Category Archives: Panorama

MUD LAKE – HWY 63 PUCKETVILLE

MUD LAKE

The recent rains have not made an impact on the water level on the Mississippi River.  The satellite image gives you a sense of where the water line typically is.  I haven’t seen the water this low ever.

Mud Lake

These image where captured August 23rd, 2021.

Views: 349

SUNRISE – BAY CITY, WI

SUNRISE – BAY CITY, WI

After consulting The Photographer’s Ephemeris and Skyfire app it appeared as though there would be a great chance for some color at sunrise this morning at one of my favorite locations – Bay City.

While driving from Red Wing to Bay City, my optimism for color was not increasing.  When I arrived at the Bay City campground, there was a bit of color on the horizon out over the bay.

iPhone photo

As you can see from the above photo, the cloud cover was dominating the scene.  Even though it was in the single digits and quite cold, I stuck around.  Clouds can shift and conditions can change rapidly.  I capture three different [mostly gray] panorama via my drone.Bay City Sunrise

Bay City Sunrise

Bay City Sunrise

I am always fascinated by the patterns in the snow and ice.
Bay City Sunrise

It didn’t look like the sunrise was going to amount to much.  I put my drone away, but hung around a little longer.  The sun tried a bit more to break through, but didn’t really completely.  I took a couple photos with my iPhone and then there was nothing but gray.

Bay City Sunrise
iPhone photo
Bay City Sunrise
iPhone photo

How Skyfire app works

skyfireSkyfire forecasts are displayed as a map overlay with varying colors to indicate the type of conditions and forecast probability of a colorful sunrise or sunset. Colorful conditions arise when there are clouds in the sky that are underlit by the sun when it is near the horizon.

Although it is possible to see colorful clear skies, these colors are typically associated with twilight conditions (such as the ‘Belt of Venus’ or the deep blue/orange colors of nautical twilight). Skyfire forecasts do not cover these phenomena.

Clear skies, that is, where there are expected to be no clouds to underlight, are not assigned a color. Cloudy, overcast conditions, where the extent of the clouds precludes the chance for underlighting, are shown as white.

When cloud cover is broken, or lies at the edge of a weather front, there is a chance of colorful underlighting. The probability of a colorful sunrise or sunset developing is indicated on a color spectrum ranging from blue/green to red, where the redder the color, the higher the probability, as shown in the table below:

Clear Clear skies forecast
Cloudy Overcast, with little chance of underlighting
50% (blue) Clouds with some chance of underlighting
70% (yellow) Clouds with a good chance of underlighting
90% (red) Clouds with a high chance of underlighting

Views: 267

WIND RIVER – Diamond Bluff, WI #greatriverroad

WIND RIVER

The Wind River is a minor tributary of the Mississippi River in western Wisconsin in the United States. It flows for its entire 9.0-mile (14.5 km) length in western Pierce County. It rises in the town of Trimbelle and flows southward through the towns of Oak Grove and Diamond Bluff. Wind River joins the Mississippi near the unincorporated community of Diamond Bluff, which is within the larger jurisdiction (the town).   ~wikipedia

Wind River Map

I’ve driven past Wind River on Highway 35 thousands of times and never really gave it much thought.  It’s rather small and not particularly picturesque from the the highway.  You can bet a better look at in along 1005th Street.  The view from the air provides an entirely different perspective.  There are so many of these little pristine spring-fed streams and rivers feeding into the mighty Mississippi.

Wind River
Horizon to Horizon Panorama
Wind River
Wind River Delta @ Mississippi River
Wind River
Vertical Panorama
Wing River
The view from Wind River Valley facing South; beyond the main channel of the Mississippi River toward Sturgeon Lake and Treasure Island

Some additional view of sandbars in the backwaters of the area

Views: 265

DIAMOND BLUFF – WI, Sunset #greatriverroad

A French settler, Monte Diamond, named the community after the area’s limestone bluffs.  The unincorporated community of Diamond Bluff is located along highway 35, the Great River Road, on the mighty Mississippi River.

Looking West from Diamond Bluff.  Treasure Island Casino and the Prairie Island Nuclear Plant is off in the the distance.

diamond-bluff

Looking East at Diamond Bluff

diamond-bluff

Mid-river views

Vertical panorama, up river with post sunset colors on the horizon

diamond-bluff

 

 

Views: 220

HUNTERS POINT, COPPER HARBOR, MI – Autumn Color #puremichigan

HUNTERS POINT

Hunter’s Point Park is a special place to Copper Harbor residents as well as visitors to the area. Access to the point was in jeopardy a few of years ago when a development company purchased it along with the surrounding property. It is now a Township Park and continues to be open to the public.

Hunter’s Point is bursting with natural wonders. Flora is abundant; wildflowers, lichen, mosses, cedars, hardwoods and pines. Otters, martins, beavers, deer, squirrels, chipmunks and various other wildlife enjoy the area too. The geological formations are special on the point. The basalt in this area is the oldest rock on earth-essentially, the earths crust. It’s like a window to the past.

Add Hunter’s Point Park and other attractions to your Copper Harbor trip itinerary using our Copper Harbor route maker tool.
~www.inspirock.com

Hunters Point park is just under a 10 acre parcel of land with 4000+ feet of shoreline.  It is  a great spot to explore and stretch your legs.  There are interesting rock formations to examine and lots of birds and other wildlife scurrying about.

The upper peninsula of Michigan is a splendor of color to behold in the Autumn season.  It was also windy when we were there.  I didn’t get to fly my drone as much as I would have liked, but did manage to get in the air a few time when the wind calmed down for a moment.  Hunters Point was one of those calms spots…for a moment.

Views: 240

SUNSET, COVILL PARK – Red Wing, MN #exploremn #prettyredwing

SUNSET, COVILL PARK

Red Wing Photography Club September meeting was at Covill Park in Red Wing, MN this evening.  Perfect weather – mid 70s.  Hazy skies no doubt from the massive amounts of forest fires out West.

I shot several series of frames from the Mavic Mini drone for panorama and HDR compositions as well as a few single frame images.

Single Frame Images

Towboat with barge downriver
Dog Poo Bag, an aerial perspective

HDR Images

The dynamic range on the Mavic Mini is not great; bracketing does the trick to make up for its shortcomings.

Covill Bay
Covill Bay | River Valley Marina

Panorama Images

Covill Bay | River Valley Marina
Looking out over barges towards Wisconsin

Towboat with barge downriver

Covill Park, River Valley Marina and Covill Bay Sunset

 

Views: 276

SUNSET, BEHIND THE FRONT – Red Wing, MN #exploremn

SUNSET, BEHIND THE FRONT

Off in the distance, a front was drifting by Red Wing Sunday evening as the sun was setting.  The sun was still shinning brightly behind the clouds; shooting rays into the sky.  [click on images to enlarge]

SUNSET, BEHIND THE FRONT

SUNSET, BEHIND THE FRONT

A bit later I shot two more panoramas to capture the full length of the cloud bank (21 frames each).

SUNSET, BEHIND THE FRONT
21 Frames (left)
21 Frames (right)

I then combined them both together into a 42 frame panorama

42 frames

Views: 194

SEASONAL HUES | BROWNS & BLUES – Pine Creek, Maiden Rock, WI

SEASONAL HUES | BROWNS & BLUES

Pine Creek, view from Lake Pepin

SEASONAL HUES | BLUES & BROWNS

Ice breaking up

SEASONAL HUES | BLUES & BROWNS

Railroad Trestle from above

SEASONAL HUES | BLUES & BROWNS

Pine Creek, Valley View

SEASONAL HUES | BLUES & BROWNS

Lake Pepin view from Pine Creek valley

SEASONAL HUES | BLUES & BROWNS

Views: 344

LAKE BAILEY, EAGLE HARBOR, MI – Autumn Color #puremichigan

LAKE BAILEY, EAGLE HARBOR, MI

Lake Bailey, in Keweenaw County, is a 204 acre lake with an average depth of 3 to 6 feet known for big, fat perch and northern pike.

Along M-26 east of Eagle Harbor, there is a boat launch that gives you a nice vantage point of the lake.

Lake Bailey

Lake Map

Views: 347

MINNEOPA FALLS – Minneopa State Park #exploremn

MINNEOPA FALLS

Minneopa State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was established in 1905 to preserve Minneopa Falls, a large waterfall for southern Minnesota, and was expanded in the 1960s to include the lower reaches of Minneopa Creek and a large tract of prairie.  Minneopa is Minnesota’s third oldest state park, after Itasca and Interstate. Two park resources are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the 1862 Seppman Mill and a district of seven Rustic Style structures built by the Works Progress Administration in the late 1930s. The park is located almost entirely on the south side of the Minnesota River, 3 miles  west of Mankato. In 2015 the state reintroduced American bison to the park in a 330-acre (130 ha) fenced enclosure, through which visitors can drive in their vehicles. ~wikipedia

Minneopa State Park

It has taken quite a while to get out this way to visit Minneopa State Park.  It certainly did not disappoint.  Views of the falls are easily accessible by concrete sidewalks in very close proximity of the parking lot.

If you are feeling a wee bit more adventurous, you can descend the stone staircase to river level and make your way around to the base of the falls.  The trail is sketchy for a ways after to cross the foot bridge, but levels out nicely closer to the falls.  The views are worth the extra effort.

Views of the Minneopa Creek and Falls from below.

 

 

 

 

Views: 236