Category: Quiet Light Publishing

Lake Michigan Morning

May 31, 2014
Great Lakes ProjectLake MichiganRichard Mack PhotographyRichard Mack's BlogThe Sweetwater Seas

This morning George Elder and I set off to shoot more for our Great Lakes Project – The Sweetwater Seas. We set off to document the fishermen at sunrise down along Montrose Beach and Promontory Pointe. There are always folks dipping a line in the water well before sunrise along that stretch of the lake. George talked to one fisherman who had a lot to say about the fishing over the years and the invasive species such as the Goby which he had caught a few of this morning. Those do not get throw back in the water but on shore and the pigeons come along and eat them. We wandered down to North Avenue Beach to capture people running, biking and playing along the beach. We ran into a group of young kids in what appeared to be a football workout on the beach with coaches. Plenty of bicyclists, runners and walkers. And then the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer passed by, by the thousands. And we both ran into folks we knew, including a friend of George’s who is in charge of the Avon Walks. These images are some of the still shots I took. I shoot both still and video but concentrate on stills as George is the expert filmmaker. Another great morning even though you have to get up before 4am!

To see more images go ahead and click on this link: www.mackphoto.com/BlogImages/LMM

Cheers,

Richard

 

Niagara Falls in Winter

May 9, 2014
Great Lakes ProjectNiagara FallsQuiet Light PublishingRichard Mack PhotographywinterWinter Landscape Photography

I just realized I only had done a draft of this posting so here it is…

In March I went with producer George Elder to Niagara Falls to shoot the frozen falls before they melted for our Great Lakes Project, The Sweetwater Seas documentary and book. I was shooting stills for the book and some video scenes for the TV production but George who is a great videographer/producer shot mostly video for the production. Here are a few of my raw clips I shot which show you what it truly was like as we shot. Perfect weather for us as a light overcast the first day and a blizzard the next with almost 12” of snow and strong winds! Perfect! So enjoy the video clips and here is a link to my favorite still images. We also stopped along Lake Erie on the way out there and Lake Ontario and Huron on the way home.

Link to Video: Niagara Falls in Winter

Niagara Falls Winter Still Images

Enjoy!

Richard Mack

 

Sunrise, Lighthouse Beach

October 2, 2013
Great Lakes ProjectLake MichiganLake MichiganLighthouse BeachLighthouse Beach PierQuiet Light PublishingTwenty|Ninety-Five

I went to Lighthouse Beach this morning for sunrise. I wasn’t really planning on it but as I was awake at 5:15 I thought get down there! As you may know I have shot this particular area of the beach many, many times over the years as it is only a mile and a half from my home. It will certainly play a part in my book Twenty|Ninety-Five on all five of the Great Lakes.  I often wonder if I can see anything new, shoot a new view or make a more compelling image having been there so many times. But as I tell folks it is all in the way you see things and you must try and change your perspective, view point and work with how the light plays out in front of you to create a compelling image. No two moments will ever look the same. Maybe similar, but certainly not the same.

This morning I wanted to get down low and use a wide angle lens to get in close to the image and let it stretch out in front of the viewer. Then as the sun cracked the horizon I realized a long lens would be a different perspective. In addition the sun was coming up where I have wanted to see the moon rise for many months so I could work it into the image with the pilings. The sun instead of the moon at this moment.

When I arrived there was a gentleman already there who is a member of a camera club and wanted to shoot for a photo contest the club was having. We talked as I set my equipment up and he asked me if he could watch and learn. Of course. He also asked me to tell him my thoughts as I choose where to place the camera. It was an interesting experience which I enjoyed. Kind of like a mini-workshop!

Here is a link to the images from this morning. Only a small amount of adjustments have been made in Lightroom so far. Hope you enjoy the images! Maybe these will become a part of my book on the Great Lakes, Twenty|Ninety-Five which I am currently continuing to work on.

https://www.mackphoto.com/BlogImages/Great_Lakes_Project/LighthouseBeachSunrise/index.html

Peace,

Richard

 

Lighthouse Beach Poster now available!

June 22, 2011
Fine Art PrintsGalleryGreat Lakes ProjectLighthouse BeachPrintsQuiet Light PublishingRichard MackRichard Mack Photography

If it is summer in Evanston it means hitting the beach! And to commemorate this you can now get my new poster of 15 images from Lighthouse Beach. These images were done over a number of years as part of the Great Lakes Project and show’s the moods of all four seasons.

As part of this project I have spent a lot of time at Lighthouse Beach for many reasons. One, I live about a mile away and have been going to this beach since I was a kid. So for me there is a lot of emotional connection to this beach. It is where I have played as a kid, played with my kids and spent many hours alone looking out over the water. And for the last 30+ years have seen it through a photographer’s eye. The old pier, just to the north of the beach has provided many opportunities for images. Sometimes I am there at dusk alone, other times I might join another photographer or two shooting there as well. It has become a popular spot.

If you’ve been following this blog you know I have been trying to get a shot of the full moonrise with the pier in the frame. To date it has eluded me. Someday I shall prevail, I hope, and get the shot – which is so perfect in my head. Stay tuned.

In the meantime if you are a fan of the beaches around Chicago, and especially in Evanston or even Lighthouse Beach then you need this poster! Purchase it online at http://www.quietlightpublishing.com/ for only $45.00! The poster is 24”x36” and is printed on archival paper – the same as my fine art prints.

Enjoy!
Richard Mack