michigan with Jamie A MacDonald on his workshop. We began the day with sunrise at Little Sable Point and ending here at Pere Marquette in Muskegon, Michigan. I have many photos to process, but I will start with this amazing scene which I captured just after arriving at Pere Marquette Park. I was mounting my camera on the tripod at a picnic table when I saw this spectacular site and fired off a few shots. What started like this ended with an epic sunset that with a fiery sky backlighting this light.  Capture with the Olympus OM-D E-M1ii and the M.40-150mm F2.8 + MC-14.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) fall lake michigan light lighthouse lighthouses michigan muskegon pere marquette photography pure michigan splash sunset sunsets water waves https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/10/Crashing-Waves-at-Pere-Marquette Sun, 21 Oct 2018 19:25:42 GMT Rusty Hood https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/Rusty-Hood
Rusty HoodRusty Hood
This old Ford truck is on display behind our local frozen yogurt shop. When I have my camera with me I like to grab a few photos. I always like the different colors and texture of the rusting paint as well as the detail in the front grille and vents on the side of the truck. I especially the lines and curves in this particular composition.  This photo was taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1ii and the 12-100mm F4 Pro lens.  #GetOlympus
 
 
]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) #getolympus antique fender ford grille headlight hood illinois mahomet olympus om-d e-m1ii photography rust rusty truck https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/Rusty-Hood Sat, 22 Sep 2018 19:15:24 GMT Isolated Rain Cloud https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/Isolated-Rain-Cloud
Isolated Rain CloudIsolated Rain Cloud I continue to be amazed with the beauty of this isolated rain cloud formation that moved across the landscape north of Mahomet, Illinois on Wednesday evening. The evening sun provided all the lighting and color to paint such a fantastic sky. This photo was taken the Olympus OM-D E-M1ii and the 8mm F1.8 fish-eye lens.
 
#GetOlympus
]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) autumn champaign county cloud country evening fall fish-eye illinois mahomet photography rain rural sky soybeans https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/Isolated-Rain-Cloud Fri, 21 Sep 2018 21:52:12 GMT Plentiful Corn Crop https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/Plentiful-Corn-Crop  
Plentiful Corn CropPlentiful Corn Crop Looking down the row of corn, the harvest here in Central Illinois will be plentiful this year.  We have much to be thankful for.  I like the converging lines from the top and bottom of the corn stalks disappearing in the background of this photo as well as the color of the green grass contrasting with the golden colored corn stalks lit by the setting sun to the right.
 
A7Riii
FE 16-35mm F4
]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) champaign county corn corn field country fall farm harvest illinois photography rural https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/Plentiful-Corn-Crop Thu, 20 Sep 2018 21:37:29 GMT September Shower https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/September-Shower
September ShowerSeptember Shower The clouds this evening here in central Illinois were spectacular. A few isolated showers popped up as farmers were busy getting corn and soybeans harvested before rain is scheduled to move in this weekend. This shower was isolated to a very small area north of Mahomet while the sun was setting directly behind me.  This image was taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1ii and an 8mm F1.8 Fisheye lens.
]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) clouds fall farm fisheye illinois olympus photography rain rural sky soybeans https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/September-Shower Wed, 19 Sep 2018 20:36:58 GMT Old Ride at Niagara on the Lake https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/Old-Ride-at-Niagara-on-the-Lake Old-ride-at-Niagara-on-the-LakeOld-ride-at-Niagara-on-the-Lake On our visit to Niagara Falls a few weeks ago, we spent an afternoon at Niagara on the Lake. It is such a beautiful, quaint town with much history. When this old vehicle pulled up chauffeuring a few passengers, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to capture an image with the clock tower in the background. It had to be converted to black and white.  I shot this photo with the Sony A7Riii and the FE 24-105mm F4 G lens.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) 24-105mm a7riii black & white black and white canada monochrome niagara falls niagara on the lake ontario photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/Old-Ride-at-Niagara-on-the-Lake Sun, 16 Sep 2018 12:22:51 GMT Threatening Skies over the Falls https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/Threatening-Skies-over-the-Falls Threatening-Skies-over-Niagara-FallsThreatening-Skies-over-Niagara-Falls Threatening-Skies-over-the-FallsThreatening-Skies-over-the-Falls This is one of those images that I was a little unsure about posting as I had a challenge getting the color and white balance handled with the bright sunshine to the right and the blue threatening skies in the storm moving in from the left and was never completely happy with it being done.  It certainly wasn’t a planned photo and was one of those moments that the skies over the Niagara Falls were spectacular and I knew would last only a couple of minutes until the storms completely engulfed the scene.  This photo was taken from my hotel room at the Marriott Hotel overlooking the Falls with my Sony A7RIII and the 16-35mm F4 lens at 23mm.  As an alternative, I processed the scene in black and white also.  Let me know you think.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) "niagara falls" clouds niagara falls photography skies storms water waterfall https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/Threatening-Skies-over-the-Falls Wed, 12 Sep 2018 18:17:39 GMT American Falls Panorama https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/American-Falls-Panorama American-Falls-PanoramaAmerican-Falls-Panorama This panorama photo of the American Falls was taken around sunset.  I stitched three handheld photos of the fall to create an original that was about 10,200 pixels wide.  The panorama really helps to put the falls in the context of its surroundings and give a sense of scale when as your look closely at all the people viewing the falls from both above and below.  The Hornblower boat is on its way to Horseshoe Falls to be bring its guests near the falls and into the mist that sprays at the base of the falls.  Photos were taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M1ii and the 12-100mm F4 Pro lens at 53mm and f/7.1.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) "american falls" "niagara falls" hornblower niagara falls photography water waterfall https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/American-Falls-Panorama Sat, 08 Sep 2018 19:19:53 GMT Little People Under Horseshoe Falls https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/Little-People-Under-Horseshoe-Falls Little-People-under-Horseshoe-FallsLittle-People-under-Horseshoe-Falls You may have to look closely, but the people in yellow ponchos at the bottom right corner of the frame are dwarfed by the massive Horseshoe Falls at Niagara Falls, Ontario.  You can get an idea of the scale of the falls.  It might get a little wet down there.   Photographed with the Olympus OM-D E-M1ii and 12-100mm F4 Pro lens at 34mm.

#GetOlympus

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) "horseshoe falls" "niagara falls" landscape niagara falls photography water waterfall https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/9/Little-People-Under-Horseshoe-Falls Wed, 05 Sep 2018 01:59:00 GMT Arch Reflection https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/8/Arch-Reflection Arch-ReclectionArch-Reclection

Here is another photo of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis from the park to the south of the arch.   As it was an overcast morning with little color, I thought the contrasty image of the arch with the reflection in the pond was more dramatic in Black and White.  Photo was taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M1ii and the 7-14F2.8 Pro lens at 7mm.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) #getolympus arch b&w black and white missouri monochrome photography reflection st. louis symmetry water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/8/Arch-Reflection Wed, 29 Aug 2018 19:11:56 GMT Arch https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/8/Arch Arch-BWArch-BW I spent a couple of days in downtown St. Louis a few weeks ago and while I have driven by the Gateway Arch, I had never walked in the park around it.  It is hard to appreciate the scale of the arch until you get near it.  Though this evening was cloudy and overcast I was able to get a few photos up close.  As there was little color in the evening sky, I processed this in black and white.  I like the way that it highlights the shape, lines and even the texture of the large panels on the arch.  This photo was taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1ii and the 12-100mm Pro lens at 12 mm.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) #getolympus arch b&w photography st. louis https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/8/Arch Sun, 26 Aug 2018 18:33:07 GMT Old Mission Vineyards at Sunset https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/8/Old-Mission-Vineyards-at-Sunset

Sun-Setting-over-VineyardsSun-Setting-over-Vineyards The vistas overlooking the vineyards on the Old Mission Peninsula are beautiful as the sun sets on a warm summer evening.  Shot with the Olympus OM-D EM1ii and the 7-14 F2.8 Pro lens.

 
]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) get olympus michigan old mission photography pure michigan sunset sunsets traverse city vineyards https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/8/Old-Mission-Vineyards-at-Sunset Sat, 11 Aug 2018 08:21:53 GMT Sunset in the Vineyard https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/8/Sunset-in-the-Vineyard Sunset-at-Old-Mission-Peninsula-Vineyard-1Sunset-at-Old-Mission-Peninsula-Vineyard-1 It was a beautiful summer evening in northern Michigan.  I really like the sun star and they backlighting of the leaves in this vineyard overlooking the Grand Traverse bay on the Old Mission Peninsula.  This photo was taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1II and the 7-14 F2.8 Pro lens.  

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) michigan old mission photography sunset sunsets traverse city https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/8/Sunset-in-the-Vineyard Thu, 09 Aug 2018 05:50:42 GMT April Snow https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/4/April-Snow April-SnowApril-Snow This was the third “spring” weekend in a row that we have had snow after an inch or two last night. As it is highly unusual to have snow on the ground here on April 9, I thought I would document it with a few photos on the way into work this morning.

There was almost no color this morning with the grey skies, I decided to convert it to black and white. I processed this image in Lightroom 7.3 with one of Matt Kloskowski profiles (“Channel Mix 6”) While there are a few bugs with this new version of Lightroom, I am enjoying the new Profiles. Let’s hope spring actually arrives shortly!

Shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M1II and the m.Zuiko 12-100mm F/4 Pro lens. #GetOlympus

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) illinois photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/4/April-Snow Mon, 09 Apr 2018 19:11:57 GMT St. Augustine Lights https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/1/St-Augustine-Lights St.-Augustine-LightsSt.-Augustine-Lights St. Augustine features Nights of Lights from mid November until the end of January.  The buildings downtown are all lit up with lights making for beautiful evening viewing of the bridge and historical buildings.  This photo was captured with a long zoom on my Olympus OM-D E-M1II from my hotel across the river from down town about 20 minutes after sunset.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) bridges florida photography sunsets water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/1/St-Augustine-Lights Sat, 20 Jan 2018 05:45:17 GMT Fernandina Sunrise https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/1/Fernandina-Sunrise Fernandina-SunriseFernandina-Sunrise

I went out to shoot the sunrise on Fernandina Beach near the pier.  While there was not much in the way of clouds to provide a dramatic sky, it was still a nice morning to watch the sunrise.  What I didn’t expect when I came down to Florida for a few days was to be bundled up with a stocking hat on standing on the beach in 35 degree weather.  I shot a long 25 second exposure with on my Sony A7riii and 24-105 lens with both a Nisi 10 stop neutral density filter and a Nisi reverse neutral density filter.  I really like the glow of the sunshine in this photo off the water and the pier.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) beach fernandina florida nisi ocean photography pier sony sunrise https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/1/Fernandina-Sunrise Sun, 14 Jan 2018 08:03:51 GMT Padlock at Fort Clinch https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/1/Padlock-at-Fort-Clinch Padlock-at-Fort-ClinchPadlock-at-Fort-Clinch I came across this old antique padlock on a tour of Fort Clinch on Amelia Island.  I liked the textures and the rusty chain it was locking.  Processed in Lightroom in monochrome with amber toning.  

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2018/1/Padlock-at-Fort-Clinch Fri, 12 Jan 2018 20:40:26 GMT Cascade Falls https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/11/Cascade-Falls Matthiessen-State-Park-Cascade-FallsMatthiessen-State-Park-Cascade-Falls Warm weather hear over the weekend prompted me to take a drive up to the Uttica, IL to visit one of the state parks up there.  I have visited Starved Rock a number of times, but this time I decided to go to Matthiessen State Park which is a few miles to the south of the more popular Starved Rock.  I am so glad I did.  I enjoyed this park every bit as much as Starved Rock and found it much less crowded.  I have a number of photos of the park that I will be posting in the future, but this one is one of my favorites.  This photo of Cascade Falls was made with my Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II and the 7-14 f/2.8 Pro lens at 8mm.  To smooth the falls and the water, I exposed the photo for 20 seconds using a Nisi 6 stop neutral density filter.  I also used a Nisi 3 stop graduated filter neutral density filter to try to balance the dynamic range between the shadows and the sunshine.  My photo shoot ended after this photo when my whole filter bracket and filters fell off into the water.  No damage was done and I was able to retrieve the filters from the cold water.  I definitely intend to visit Matthiessen State Park again when the weather is warm.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) fall illinois matthiessen state park photography waterfall https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/11/Cascade-Falls Sat, 25 Nov 2017 12:59:48 GMT Afternoon Visit to Matthiessen State Park https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/11/Afternoon-Visit-to-Matthiessen-State-Park Matthiessen State Park

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) cascade falls fall illinois matthiessen state park oglesby photography uttica waterfall https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/11/Afternoon-Visit-to-Matthiessen-State-Park Sat, 25 Nov 2017 03:32:00 GMT 3 Frames https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/11/3-Frames 3-Frames3-Frames I spent an hour or so on a walk Saturday afternoon at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve with my camera.  Most of the trees are now bare and the bold, bright colors we saw a few weeks ago are all but gone.  As I walked across the covered bridge, I stopped and looked in one of the windows and captured this photo of 3 frames inside the bridge.  I have always been interested in lines, textures and the geometric shapes I see.  This image was captured with the Olympus OM-D E-M1II with the 7-14 F2.8 Pro lens at its widest focal length.

 

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) bridges illinois lake of the woods mahomet photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/11/3-Frames Tue, 21 Nov 2017 20:57:22 GMT Natchez Trace Parkway – Jackson Falls https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/11/Natchez-Trace-Parkway-Jackson-Falls Adobe Spark Page

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) fall franklin jackson falls natchez trace parkway photography tennessee waterfall https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/11/Natchez-Trace-Parkway-Jackson-Falls Sun, 12 Nov 2017 07:51:55 GMT Wet Fall Afternoon At Lake of the Woods https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/11/Wet-Fall-Afternoon-At-Lake-of-the-Woods The end of Fall

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) fall illinois lake of the woods mahomet photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/11/Wet-Fall-Afternoon-At-Lake-of-the-Woods Sun, 05 Nov 2017 18:10:22 GMT Fixer Upper https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/10/Fixer-Upper Fixer Upper?

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) indiana photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/10/Fixer-Upper Wed, 01 Nov 2017 02:32:00 GMT Bridgeton Vine https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/10/Bridgeton-Vine Bridgeton Vine

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) bridges indiana photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/10/Bridgeton-Vine Mon, 30 Oct 2017 18:48:22 GMT Bridgeton https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/10/Bridgeton Bridgeton-Covered-Bridge-2x3Bridgeton-Covered-Bridge-2x3 It was a nice afternoon today and we decided to drive over to Bridgeton, Indiana to see the covered bridge there and take a few photos.  I knew this would be a great chance to give my Nisi 10 stop and 6 stop ND filters a try to see how they would smooth the running water and allow me to remove people who might be moving around in the image.  With the two filters attached to my Olympus 7-14 lens the exposure at f/7.1 took 166 seconds.  I manually focused the camera and then used the Nisi iPhone app to tell me how long of exposure to use with the 16 stops difference.  It was pretty slick to have an app handle all the math for me.  I had hoped for a little better cloud cover to get more blur in the sky, but it was mostly sunny while shooting in Bridgeton.  Overall, I feel the use of the two stacked filters was a success for my first time out.  These filters will be put to good use whenever I am photographing around water.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) bridges indiana photography water https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/10/Bridgeton Sun, 29 Oct 2017 21:12:51 GMT Fall Colors https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/10/Fall-Colors 2017-Fall-Colors2017-Fall-Colors With all of the rainy and gloomy weather and the late fall colors, I haven’t made any attempt to photograph any of the fall foliage.  While the weather hasn’t improved, I thought at a minimum I should grab a few shots, so I headed out late this afternoon with my fish-eye lens and looked up to photograph some of the fall colors in my own back yard.  The maples are finally turning and this was the result.  I am guilty of being frustrated in not getting to go somewhere to take photos with my cameras.  This was a perfect example of opportunities that exist within a hundred feet of my back door.  Enjoy the fall colors while they last.  As quickly as they turn color, it will all be over.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) fall illinois photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/10/Fall-Colors Sat, 28 Oct 2017 15:01:53 GMT Old Gate in Stone Wall https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/10/Old-Gate-in-Stone-Wall Old-Gate-in-Stone-WallOld-Gate-in-Stone-Wall

Old Gate in Stone Wall

We all do it, we follow the same route day after day, to and from our places of work.  Like automatons, we can make our daily commute without even thinking.  How often I have felt uninspired to photograph the familiar around me.  How often I look, but do not really see.  We all do it.  Breaking out of that rut is a challenge.  Despite the grey and dreary weather, I decided to drive through the country and really pay attention to my surroundings.  I actually stopped the vehicle twice tonight with my camera, inspired by what I saw.

While I had driven by this old gate in a stone wall a few times, I never bothered to slow down.  I almost drove by it again tonight, but after passing it, I backed up.  There was something interesting and the wet grass and wood seemed to pop with color on a rather overcast evening.  The perspective here is one taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II with the great Olympus 7-14 wide-angle lens.  I think it was worth the moment to enjoy the color, lines, textures of this old gate in the stone wall.  I hope you think so as well.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) country fall illinois photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/10/Old-Gate-in-Stone-Wall Mon, 23 Oct 2017 20:30:42 GMT Hazen Bridge in Late October https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/10/Hazen-Bridge-in-Late-October

Hazen-Bridge-BW-1Hazen-Bridge-BW-1

It has been just over 4 years since I have been out to Hazen Bridge with my camera and posted any photos (http://www.thehedgepost.com/2013/10/19/wandering-around-hazen-bridge/), which is strange since it is just a couple of miles from home.  I wanted to get out with my Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II to get better acquainted with its controls and it may be one of the last days we have in the upper 70’s until spring.  This bridge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places is almost 125 years old and is one of two remaining iron truss bridges in Champaign County.  I tend to like these type of bridges processed as black and white images.  These images were edited in Silver Efex Pro 2 using a slight copper toning.  For more history on the Hazen Bridge see:  http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM9HHP_Hazen_Bridge_Mahomet_IL

Hazen-Bridge-BW-2Hazen-Bridge-BW-2 Hazen-Bridge-BW-3Hazen-Bridge-BW-3

Hazen Bridge B&W-1

Hazen Bridge B&W-2

 

Hazen Bridge B&W-3

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) bridges illinois mahomet photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/10/Hazen-Bridge-in-Late-October Sat, 21 Oct 2017 15:17:43 GMT Old Mission Lighthouse through the Trellis https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/9/Old-Mission-Lighthouse-through-the-Trellis Old-Mission-Lighthouse-through-TrellisOld-Mission-Lighthouse-through-Trellis I like this side view of the Old Mission Lighthouse through the Trellis.  I took this on my visit to Traverse City last year, but as I was going through my Traverse City photos from a few weeks ago, I came across this view.  The fish-eye lens used on my Fuji X-Pro 2 allowed me to frame the lighthouse with the trellis that frames the sidewalk up to the lighthouse.  The white of the trellis and the lighthouse made this a perfect opportunity to process this photo in black and white.  I used a high key style to accentuate the white trellis which draws my eyes forward to the lighthouse.  The fish-eye lens can be a challenge to use as it brings in almost 180 degrees of view, but in this case it worked wonderfully.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) black and white lighthouse lighthouses michigan old mission photography traverse city trellis https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/9/Old-Mission-Lighthouse-through-the-Trellis Fri, 29 Sep 2017 21:36:22 GMT Dramatic Sky over Charlevoix Lighthouse https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/9/Dramatic-Sky-over-Charlevoix-Lighthouse Dramatic-Sky-over-Chalevoix-LighthouseDramatic-Sky-over-Chalevoix-Lighthouse

Dramatic Sky over Charlevoix Lighthouse

A stop off at Charlevoix after a day trip to Mackinac Island to watch the sunset was well worth it.  We were treated to a dramatic sky over the Charlevoix Lighthouse.  Colors continued to pop for almost a half hour past sunset.  The white clouds were beautifully backlit remnants of sunset a few minutes earlier.  I really liked the silhouette of the lighthouse and walkway against the orange horizon.  I have photographed this lighthouse on a number of occasions and can recall only one time when the sunset here rivaled the one tonight.  It was really my first outing with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II.  After being away from Olympus since 2014, I decided to give it a try once again.  I was very pleased with these results.

 

 

 

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) charlevoix lighthouse lighthouses michigan photography sunset sunsets https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/9/Dramatic-Sky-over-Charlevoix-Lighthouse Fri, 22 Sep 2017 20:37:31 GMT September Sunset over Old Mission Peninsula https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/9/September-Sunset-over-Old-Mission-Peninsula September-Sunset-over-Old-Mission-PeninsulaSeptember-Sunset-over-Old-Mission-Peninsula We are back once again to Traverse City.  A popular place to see the sunset is an overlook near the Chateau Grand Traverse Winery.  The overlook is a nice place to watch the sunset with a view of the vineyards and the West Bay in the background.  Weather was cloudy all day, but just after dinner we got a slight clearing of the heavy cloud cover.  It was worth the drive as we were treated pockets of orange shining through the clouds as the sun set.  I hope you enjoy the view.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) michigan photography sunsets https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/9/September-Sunset-over-Old-Mission-Peninsula Mon, 18 Sep 2017 17:58:47 GMT Rails in Wrigleyville https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/7/Rails-in-Wrigleyville Rails in WrigleyvilleRails in WrigleyvilleRails in Wrigleyville

It has been quite a long time since my last post. I have not been very inspired in my photography for a while. As I stood on the rooftop across the street from Wrigley Field last week waiting for a hot dog, I noticed the interesting view of the elevated train tracks running north away from Wrigleyville. It was one of those times I didn’t have my camera with me so I pulled out my iPhone and took a few photos. This may be the first time I have posted, processed and managed my blogpost entirely from my phone. By the way, the Cubs beat the Cardinals on a beautiful summer evening in Chicago.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) chicago illinois photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/7/Rails-in-Wrigleyville Fri, 28 Jul 2017 17:38:51 GMT Sunset in the Desert https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/1/Sunset-in-the-Desert Sunset in the DesertSunset in the DesertSunset in the Desert

After a another midwest winter filled with overcast and cloudy days, it is nice to get out of the cold and enjoy the warm sunshine and blue skies here in Phoenix for a few days of meetings.  Even though I spent all day in meetings, I was able to get out for a walk before dinner to enjoy this beautiful sunset.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) photography sunsets https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/1/Sunset-in-the-Desert Tue, 31 Jan 2017 22:00:13 GMT Milkweed Pod from Winter Walk through Lake of the Woods https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/1/Milkweed-Pod-from-Winter-Walk-through-Lake-of-the-Woods Milkweed-PodMilkweed-Pod

Wow, I am realizing just how long it has been since I was outside with my camera.  After many grey days this winter, we got an unusually warm day last Saturday.  I needed to walk a little bit, so I grabbed my camera and decided to take a short walk with my son-in-law, Manny, at Lake of the Woods.  There wasn’t much color, so I decided to switch the Fuji camera to the ACROS black and white setting.  What I came back with was a number of close up images of things I saw along the path.  This one of the milkweed pod on the stalk was interesting.  I was very impressed with the amount of detail and the texture my 50-140 lens was able to capture.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) illinois lake of the woods winter https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2017/1/Milkweed-Pod-from-Winter-Walk-through-Lake-of-the-Woods Sat, 28 Jan 2017 18:39:37 GMT Fall Evening at Lake of the Woods https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/11/Fall-Evening-at-Lake-of-the-Woods Fall-Evening-at-Lake-of-the-WoodsFall-Evening-at-Lake-of-the-Woods Today was a beautiful fall day for the first of November.  We may not see any more days with temperatures in the upper 70’s, so we better enjoy it while we can.  The fall foliage here in central Illinois is a few weeks behind the normal schedule this year.  I made a detour on the way home through the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve.  There was great light and the color reflecting of the lake was beautiful this evening.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) fall illinois photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/11/Fall-Evening-at-Lake-of-the-Woods Tue, 01 Nov 2016 16:14:27 GMT Pointe Betsie https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/9/Pointe-Betsie  

Pointe-Betsie-Lighthouse-201609-1Pointe-Betsie-Lighthouse-201609-1 Point Betsie Lighthouse sits about 5 miles north of Frankfort, Michigan.  It is always worth a trip over to Frankfort for an afternoon when we are vacationing up in Traverse City.  We typically spend a few hours in town followed by a trip out to the beach to see the Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse.  A stop at Point Betsie Lighthouse is usually part of our agenda as well.

Last Thursday, we made the trip to Frankfort for lunch on an overcast and cloudy day.  After lunch we headed toward the beach to view and photograph the lighthouse.  The light was terrible for photographing the Frankfort lighthouse while we were in town.  So we headed out to the Point Betsie Lighthouse which is about 5 miles north.  The beach there never seems too crowded.  With a little patience, I can usually photograph the lighthouse without people wandering all through the picture. Pointe-Betsie-Lighthouse-201609-3Pointe-Betsie-Lighthouse-201609-3 I am always amazed with the aqua shade of blue the waters of Lake Michigan are at Point Betsie.  You can see the bright blue water in the background of the photo of the breaker below.  I like the detail of the breaker with the spray of the water as the wave crashes against it. Pointe-Betsie-Lighthouse-201609-2Pointe-Betsie-Lighthouse-201609-2

 

While we are at Pointe Betsie, a hint of light began to peek through the overcast skies.  I was able to spend about 30 minutes wondering around with my cameras.  A little work with Color Efex Pro helped to recover some of the detail and color from these images.

I continue enjoying making photographs with the 8 mm fisheye lens and my Fuji cameras.  It provides for some unique perspectives I can get while being close to the subject.  Perhaps my favorite image of the day is the photo below looking north toward the lighthouse.  I like all of the lines of metal and concrete wrap as they along the shoreline.  The clouds in this photo seem to all converge toward the lighthouse. Pointe-Betsie-Lighthouse-201609-5Pointe-Betsie-Lighthouse-201609-5
The view looking south is also an interesting one with similar lines and the clouds once again converging toward the lighthouse. Pointe-Betsie-Lighthouse-201609-6Pointe-Betsie-Lighthouse-201609-6
This final image provides helps you to picture the entire surroundings of the beach, breakers and the lighthouse in the background at Point Betsie. Pointe-Betsie-Lighthouse-201609-4Pointe-Betsie-Lighthouse-201609-4

 

Point Betsie is certainly worth the stop if you are near Frankfort, Michigan and enjoy seeing the old lighthouses that are found along the lake on the western shore of Michigan.  Please give me your thoughts on which images you find to be the most engaging in this series.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) frankfort lighthouse lighthouses michigan photography point betsie https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/9/Pointe-Betsie Sun, 11 Sep 2016 08:32:43 GMT Chicago Harbor Light https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/8/Chicago-Harbor-Light Chicago-Harbor-LighthouseChicago-Harbor-Lighthouse I usually photograph lighthouses from the shore, looking out toward the water.  When we took our dinner cruise from Navy Pier a couple of weeks ago, I made this photo of the Chicago Harbor Light in front of the city at sunset.  For this image, I used my Fuji camera with the 50-140mm telephoto lens, which served to compress the background behind the lighthouse.  I really liked the juxtaposition and contrast of the old Chicago Harbor Light against the backdrop of the modern high-rise buildings of downtown Chicago.  It certainly has a totally different feel than a typical photo of a lighthouse from the shore.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) illinois lighthouses photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/8/Chicago-Harbor-Light Thu, 18 Aug 2016 18:48:28 GMT John Hancock Building at Sunset https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/8/John-Hancock-Building-at-Sunset John-Hancock-Building-at-SunsetJohn-Hancock-Building-at-Sunset Here is another image of the Chicago skyline.  Here is the John Hancock Building at Sunset.  I love the red and orange tones peeking above the cloudy horizon as the sun has just dipped below the clouds.  The John Hancock Building seems to dwarf all of the surrounding buildings on the North end of downtown Chicago.  This photo was taken with the Fuji X-T1 camera and the 50-140mm lens at about 95mm.  Enjoy.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) chicago illinois sunsets https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/8/John-Hancock-Building-at-Sunset Tue, 16 Aug 2016 20:00:11 GMT Sun Setting behing Chicago Skyline at Navy Pier Chicago https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/8/Sun-Setting-behing-Chicago-Skyline-at-Navy-Pier-Chicago Navy-Pier-Chicago-SkylineNavy-Pier-Chicago-Skyline Continuing with yesterdays them of photos I recently took while on a dinner cruise from Navy Pier, this is a beautiful image of Navy Pier with the full Chicago Skyline in the background.  A number of the shots from the boat were quite challenging as I was shooting directly into the sun.  This image was made with the Fuji X-T1 camera with the 10-24mm lens as was the one from yesterday.  I am amazed how much latitude recent RAW files have in dealing with shadows and highlights.  This image captures as setting sun going down in the sky behind the John Hancock Building in the background and the beautiful end of Navy pier with its backlit American Flags in the foreground.  What a spectacular sight it is watching the sun set from out on Lake Michigan.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) chicago illinois photography sunsets https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/8/Sun-Setting-behing-Chicago-Skyline-at-Navy-Pier-Chicago Mon, 15 Aug 2016 19:41:49 GMT Navy Pier on Summer Evening https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/8/Navy-Pier-on-Summer-Evening Navy-PierNavy-Pier We had the opportunity to take a dinner cruise from Navy Pier in Chicago about a week and a half ago with the Case IH dealer advisory board one evening.  This was the first time I have been on one these cruises in Chicago.  The temperature was perfect in the middle 70’s.  The evening started off rather hazy and I didn’t think the opportunities to photograph the Chicago skyline from Lake Michigan we be very good.  However, as the sun started to set, the sky cleared and the sun came out.  The colors were very nice as the sun set and the view from Lake Michigan was spectacular.  I was able to capture a number of nice shots back towards the city.  It was a very enjoyable evening for all of us.

This particular handheld photo was taken with the Fuji X-T1 and the 10-24mm wide-angle lens at about 22 mm.  Though the X-T1 is being replaced with the X-T2, after more than 2 years with this camera, I still am impressed with the end result and enjoy shooting with it.  This photo of the Navy Pier seemed to have almost a three-dimensional look to it.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) chicago illinois photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/8/Navy-Pier-on-Summer-Evening Sun, 14 Aug 2016 19:46:49 GMT Old Mission Lighthouse Fisheye Photo https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/7/Old-Mission-Lighthouse-Fisheye-Photo Old-Mission-Lighthouse-FisheyeOld-Mission-Lighthouse-Fisheye We once again had the opportunity in early June to spend a week in Traverse City, Michigan, our favorite place to escape the hot, humid weather of central Illinois.  We visited the Old Mission Lighthouse one evening just before dark.  I like the perspective of the 8 mm fisheye lens as it really helps to bring in the surroundings and the walkway leading up to the Old Mission Lighthouse which is really tucked into the trees and set back from Lake Michigan.

It has been about three months since I have posted anything here on Thehedgepost.com.  I have found it difficult to push myself to get out and create photographs.  I am hoping by posting this image taken in June, I might get inspired to pick up the camera and see more creatively.  I hope you enjoy this one.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) lighthouses michigan photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/7/Old-Mission-Lighthouse-Fisheye-Photo Fri, 22 Jul 2016 21:48:24 GMT Grain Bins on a Country Road https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/4/Grain-Bins-on-a-Country-Road Grain-Bins-on-a-Country-RoadGrain-Bins-on-a-Country-Road I have seen this row of old grain bins on a country road hundreds of times as I have traveled from home to Bloomington, but never pulled off the interstate with my camera to photograph them.  I had my Fuji X-Pro2 with me today and have had limited opportunities to use it outside, so today was the day.  While it had been cloudy most of the day, the sun peeked through the moment I pulled up and the sky was dramatic.  I knew I wanted to use a wide-angle lens to capture the dramatic sky, so I tried both my favorite Fuji 14mm lens and also the Rokinon 8 mm fisheye lens.  This particular image was shot with the fisheye lens.  I had to correct some of the distortion to the right edge of the image to reduce some of the fisheye effect and give the photo a perspective that was closer to normal.  I almost chose the black and white version of this image to post, but in the end really liked the drama of the blue grey sky and the colors of the grass and gravel road that led my eyes into the image from the lower left corner.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) agriculture country country road fisheye illinois photography rural https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/4/Grain-Bins-on-a-Country-Road Tue, 05 Apr 2016 19:56:55 GMT Sleepless in Chicago https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/3/Sleepless-in-Chicago Rain-in-ChicagoRain-in-Chicago I headed to Chicago yesterday afternoon for a dinner last night and a business meeting today.  I had a great time visiting with friends and colleagues in the farm equipment business.  However, as so often happens with these events, I end up eating a big dinner much later than usual.  I don’t usually sleep as well in a hotel as I do at home, but usually get a reasonable amount of sleep.  Last night, however, I was literally sleepless in Chicago.  I was restless all night and finally got out of bed at 4:45 thinking I would read a little.  Looking out my window through the drops of rain, I saw the neon lights across the street and grabbed my camera.  The rain seemed to give everything in the picture a nice glow as the drops of water on the window picked up all the color of the signs.  I snapped a few photos of the rain on the window with the neon light blurred in the background with just enough clarity to recognize the word Chicago.  I don’t think I have ever been up taking photographs at this time of the night, but I never know when something will catch my eye, so I never have a camera too far from me.  After snapping a few photos and being up for about 15 minutes, I headed back to bed to catch a little sleep before heading to meetings this morning.  When I arrived home tonight, I loaded up the photo and was rather pleased with this abstract photo.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) chicago illinois photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/3/Sleepless-in-Chicago Wed, 09 Mar 2016 20:09:54 GMT Building Art in Sterling https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/3/Building-Art-in-Sterling Building Art in Sterling-1Building Art in Sterling-1 The last two weeks I have traveled around the state of Illinois to our company’s open houses.  I have been up in northwestern Illinois in the Rock Falls / Sterling area for the past two days.  By the end of the afternoon today, I was ready to get out of the hotel to take a walk and breathe some fresh air before dinner.  Earlier in the day after stopping for a coffee, I noticed the building art in Sterling.  It was only about 5 minutes from our hotel, so I thought I would head across the Rock River and walk a little and take a little closer look at the artwork on the buildings.  In the thirty minute walk, I saw a nice collection of building art in Sterling.  Included was some historical facts about the town’s history, including one mural with images of all of the American presidents that have visited Sterling and the year of their visit.  I am sure there was other artwork I missed, but it was fun to get out of the hotel for a little exercise and fresh air and learn a little more about the place I am staying.  How often do we just drive by art like this without stopping to appreciate it.  Enjoy!

Building Art in Sterling-2Building Art in Sterling-2 Building Art in Sterling-3Building Art in Sterling-3 Building Art in Sterling-4Building Art in Sterling-4 Building Art in Sterling-5Building Art in Sterling-5

 

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) illinois photography sterling https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/3/Building-Art-in-Sterling Wed, 02 Mar 2016 19:51:59 GMT Ready for Sunshine https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/1/Ready-for-Sunshine Ready-for-SunshineReady-for-Sunshine About this time every winter, I am ready for sunshine.  It seems like we have week after week of cloudy days, with only an occasional day when we see the sun.  While the days are getting longer, and we have not really had any snow to speak of this winter, I long for warm, sunny days.  Usually by now, I am looking forward to a week in Florida in March, but we have nothing on the calendar as of now.  As I was rummaging through my photos in Lightroom, I came across this wide-angle photo of the red walking bridge in the botanical garden at the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve.  Looking at this photo at least seemed to warm me up a little.  The puffy white clouds in the sunny warm sky really looks appealing about now.  All of you that are ready for sunshine and spring, hang in there!

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) illinois photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2016/1/Ready-for-Sunshine Fri, 15 Jan 2016 18:04:44 GMT Leland Boathouse https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/12/Leland-Boathouse Boathouse-in-LelandBoathouse-in-Leland If you have been to Leland, Michigan before, the first thing you probably think about is Fishtown.  Fishtown is a collection of weathered wooden structures that line the Leland River as it flows into Lake Michigan.  This fishing village is still operating today.  If you haven’t been to Fishtown or can’t recall seeing it, take a look at my photo of from 2012 of Fishtown from the Cove Restaurant that overlooks the river.  We usually make a day trip to the LeeLanau Peninsula along Lake Michigan each summer when we vacation in Traverse City.  We enjoy stopping in Leland to wander around Fishtown and the shops in downtown Leland.  This photo of a Leland Boathouse was taken behind the patio of the Bluebird Restaurant & Tavern.  The restaurant patio is a tranquil setting overlooking the Leland River.  Though the boathouse is colorful with its red roof and flower boxes, I chose to process this as a monochrome image in Silver Efex Pro to highlight the beautiful contrast, tones and texture of the wood siding of the boathouse.  It makes me ready for summer and warm weather again.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) michigan photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/12/Leland-Boathouse Sat, 19 Dec 2015 09:30:23 GMT Dechow Farm – Port Oneida https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/12/Dechow-Farm-Port-Oneida Dechow-Farm-Port-OneidaDechow-Farm-Port-Oneida I received an inquiry today about one of my photos of Sleeping Bear Dunes here on the Hedgepost.com.  It once again reminded me about the beauty of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  As I looked through my photos of this area over the past few years, I came across this one of the Dechow Farm at Port Oneida.  Port Oneida Rural Historic District is a few miles north of Glen Arbor Michigan and about 8 miles north of the dunes.  It is wonderful to see how these old farmsteads are being preserved.  This pasture barn sits in the middle of the field with the Dechow homestead with its dairy barn in the background.  You can learn more about the Dechow Farm at the National Parks Service website.  This farm is just across M22 and from one of my favorite photos at Port Oneida, the Charles Olson Barn at Port Oneida.  I hope you enjoy it.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) barns michigan https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/12/Dechow-Farm-Port-Oneida Fri, 18 Dec 2015 21:20:36 GMT Domino Sugar Plant https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/12/Domino-Sugar-Plant Domino-SugarsDomino-Sugars I always enjoy taking photos around the Baltimore Inner Harbor when we visit.  Probably the most historic landmark seen from all around the harbor is the Domino Sugar Plant.  The imposing brick structure with the large Domino Sugars sign in yellow letters was built in 1922 and is still in operations.  I happened to have my Fuji X100T in my pocket after coming out of the Foundry Church and had to get a photo before I drove away. It seemed only appropriate to post the photo of the Domino Sugar building in black and white, especially since this particular morning was grey and overcast.  I am once again demoing Nik Silver Efex Pro to get the nice copper tones in the photograph.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) baltimore photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/12/Domino-Sugar-Plant Thu, 10 Dec 2015 19:33:45 GMT Pearl Harbor Anniversary Tribute https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/12/Pearl-Harbor-Anniversary-Tribute Pearl-Harbor-5Pearl-Harbor-5 Today’s post is a tribute to all of those who served and gave their lives 74 years ago today at Pearl Harbor.  December 7, 1941, is a day etched in the memories of all Americans. In March of 2014 on our way home from Australia, we stopped in Honolulu, Hawaii for about 4 days.  The highlight of the trip was a tour of Pearl Harbor.  Pearl Harbor is one of those places that every American should visit at least once in their lifetime.

 

Pearl-HarborPearl-Harbor Pearl-Harbor-4Pearl-Harbor-4

Riding the boat out to the USS Arizona Memorial was a very somber and sobering moment when you come realize that the USS Arizona is the resting place of over 1100 sailors and marines.

 

Pearl-Harbor-3Pearl-Harbor-3 The memorial opens up to the sky with the red, white and blue American Flag flying proudly over head.

 

Pearl-Harbor-2Pearl-Harbor-2 Inside the USS Arizona Memorial on one end is a wall with a list of names of the sailors and marines who gave their lives that day.  Our freedom in this country has come with quite a cost and many have sacrificed their lives to protect it.  To all who serve, thank you!!

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) hawaii pearl harbor photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/12/Pearl-Harbor-Anniversary-Tribute Mon, 07 Dec 2015 03:00:26 GMT Winding Walkway https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/11/Winding-Walkway Winding-WalkwayWinding-Walkway Last summer, we spent Memorial Day weekend up in the Chicago area.  Always interested in saving a few dollars, I booked a room through Hotwire.com in the Oak Brook area.  If you have used Hotwire.com before, you know that the site quotes a rate and shows the star rating of hotels in the area you are searching, but doesn’t actually provide you with the name of the hotel until after you have booked and paid for your room.  I have had pretty good luck staying at more upscale hotels for very reasonable prices.  On this particular trip we ended up staying at the Hyatt Hotel at McDonald’s campus, right next door to Hamburger University.  It was a very beautiful setting that seemed like it was away from the city even though the city surrounded this area.  On a morning walk, around Hamburger University, I returned to the hotel on this winding walkway.  I really like the lines created in this photo by the winding concrete walk, the rails on each side and the cover overhead.  By converting the image to black and white, the winding walkway really draws our eyes into the photo.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) illinois photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/11/Winding-Walkway Wed, 25 Nov 2015 20:26:05 GMT Maude’s Garage https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/11/Maude-s-Garage Ford-V8Ford-V8

We always enjoy stopping in Ludington, Michigan.  There are several lighthouse in and just a few miles from town.  Along the main street in town are a few shops and restaurants including this shop, Maude’s Garage, with items local art and crafts for sale out of an old gas station.  Out in front has been this antique Ford truck that is fun to photograph.  I understand that this old building has been sold so I don’t know if we will see this truck the next time we are through.  I really liked the different shades of faded color and the texture of the rusted metal around the truck.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) michigan photography https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/11/Maude-s-Garage Tue, 10 Nov 2015 21:15:15 GMT Central Illinois Sunrise https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/10/Central-Illinois-Sunrise Central-Illinois-SunriseCentral-Illinois-Sunrise

Central Illinois Sunrise

I really enjoy the morning drive to work late in the fall before the time changes as I get to see the sunrise for a few weeks.  This morning was particularly nice.  As I was driving through the country to the office a little before 7, I had to pull over to get this photo of a beautiful Central Illinois Sunrise.  What better subject matter for rural Illinois in harvest than to silhouette The Andersons grain elevator in Champaign in front of this colorful sunrise.  This morning reminded me why I like these small mirrorless cameras so much.  Unlike my large DSLR, I can keep a very small bag with a Fuji camera and a couple of lenses under my seat in the car to grab when moments like this arise.  I pulled off the road and stepped out of the vehicle, exposed for the sky and was able to see just how the photo would look in the electronic viewfinder and was back on my way in a couple of minutes.  Let me know what you think about this photo.

]]> (Mike Hedge Photo) illinois photography sunrise https://www.mikehedgephoto.com/blog/2015/10/Central-Illinois-Sunrise Thu, 15 Oct 2015 10:48:44 GMT