Ideas for places to visit in the Midwest
Here is a small boathouse on Lake Tomahawk in Minocqua, Wisconsin. Lake Tomahawk is part of a chain of lakes in what is known as the Lakeland area. The lakes are connected by a series of channels that allow you to visit neighbors by boat or tie-up in Downtown Minocqua for some shopping. Click here to see my full set of boathouse photos.
This massive boathouse on Lake Minocqua belongs to The Beacons resort. The boathouse was built in 1908 and can be seen from the town of Minocqua and the Bearskin trail. This lake is filled with the classic structures with this as the “crown jewel.”
This one of my favorite Minoqua, Wisconsin boathouse photos. This is not really a boathouse. It is the Thirsty Whale restaurant on the lake. It is a very old structure with some interesting neon lights that make it a great photographic subject.
This is one of my first photos using HDR. The photo was taken handheld on a walking trail along lake Kawaguesaga in Minocqua, Wisconsin. My wife and I regularly walk this trail with our Basset Hounds during the summers.
The boathouses along the lakes add to the scenic nature of the area. The photo was taken at 240mm @ f18.
With the many bluffs overlooking the Missisppi River, this one in South St. Louis County gave a beautiful vantage point to see this sunrise. The water here comes from as far away as Wyoming, Montana, Canada and Northern Wisconsin and is destined for New Orleans.
This is a three shot HDR photo processed in Lightroom and Photomatix.
It is that time again. Circus Flora is in St. Louis for the month of June. Be sure not to miss this show!
In this photo is Yo-Yo the narrator who introduces the acrobats, animals, clowns and other entertainers of the evening. For more photos see: https://greatrivers.smugmug.com/Events/Circus-Flora/
This is a great opportunity for photographs but No Flash can be used! One minor distraction could be fatal! Be sure to use a fast lens (with a low f stop) and the ability to zoom from 50mm to 100mm. All seats are close to the actions so higher that 100mm is not really needed.
Hope to see you there!
One of my favorite vistas in Dogwood Canyon. Here you have four small waterfalls on this steam and a footbridge in the distant background. This is about ¾ to 1 mile into the valley. If you keep walking you would end up in Arkansas.
If you click on the photo it will take you to the program where the photo is actually hosted and there you can see it in full screen. Give it a few seconds to load.
It is best to walk this Nature Park if you want to take in the beauty and get some great photographs.
Some of my recent photos have been of not so old grist mills. Missouri is dotted with a lot of original mills that have been preseved by local benefactors and are open to the public. The rust red Hodgson Water Mill is nestled into a bluff above a spring that gushes up from far below the earth’s surface. It’s not far from Dora, Missouri and may look familiar at first glance—that’s because its image is used all over the world on Hodgson Mill Flour Product packages. It is also one of the most photographed mills in Missouri, and it’s easy to see why.
These preserved mills make great scenes for photographers willing to go find them. Stats: ISO 100, 19mm, f/14, @ 1/10 sec. A tripos was used due to the longer exposure.
Dogwood Mill, the entrance to Dogwood Canyon. Built on Indian Creek this is the gateway a scenic walk past waterfalls, bridges and other unique areas.
I spent last week visiting on of my equipment manufacturers in the small town of Clarinda, Iowa. I took part of one evening to photograph their historic courthouse and was able to capture this great image. The building was well lit and all I had to do was setup my camera on a tripod and let it take a long exposure.
The Page County Courthouse in Clarinda, Iowa, United States, was built in 1887. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration
Here are some of the stats: ISO 100, Focal Length 12mm, Aperture f/8, Exposure time 15 seconds.
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