Fierce Calm

Fierce Calm
Fierce Calm

Long exposures of large fierce waves can produce a surprisingly ethereal and calm image.  The waves you don’t see in this image were around 4-6 feet tall.  Quite tall for Lake Michigan, but what you’d expect after a thunderstorm.  And since this is yet another horizon shot for me, I wanted to do something different with the composition.  To emphasize the vastness of the lake, I placed the original photograph on a larger plain white background.  It makes the scene feel somewhat intimate, yet the negative space implies there is a lot more to see.

The image had an overall feeling of a charcoal or pencil drawing due to the long exposure.  So using Topaz Impression, I added a small amount of a sketch effect to the edges to blend the photograph into the white background.

Day 330 of my 365 photo a day project.

Fierce Calm
Fierce Calm

Looking for art for your home or office or something to spice up your digital desktop?  This image and most of the others from this project are available as prints and digital downloads.  You can also check out the rest of my portfolio here.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss anything!

By Scott Norris

Emotion. Mood. Feelings. This is what I capture through my photographs. Whether it is landscapes, architectural elements, still life, or macros - it is a very personal journey as my own fears, triumphs, beliefs, and shortcomings are exposed with each photo. In the end, it is all about telling compelling stories.