Full moon at Split Rock Lighthouse

[Mike Lentz]

I spent the day in pursuit of Northern Hawk Owls and Great Grays with limited sucess. Then we got in the car and drove a few hours to the Split Rock Lighthouse on lake Superior knowing that the clear skies would soon be giving us about a thirty minute window of the sun going down behind us and the moon coming up in front of us. The ambient light is "pretty well" balanced for these events. Nontheless, I was happier with the landscape portion of the trip vs the feather portion. :)

http://www.pbase.com/mike_lentz/image/108045693.jpg

Nikon D300 ~ Nikkor 24-85mm F/2.8
ISO 100 ~ F/8 ~ 1/15 sec ~ -1/3 EV ~

[ChasMcRae]

I liked the way you kept detai in moon and foreground. I assume the water acted as a giant reflector of light back on the rocks. The overall effect is great.
Chas.

[Don Thompson]

A well captured photo of one of my favorite lighthouses. I like the mist/fog on the water.

Just curious, is this a composite? The moon seems quite large for a 28-85

[Robert Amoruso]

This is killer Mike - getting this and missing owls makes it worth it. The comp is perfect. Moon balances structure. Left BG cliff balances right FG cliff. Misty look in the water, soft tones and colors and excellent light.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Mike,
I recognize this lighthouse from one of your previous versions.....and must admit....I like this one best. Not bad for a O'fer on the birds. Real nice balance and colors on this one. Very nicely done!

[Grady Weed]

Both Robert and Roman hit the highlights for me! An excellent lighthouse image. I like the placement of the moon and the fog rising best.

[Judd Patterson]

This is really awesome Mike! I love the moon placement, pastel colors, and overall composition..perfect. As far as processing I am curious about a couple points. Did you add in the fog? It just appears a bit uniform in intensity (foreground rocks and rocks on the left have the same density). Based upon ~127mm the moon also appears big to my eyes (maybe it's a crop). I know the moon is at a close point in its orbit right now, but I'm curious if you did any extra work on the moon? Regardless, it's a true winner Mike!

[Bruce Murden]

Winner image Mike! Great lighting this time of day, and I enjoy the misty air from the cold!

[Mike Lentz]

Judd & Don, great eyes! You are correct in your moon assesment! It was further left in the image and smaller. I took my 300mm lens with 1.4x TC out and shot the moon in the middle of the shoot and later dropped it into a location that felt better compositionally.

Thanks for the comments and questions.:)

[Fabs Forns]

Very well balanced with great light. Congrats, Mike!

[Dennis "Curly" Buchner]

Great shot Mike, Great composition and the moon is awesome.


We have some snowy's and hawk owls, but no great greys yet in Upper Peninsula but they should show up very soon. I plan on making a trip when all three are found by the owl scout that checks every day.

[David Kennedy]

Hi, Mike,
I worry that by "enlarging" the moon with the addition of a different image of it photographed with a telephoto, you're taking an "image" and degrading it to a "postcard." It's such a cliche technique that I think it's best avoided. Compositionally, it's very strong, so the oversize moon is unnecessary. Just thought I'd contribute a differing opinion. Cheers,
David

[John Blumenkamp]

This is definitely one of those images where saying 'great shot' is all that's needed. I love the composition and balance of this one... that moon is certainly killer. Awesome work!

[Mike Lentz]

The CC has been terrific on this image as I wondered to myself about the moons size and it has been confirmed. I also appreciate all the other fine comments. :)

Thanks again for taking time to add feedback;)

[John Ippolito]

Just a superb image, Mike. Agree with the above. I love everything about this one!