Close to Home.

 I have a special spot near my home that I like to visit when I want to create photographs, one I can always count on to find interesting subjects. I call it my secret spot, but there isn’t anything “secret” about it. It is a small, unassuming location just off Highway 61, along the North Shore of Lake Superior. There isn’t any apparent reason to stop here. It is one of many pullouts along the road, and there are “grander views” at many of the other stops. The few people who do stop here and go down to the lake always turn right and head towards the sand. I, on the other hand, turn left and head straight towards the big rocks. There is always something interesting to find there. Not only are the waves of Lake Superior breaking over the rocks, but the stones themselves are also full of character—the varying colors and textures. The patterns in the rocks can be beautiful. Colorful sandstone often appears on the dark basalt along the shore, offering a striking contrast in color and texture.

This is an excellent place for me to visit when I’m undecided about where I want to photograph, or I have limited time. The area is always different as well. The great lake deposits driftwood of varying sizes and conditions of distress. These always make for interesting subjects. Then there are the rocks. They, too, are shoved around by the lake. The winter freeze can move huge boulders many feet across the landscape throughout the winter. So where a big boulder was last spring, it may be 5 or 10 feet further away next spring. It is an astounding feat to think about. The landscape is enough to keep one returning, but the fact that it is different each time makes it all the more exciting. There is a familiarity and diversity at the same time.

I feel lucky to live in a place that fills me with as much motivation as my hometown does. I also feel fortunate to have a small piece of it all to myself, for the most part, so close to home.