Watching the news tonight has me excited here on the Great Lakes. 5-8 foot waves are expected tomorrow and Saturday on Lake Michigan. This size is of course not the most ferocious on the lakes, but it's of enough height to create some real drama for lighthouse photographers. To check the wave height in your area, http://www.marineweather.com/FrameGreatLakes.html.

Here are a couple shots I took in similar situations last November...

Timelapse of water at Grand Haven



Ferrysburg side looking at the Grand Haven Light



Ferrysburg Harbor Light



All those pictures were taken handheld with Minolta Point and Shoot, Fuji 400. I sometimes get overexcited every time the small craft warning pops up, but I can't wait.

Hey JWB,...Since I'm a boater, those types of pics give me the "willies" (When was the last time you heard that expression?).

The wave action reminds me of a 90-100 mph squall that I got caught in at Block Island a few years back. Many boats were damaged but I managed to escape without a scratch. The storm lasted for a half hour. It was not an experience that I would wish to repeat.

Bob

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! Gale season is upon us! I look forward to photographing along the Lake Michigan shore in November every fall and in March/April every spring to capture the drama of the waves that pound the piers that our proud lighthouses stand on. Photographically, here in SW Michigan, it's one of my favorite times of the year to be out with my cameras!

Thanks for sharing the marine forescast link John. Maybe I'll see you somewhere around Grand Haven today or tomorrow.

Gary

90-100 MPH!!! Wow, wish I could have seen that!

I hit Holland and Grand Haven today. There were a couple people surfing at Holland today (air temp 32 and snowing, water temp 40). Waves at Holland ranged from 2-4 feet with some dramatics, but not enough to clear the top of the northern harbor light.

I then went to Grand Haven and bounced from either side of the river. The wind was strong North to South, so the spray off the end of the pier was best photographed from the South side. The waves seemed strongest between 2 and 4 pm as some of the water shot as high as the fog horn(red building in Ferrysburg pic). Having said that though, The warmer waters of Lake Michigan led to Lake Effect clouds with good coverage but still many gaps. Towards the end of the afternoon, the light shooting through holes in the clouds resembled that in Gary Martin's (http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/support.htm) photo. This was best seen from the North side of the lights as the sun is on the south of the light. The lighting went from yellow to orange to pink. There was just enough of a gap between the clouds and horizon at sunset to barely light up the bottom of the clouds and create a pink cast against the Grand Haven Lights. What a cool day. There will be similar conditions tomorrow, but I have to work (boo). Happy shooting.
JB

John, sorry I missed you there today. I would have loved to shoot the sunset with you at GH from the Ferrysburg side, but I had to go to a friends gallery reception here in Kzoo this evening. I'm planning on a photo outing tomorrow, too bad you have to work... bummer!

I don't know if it will come to pass tomorrow morning, the the near shore marine forecast is calling for 15-25 knot winds and waves in the 5-8 foot range tomorrow morning. Gee, can I put in a request for 10-15 footers???

Gary

No worries man, I am already working on a rain dance so we can get another storm in here. Looks like there was some unique lighting tonight as I was getting out of work but there wan't much of a gap in those thick clouds tonight.

There is a chance that the northern lights will be visible in Middle lattitudes between November 2nd and November 5th. Consult Spaceweather.com for more details and also your local weather. We are too overcast tonight for us to see it in Michigan. I would love to see who comes up with the first Lighthouse shot with the Northern Lights above it.

JB

I have been hoping, praying, planning around and trying to be in the right place at the right time to catch an aurora over a lighthouse for a year and a half, still no luck although I did get a roll and a half of aurora pictures about a year ago when I was northwest of Milwaukee but did not have the time to get to a lighthouse that night. This past wednesday night I was in duluth, MN., I called home and found that the Aurora index was kinda high so I shot up to Two Harbors, MN. hoping that clouds would clear, They didn't, and the aurora index subsided rather quickly. I did take a half of pictures at about 11 pm, I'll have to see if there's anything came out once I get them in for processing.