Catching a sunset while on vacation is a real treat.
A last minute foray to the beach at Grand Beach, New Buffalo, MI provided us with an interesting sunset view over Lake Michigan. The weather had been cloudy, chilly and windy all day but the clouds opened up enough near dusk that I was able to photograph one of the most interesting sunset images of our trip.
The sun sets over the horizon, casting a beautiful orange hue over the sky and water. The waves rush to the shore, providing a calming background noise. The sand is cool and soft, providing a comfortable seat to watch Mother Nature perform her magic. The sunset is a perfect way to end a day at Grand Beach.
The elements all worked together to create this breathtaking sunset photograph. The high winds during the day created moderate waves washing up on the beach that provided a wet sand “mirror” reflecting the colors in the sky. The half buried driftwood added a bit of foreground interest – looking a bit like a miniature mountain range on the beach. The sky, itself, was – well, it was just beautiful.
Of course, all of this splendor was not of my making. It was all provided by the artist known as Mother Nature – I was just there to observe and, hopefully, catch something to share with you.
Created with Photographs by Bill Swartwout Photography
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Attempting a drone range test with my DJI Mini SE…
Well, not really, I was flying to catch a sunrise over Little Assawoman Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
More seriously, I was flying the drone at sunrise in our back yard – to catch early morning sky colors – and looked up to see a waning gibbous moon. I moved the drone a bit south and east (at 200 ft.) to catch this silhouette.
DJI Mini SE silhouetted against a waning gibbous moon.
Well, I didn’t catch it at first because all I had for a camera was my cell phone. While the best camera to have is “the one you have with you” – I also realized I need a bit more reach with a telephoto lens than what my iPhone 12 could provide. It was an interesting enough image (to me) that I thought it might make a cool photograph. In this particular case the “best camera to have” was in my office upstairs in our house.
I landed the drone so I could go inside to grab my Olympus E-M10 Mark IV and mounted my Olympus 75-300 f/4.8-6.7 zoom lens. Techies might be interested in the EXIF data: 228mm focal length; 1/200 sec; f/22; ISO 1600; Aperture priority; center-weighted metering.
Oh, yes, here is the morning sunrise that prompted the silhouette image of My Mini and the Moon. Yes, the contrast and colors have been “boosted” a little – to make the morning flight on Saturday, September 17 a bit more worthwhile.
Sunrise over Little Assawoman Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and Fenwick Island
I’m sure I will be asked about maintaining VLOS (Visual Line of Sight) which is, by law, defined as normal vision without the use of any extra optics like binoculars or a spotting scope. A long, long time ago I learned (and got used to) peering through the viewfinder of a camera while keeping both eyes open. Yup – believe it or not!
Don’t believe that works? Try a Google Search and you might find something like this: “Most photographers close one eye when looking through the viewfinder, but keeping the other open allows you to remain aware of your surroundings. It means you can see things coming into your frame, keeping you ready to press the shutter at exactly the right moment.“
