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

Eleven Fine Art Posters from The Sweetwater Seas

December 6, 2020
Fine Art PostersFine Art PrintsQuiet Light PublishingRichard Mack PhotographyThe Sweetwater SeasThe Sweetwater Seas
New Fine Art Posters added to The Sweetwater Seas Collection.

Quiet Light Publishing added 11 new Fine Art Posters from my work this week to the collection The Sweetwater Seas in our shop. These poster are available in two sizes, 24″x36″ for $75.00 and 18″x24″ for $49.99 plus taxes and shipping. These are printed on fine art paper to the exacting standards and make great gifts for you or someone you know! There are over 30 Fine Art Poster in The Sweetwater Seas Collection.

Quiet Light Publishing also has Fine Art Posters for my other works on, The Lewis & Clark Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, his travels around the world in Europe and South America.

Check them all out at Quiet Light Publishing shop.

Enjoy!

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

Grosse Point Lighthouse Documentary

October 21, 2020
Aerial PhotographyCanonDJI MavicdroneeveningLake MichiganLighthouse BeachLighthousesnew projectsNew WorkRichard Mack PhotographyThe Sweetwater Seastravel

While we are still filming and editing the documentary The Sweetwater Seas – North America’s Great Lakes, we were asked by the Lighthouse Park District in Evanston to produce a short introductory film about the Grosse Point Lighthouse.

Because we live in Evanston and grew up on Lighthouse Beach, we were delighted to take on this project and help people know this amazing National Landmark. In these times of Covid-19, the Grosse Point Lighthouse has been closed to visitors, as is the case with all lighthouses on the Great Lakes. This film will inform people about the history of the lighthouse, show you portions of its interior and aerial views that not even the visitors get to enjoy.

Don Terras, the Director of Lighthouse Park District, gives us a great history of why it was built at Grosse Point, what the lighthouse keepers did and more.

Because we are just one mile from the landmark, Grosse Point Lighthouse and its adjacent beach has been one of the locations we have used extensively for filming, from shooting the weather in every season, sunsets, moonrises and more, to testing equipment.

We hope you enjoy this short film about the Grosse Point Lighthouse.

Cheers,

Richard