Category: Great Lakes Project

The Annular Solar Eclipse 2021

June 14, 2021
CanonGreat Lakes ProjectLake MichiganLighthouse BeachRichard Mack PhotographySolar Eclipse

This morning’s sunrise and the end of the “Ring of Fire” solar eclipse from Lighthouse Beach in Evanston. It was a beautiful morning to watch nature once again remind us how cool it is. This video was done over the 38 minutes of the end of the eclipse as the moon slipped by the edge of the sun. I compress it down to two minutes.

For those interested it was shot on a Canon 5D IV with the Canon 300mm lens with a 2x convertor making it 600mm. As the sun and moon drifted out of the top of the frame I would move the camera so there are several sequences. A 15 stop ND Filter was used once above the lake and in the sky only.

Enjoy!

#thesweetwaterseas #canon5div #evanston #lakemichigan #greatlakes #solareclipse #solareclipse2021 #naturephotography #evanstonmade #chicago #Illinoistourism #abc7chicago #artofchicago #annulareclipse #chicagosunrise #lighthousebeach #canonusa #nature #naturephotography #chicagonorthshore #discoverearth #visualambassadors #nightsky #northshoreofchi #chicagophotographer #enjoyillinois #onlinechicago #igerschicago #bestogthegreatlakesstate #bestofthegreatlakes #evanstonmade #earthpix    

Vernal Equinox Sunrise 2021

March 26, 2021
Canonchanging lightenvironmentLake MichiganLighthouse BeachRichard Mack PhotographySunrisetime-lapseTimelapse+viewVideo

My birthday is always either the last day of winter or more often the first day of spring – the vernal equinox. So this year I decided to go on down to my favorite beach on Lake Michigan and capture the sun rising on this first spring morning. I had one camera set up for a low wide angle time-lapse and 4K video with a 600mm lens. Once you have captured the sunrise you have some time to shoot a few other shots to use. You can never have enough shots to use!

The time-lapse camera was using Timelapse+ app which does a great job of changing the exposures smoothly when combined with its software and Lightroom to make final adjustments for a smooth transition seamless. Both camera’s are Canon 5D Mark IV’s the wide angle lens is the 16-35mm. The 600 lens was a combination of the Canon 300 and the 2x convertor. OK, enough geekdome. Enjoy! Richard

#thesweetwaterseas #greatlakes #lakemichigan #freashwater #equinox #canon5D4 #timelapse+view #richardmackphoto

Wait a Day…

February 24, 2021
environmentGreat Lakes ProjectLake Michigannature photographyRichard Mack PhotographyThe Sweetwater SeaswinterWinter Landscape PhotographyWinter photography

If you know the Great Lakes, and many say any place, the weather can change on a moment’s notice. On February 13-14 this year here in Chicago we had a snowstorm that dropped 20” from the sky. Along with that we had winds coming out of the north and right down Lake Michigan which blew the ice into shore. I went down to the shoreline of Lake Michigan on the 17th to see the conditions of the lake, expecting ice up against the shoreline, yet it had already moved out about 2 miles offshore. Still we had the ice built up high along the shore and the open water behind it so I made both some still and video shots of the lake. The next day I went back to the same spots and because the winds had shifted yet again the ice had moved back into the shoreline right up to the pack ice. An interesting perspective on the changes which come within 24 hours along the Great Lakes. And below are some of the still images.

Enjoy,

Richard

Sunrise Time-Lapse from Lighthouse Beach

November 23, 2020
Canonchanging lightcloudsExpectationsGreat Lakes ProjectLake MichiganRichard Mack PhotographySunriseThe Sweetwater Seastime-lapse

Sometimes you realize you just need to go and do something. The other morning I awoke at 5am and realized it was time to get down to the beach and try out the Timelapse+ intervalometer on a night to day time-lapse and see if it worked. I’ve had this piece of equipment for awhile and had trouble getting it to connect witht my Canon 5D Mark IV. I tested it several times and it has been working so time to get out and try a real time-lapse! Besides it is November in Chicago and almost 60 degrees at 5am – clearly one of the last mornings to try it while still not freezing cold out there!

After getting the camera and equipment together I was on the beach just before 6am, slightly later than I wanted. I started the time-lapse and stood back and just watched the waves, clouds and sun while still below the horizon light up the sky. I also used the app The Photographers Ephemeris which helps you determine the angles of the sun, moon and stars for a particular location and date. I use it to double check where the sun will pop out on the horizon.

While the time-lapse is continuing for 56 minutes I walked a bit of the beach, used another camera to shoot some of the waves and different shots I saw, but mostly watched the sunrise and the serenity of the clouds and sun as it danced higher into the sky. Not a bad morning.

Hope you enjoy this 40 second time-lapse!

Cheers, Richard Mack