Autumn on the North Shore of Lake Superior

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

On a previous visit to the north shore about a decade ago, I visited this spot in the afternoon, and used the rocks for posing for portraits with the lighthouse in the background.  This year, I decided to go back to this park in early morning light.  I took quite a few shots from up and down the rocky shoreline, but I liked this image the best because of the splashing waves and the light in the sky.  It took me considerable work in photoshop to both keep the shadow detail in the rocky cliff and avoid overexposure in the brighter sky.

Maple Trees On Fall Color Loops

For those who might be unfamiliar with the area, the trees close to the lakeshore do not seem to turn as soon as those further inland and at higher elevations.  There are a number of gravel forest roads that are located north of the lake but running primarily east and west, and these seemed to have the highest population of colorful maples, at least in the early part of the season.  Fortunately, signs along highway 61 which mark fall color routes make it easy to locate the best roads for viewing fall color.  I found the gravel roads to be the best for photography, simply because I was not as worried about stopping for a photograph where I wanted.

Upper Falls of Gooseberry Falls State Park

There are many rivers discharging into the lake, and many of them contain waterfalls.  There are also many State Parks along Highway 61, most with hiking trails.  It was rainy on most days of my recent visit, which limited my enthusiasm for longer hikes.  However, I was able to get photos of several falls in Gooseberry Falls State Park before the hard rains fell.

Lower Falls of Gooseberry Falls State Park