Through Storm and Calm Photo

Photographer’s Note

November on the Great Lakes is an infamous month with hurricane force storms known as the "Gales of November". Famous gales sank 19 ships in 1913, 3 ships in 1940, 1 in 1966 and 1 in 1975. While the first was most disastrous the last was most famous.

Starting on November 7th, 1913, a storm grew into one of the most fierce storms ever on the lakes. Winds approached 100 mph (160 kph) and it waves topped 35 ft. (11 m).

In all the "Great White Hurricane" of 1913 sank 19 ships with 254 lives lost. Power and telegraph service was lost to large parts of Ohio and Michigan. Cleveland received 22 in. (56 cm) of snow with 6 ft. (2 m) drifts. And probably the most chilling scene was the appearance of the freighter Price. It had capsized and drifted to the entrance of the St. Clair River at the bottom of Lake Huron.

In all 25 such super storms have raged across the lakes in the last century and a half. 1975 saw another one of these storms resulting in the most famous lake disaster, the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Launched in 1958, the Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest ship to navigate the lakes up to that time. She was 729 feet (222 m) long with a breadth of 75 feet (23 m) and a dry weight of some 13,000 tons. She was designed to carry 26,000 tons of iron ore. But despite the latest in technology and design a cold November day would remind us that nature still had the upper hand.

She left Superior, Wisconsin, on November 9th for a routine run down to Detroit. But a storm was brewing over Lake Superior. Waves were already topping 15 feet (5 m) and winds 60 mph (100 kph). As the ship hit the storm the radar was knocked out. As the storm strengthened the Fitzgerald began to list from structural damage.

On Nov. 10th at At 7:10 p.m. the nearby Arthur M. Anderson received the last message from Capt. McSorley of the Fitzgerald,

"We're holding our own."

At 7:25 the Fitz disappeared from the Anderson's radar screen.

What happened is still debated. Perhaps a hatch was damaged. Perhaps, blind and off course, the ship hit a shoal. Maybe a wave swallowed the blind and damaged ship and the 29 souls aboard. Today she rests in the icy depths of Lake Superior.

And here in Detroit the 29 souls of the Fitzgerald, and the 30,000 others lost on the lakes, are remembered at Old Mariners' Church, "cathedral of the Great Lakes".

Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot also memorialized the tale in his "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".

Here we see two ships in Lake St. Clair. The closer one, entering the strait, is the 740 foot (225 m), 32,000 ton capacity, Algowood. The more distant one in Lake St. Clair is the 730 foot (222 m), 28,000 ton capacity, Montrealais. And the smoke of a third can be seen on the horizon as the lakes are always abuzz with freighter traffic. To the left is Windmill Point Light, marking the entrance to Detroit.

sarju, kajenn, elihesamian, wilkinsonsg, nwoehnl, alvaraalto, Gix, ChristianS, premels, Tue, papagolf21, jhm, maphoto, Rinie_Hoff, prezntime trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

sarju (5308) 2005-11-10 22:27

Hi Paul
Usually I browse TE for gettings some ideas about photography .... but your gallery always have an extra advantage of learning something new. Very informative note to go along with the photos ...
honeslty I had no idea that such a massive waves were possible in the great lakes ...
thanks for taking the time to write this note and I like your composition ... the close crop of bottom adds tension and diverts the theme of the photo to the smoke coming out of the ship ... and the overall bluish tone works very well in this compo...
I like this photo but have no no suggestions about anything that this photo lacks in
tfs ... cheers ... sarju

kajenn (2333) 2005-11-11 0:04

Dangerous waters, Paul, beautifully rendered. It's (again) a great image with an excellent composition including all elements to suit your fine note (or v.v.) The two large ships in converging courses; the buoy between them; the cape with lighthouse; the vast water surface - well illustrated by the ship below the horizon - capable of such devastating waves; and the high sky. You've selected a good moment to shoot and chosen a great POV, where the smoke from the freighter gets prominent. The beautiful day provides wonderful colors to the sky and especially the water, in contrast to the conditions related in the note. So there's a tension in the image that I like. Very well done!

I think I see a 'new' clarity in your images - your latest three - which is amazing. Have you altered your post-processing or changed equipment? Extra sharpening? Filter? Or just personal progress... ;o)

joso (1786) 2005-11-11 3:29

Excellent note to an excellent photo.
Would only repeat, so I let it at what Kaj and Sarju wrote.

János

elihesamian (26091) 2005-11-11 8:36

Hello Paul,

Great story you wrote,about the gales of november and those sad happening in 1913 and then in laters,too,

The shot is well captured,with a nice light controlling,the ships are fine in point of placing in the frame,and that column of the smoke gives an underestanding about the ship that it's moving and not stopped,I like it,Paul,well composed and great one,
Yours
M

Amirsun (2114) 2005-11-11 11:28

Hi Paul!
Very nice shot and interesting scene and very good composition using the ships in golden spots. And that smoke give a nice view to the top of your frame. Tanks for posting.
Regards
Amir

wilkinsonsg (8646) 2005-11-11 11:44

I never thought that storms of this magnitude would occur in the lakes - fascinating and moving note.
The image is well set up with the smoke playing an important role in the composition of the shot.
Good colours and a sharp image too :)

nwoehnl (120) 2005-11-11 14:12

Nice framing on this one, Paul - the low-placed horizon is a good choice to give emphasis to the few available elements (plus it is a necessary choice to fit the black cloud of steam into the frame in its whole ;). An interesting play of scale and perspective achieved from the triangular way in which the three main elements are aligned. Interesting note on the history of the Great Lakes storms.

alvaraalto (5353) 2005-11-11 16:52

Hi Paul,
Great story, but the picture is great too. Excellent sharp. Beautiful composition with the two boats. The smoke is a essential part of this compo. The strong blue colors are lovely too.
groet Rob

Gix (3559) 2005-11-12 2:50

Hi Paul,
for the truth, the waters don't appears so threatening, but the quiet waters are the more dangerous...!
Nice composition vith the simuntaneous movements of the two ships, the smoke in the clear sky is really a big plus.
Compliment and thanks even for the interesting note!
ciao, Giorgio

ChristianS (2997) 2005-11-12 7:09

Hi Paul,
beautiful composition keeping a low horizon and emphasizing the vastness of the sky. The feel of depth through the perspective, size and distance to the three objects present along the horizon is very apparent here. The absence of clouds is compensate by the presence of the smoke from the ship which interferes with the vastness, the emptyness of the sky and this makes imo the composition more effective. The colours are nice, especially the blue tones of the sky and the water and the note is as always very informative. Well seen and done Paul!

Regards, Christian

premels (2400) 2005-11-13 12:55

Hi Paul, Always a delight to read you. The illustration is very peacefull for these storm stories. By the look of the smoke there was no wind at all at the time you took this picture and obviously no waves either.
The thick dark smoke that ship is exhausting is very pictural. It populates 'nicely' the large clear sky.

Tue (25774) 2005-11-13 13:40

Hej Paul,
A fine capture of this boat with a good clarity and pleasant colours. The smoke is a nice detail, well for the picture, not for the environment of course... ;-) Good work!
Hilsner,
Lars

Stepan (27183) 2005-11-14 15:52

I don't know why your compo makes me think at cold. I suppose it's because of the blue atmopshere !
Simple but effective thanks to a very good dof.
Stéphane

gsgeorge (760) 2005-11-14 23:59

Great shot representing the fascinating Great Lakes transportation system. I love the bit of the lighthouse on the left edge, marking an important position on the Waterway but keeping our interest on the freighters. Your composition is minimal and powerful and reminds me of when I was young and would watch the freighters from Belle Isle with my dad. And what a note! Nice work with this one!

papagolf21 (58731) 2005-11-15 3:58

Bonsoir Paul,
Nous vivons et vibrons à la lecture de la note d'accompagnement. Qui pourrait penser qu'un lac (il faut dire qu'il pourrait s'apparenter à une mer) peut devenir aussi agressif !
Superbe image de ces monstres sillonnant les lacs.
Très belle prise de vue Paul.
Amitiés.
Philippe

jhm (86562) 2005-11-15 6:36

Hi Paul,
I have been as soldier near the Navy, on a small minesweeper, very dangerous near storm weather, as I read your note, oef!!!
A very good picture with smoke plume above the boat, the water is exactly a mirror now, nice composition, yoy did good job.
Best regards,
John.

maphoto (8076) 2005-11-18 22:24

Very nice picture Paul, I like the smoke wich goes very high and almost straight. The framing is just perfect with the right amount of water, the boat and the land completes everything nicely on the left, great result, well done.

prezntime (3945) 2006-08-28 11:19

Hello Paul.
Your note compliments the photo very well. The composition of the shot is well seen also. Good placement of the ships in the frame and good job capturing all of the smoke from the forward ship. I like the simplicity and the bright color.
Well done,
Chris