Just Between Frank & Betsie Photo Notes

Just Between Frank & Betsie

ICED SUNSETS – There are several of these photographs. The ice crystals in the atmosphere cause the magenta coloration. On occasion, a vertical shaft will appear. With the right cloud cover, they can be quite spectacular. I’ve only seen them in January and February.

THE ELBERTA LIGHT – Also called the 8TH DWARF. The spray buildup on the light tower occurs most winters. The shore side of this buildup is always rather smooth and plain. The lake side is quite another story and visible only from the water. The problem comes in finding a safe place to launch the kayak into open waterthe from the shore ice. The formation seems to repeat itself every year. I have yet to understand the mechanics of why this particular shape happens.

POINT BETSIE LIGHTHOUSE – The pictures of Point Betsie with the red lantern are prior to 2005 when the renovations began. The two pictures of the lighthouse with the exposed beige “cream city brick” are of historical interest because that was the color of the building from 1858 until 1900. This was the first time the brick was exposed in 105 years.

SPIRAL STAIRCASE – This is the stair inside the tower that leads to the lantern.

ICE BUILDUP – The frozen wave spray is different every time it happens. It varies with the wind direction, speed, temperature, and previous buildup. In one picture, the chain link fence by the lighthouse has 8 inches of solid ice on the windward side. The icicles hang down a bit and then make a right angel turn.

KATRINA – The dark edged cloud at sunset is the leading edge of Hurricane Katrina after it had progressed to Michigan.

ARCHED ICE – The arched ice pieces on the Frankfort Harbor are the remnants of blow holes that have worn away.

BEACH VIPER – This is the only existing photograph of the much storied, but seldom seen, snake. They’re harmless in warm weather.

ICE RAIL – Notice how the red rails have absorbed heat from the sun and melted the ice close to them. The ice continues to build on the windward side.

FRANKFORT STORM – The distant view of the harbor with the Elberta Light eclipsed by waves, was taken during a 65 MPH windstorm. I had to lie on the ground to steady the camera, as the trees were moving too much for support. In this and other spray pictures, be aware that the top of the Frankfort Lighthouse is 72 feet above the water.

A portion of these photographs were taken with a Cannon 35mm SLR. The rest were shot with an Olympus Camedia C-765 digital. I haven’t altered the photographs other than basic color balance in a few cases.

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I did in creating them. If you have any questions or comments, they are more than welcome.

Be well, Jay

Jay@WalkSoftlyPhotos.com

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