Illuminated Splash

Following an afternoon of roof repair due to the strong winds in the region, I made it to Lake Michigan just before sunset. Winds in the area were gusting to 30 miles per hour, creating waves on Lake Michigan exceeding 20 feet.  These waves pound the pier and lighthouses along the shore, creating dazzling splashes that often exceed the height of the 35 foot tall outer lighthouse.

In winter, these splashes freeze to the surfaces of the pier and lighthouse, covering them in thick ice.

On this afternoon, the sun appeared a few minutes before sunset, casting an intense, low angled light onto the lighthouses. This light illuminated the splash producing a beautiful pink-orange spray of water. The waves often reached as far up the beach as the dunes, it was a good thing I decided to wear boots, because more than once, knee-high waves reached the area I was standing.

Here's a quick sequence of images I captured from the shore. It gives an idea of the waves and splashes that pound the pier.



While these waves and splashes were not the largest I've captured over the years, this was one of the most interesting as far as color.