Minnesota is called the land of 10,000 lakes. The largest lake that Minnesotans lay claim to is Lake Superior. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. It holds ten percent of the world’s freshwater! Superior’s shores range from rocky and rugged on the north side to sandy and smooth in the south. I am blessed to live in Lutsen on the north shore. Lake Superior photography offers countless creative opportunities. The rugged shoreline provides great opportunities for landscape photography. When the famous gales of November arrive, dramatic crashing waves set the mood for your shoot. The dark skies, huge waves and strong winds help create dark and moody images.
Minnesota Landscape Photography
It is little wonder that photographers often return to visit the north shore in search of beautiful landscape photography images. The peace and solitude found here attract thousands of visitors each year. Minnesota state parks like Split Rock Lighthouse, Tettegouche, Temperance River and Cascade River provide ample access to the shores of Lake Superior. The lighthouse in Grand Marais has a great background of zig-zagged Sawtooth mountain topography.
Lake Superior rarely freezes over providing great winter landscapes. This is my favorite time of year for landscape images. The sun is lower in the sky adding shadows and contrast. In winter the days are shorter so I can shoot sunsets earlier. No waiting until almost nine pm for the sun to set and no mosquitoes to drive me crazy while shooting. Minnesotans are an outdoor-loving people, descendants of hardy stock who immigrated from Germany, Poland, Norway and Sweden. We especially embrace winter. Our love of the outdoors has moved the state to set apart thousands of acres in our State Park System. We truly derive our sense of place in these many parks to which we flock each year.
From shooting full moon landscapes at Split Rock Lighthouse to frozen shorelines, no one masters Lake Superior photography. Much like being married, we learn to live with each other. I like to seek out her moods. To pursue landscapes as seasons come, storms rage and winter grips. I have never tired of seeking out a new view. As I look back through my collection of Lake Superior photography, I see how I’ve grown and how far I have yet to travel on my journey as a photographer. I relish my time shooting, my time of introversion and creativity.
Cascade State Park
I have no better gauge of my maturing as a photographer than my images from Cascade State Park. Cascade River flows into Lake Superior here. The moving water, rocky shores and pine trees growing to the water’s edge provide great subjects for the landscape photographer. My four favorite landscape images, all in winter, were shot here. For me, it was about getting it right in a familiar place with ample opportunity to create a great image.
The night image was taken on a full moon night. Shot in the dead of winter at about twenty below zero Fahrenheit. I was trying a new technique I read about online. Utilizing a full moon, clouds and some wind you can create soft surreal images. Despite the cold, I stayed until I got it right, a very rewarding time. My sunrise was in the winter too. I tried many angles and places until I got it right. I finally saw the ice-covered rocks that sparkled as the sun rose.
My third image happened when the lake had deposited many ice chunks on the rocks. I saw the ice chunks and knew there must be a landscape waiting. It finally came together after I laid flat down and shot the sunset as it lit the ice with a warm glow. Thankfully I had an added element in a line of slow-moving waves rolled to shore.
My last came after a prolonged time of big wind and waves. Crashing into the shore the powerful waves shot water high into the air landing on the trees and rocks. It quickly froze creating an ice cliff. Ice pads drove to shore by the wind collected near the shore too. The resulting image is a tribute to Lake Superior’s beauty and power.
Lake Superior Photography – Final Thoughts
I believe no location is ever mastered or grows old, only the photographer’s desire and eye. Using the same place challenges me to take risks, to stretch my creative thinking and to push me to be better.
Lake Superior gives me a sense of who I am as a photographer. It has humbled me, excited me, frustrated me and rewarded me greatly. I guess that is why it is one of the Great Lakes. If you are seeking a new challenge try Minnesota’s North Shore. You will come away in awe of a lake that some people say is really an inland ocean. You will gain a deep appreciation for the greatest of the Great Lakes and be rewarded with some great images too.
I am a freelance stock photographer living in Northern Minnesota on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Fine art, nature and travel stock photography are my niche. My travel and stock photography focuses on Vietnam, China and Minnesota’s North Shore. While most of my work is in stock photography I do offer limited portrait sessions. I am NOT a studio photographer. I shoot outdoor/environmental portraits. My Fine art prints concentrate on God’s natural beauty. I believe photography should be shared. Helping new photographers develop their skills is one of my passions. My hope is to share the joy of photography with you.