Over the past three years, it has become an annual tradition for me to journey from Minneapolis to the North Shore in the depths of winter. These trips are always single-day adventures, requiring me to wake up at 2 or 3 a.m. to reach my destination in time for sunrise. Although I spend far more time traveling than actually taking photos on-site, the entire experience remains incredibly rewarding.
I have become fascinated by the effects that extreme cold temperatures have on Lake Superior and the surrounding landscape, particularly, the natural phenomenon known as sea smoke.
Sea smoke occurs when very cold air moves over relatively warmer water, causing the moisture from the water to condense into fog, essentially appearing like smoke rising from the water. This typically happens when air temperatures are significantly below freezing (usually below 0), often seen in winter months over large bodies of water. The resulting smoke (fog) adds an ethereal element to an already beautiful winter landscape.
During my first two years making this trip, I headed to Split Rock State Park. Upon arrival, the temperatures were a frigid -21°F the first year and -11°F the second, resulting in some breathtaking and immense sea smoke . The sight of Split Rock Lighthouse cloaked in a veil of sea smoke has become one of my favorite scenes to photograph, inspiring some of my best work.
This year, I set out to Canal Park in Duluth in an attempt to capture one of the massive cargo ships making its winter layup in the Duluth harbor. My hope was to capture the ship as it burst through a majestic wall of sea smoke with a backdrop of a mid-January sunrise.
This didn’t happen.
I’ve found that even with all the tools available to the modern photographer, oftentimes, even the most well-planned shot is prone to going awry. The ship ended up getting delayed and missed my shooting window entirely. The image you see below is my consolation shot. That said, I ended up pretty happy with how this “fallback” shot turned out and am looking forward to pursuing my original vision next season.
Duluth Harbor Lighthouse - January '25 (-4°)
Hope you enjoy!