Dead Trees on Sand Point Beach Photo

Photographer’s Note

The light was perfect for literally less than a minute and I only got this one good shot. A storm had just passed, the light was coming in through the clouds, the ground and trees were soaked with water, and the sky was a foreboding dark gray. Perfect lighting conditions. Moments later, the sun went behind a cloud and it was overcast for the rest of the day.

This is Sand Point, part of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Lake Superior. These huge trees fell many years ago and the waves have exposed and smoothed out their extensive root systems. Hundreds of tree carcasses lie all over this area of beach.

The rest of the national lakeshore is comprised of dense old growth forests and soaring, colorful cliffs. The area is a famous vacation and backpacking area for Michiganders.

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Critiques | Translate

waggs (609) 2005-10-25 15:56

Nice photo, great dramatic sky, The lighting in this photo is really good and I like your composition. well done It's a nice shot, it's a nice contrast betweent the sand tree;s and then sky. well done Geoffrey!!!

danyy (69393) 2005-10-25 15:58

Bonjour Geoffrey,
C'est ce que j'appelle un petit bijou, certains n'aiment pas ce genre de photos, moi, je les adore.
Ici , les contrastes sont magnifiques entre ce sable clair et les arbres morts, et le ciel.
Bien cadré.
Daniel.

jocasta007 (0) 2005-10-25 16:41

Very strange i've never seen anything like this, great image though!! TFS

Cormac (26455) 2005-10-25 23:26

Very dramatic light! The sunlight on the sand and stumps stands out all the more because of the dark clouds behind. Nice colour too. Well done!

gilou530 (35642) 2005-10-26 16:18

salut geoffrey
trés belles couleurs saturées d'un paysage grandiose du michigan, le cadrage est superbe
gilbert

pamastro (7213) 2005-10-27 18:32

Nice moment Geoff. You can't beat dark clouds, green trees and light like this. And with these dead trees on the beach it seems like some kind of no-man's land. Like some people set up these warning stakes to make visitors think twice before visiting their paradise in the green forests. The colors are excellent throughout, especially the water. This seems like the kind of thing that one can find at many dunes. Dunes grow over trees, drowning them, and then as they continue to move on the old remains become exposed again as a ghost forest. But here a bit more dramatic with the angry, spikey, remains that these are.