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Wisconsin Photo Trip

July 21, 2022July 23, 2022 by Bill Chizek, posted in Animals, Photography, travel

Shooting in Wisconsin Again

Day 2

Below are a collection of iPhone 13 mini shots of my photo subjects for today, it was a fun day! My day was interesting, lots of cool photo subjects while driving about a hundred miles of back roads over 5 hours. The day ended photographing one of my absolute favorite subjects, more on that in a bit. So, after waking up a little after 4am, I headed down to the harbor to catch the sunrise over the north pier on Lake Michigan here in Manitowoc, it didn’t disappoint! Other than getting eaten by some gnats, I think it paid off and I got some great shots. After shooting the sunrise I made my way down Mariners Trail to shoot the Spirit of the Rivers statue by R.T. Wallen depicting three Native Americans carrying a birch bark canoe. Manitowoc has a long history with the Native Americans but that’s an entire blog post on its own. This beautiful statue sits on the shores of Lake Michigan and is simply amazing at sunrise. I shot another nearby statue called On Eagles Wings by sculptor by Carl Vanderheyden. After shooting a few other sites in the city, I drove out to the county to shoot several lakes, a few farms, old cars sitting in yards, and a few other things. Then, I happened upon some horses…

Having lunch with my dad was THE highlight of my day but the horses were the best time with a camera in hand. I drove by this farm with nothing short of stunning horses and man… I LOVE taking horse photos; they are amazing creatures. I drove on the property and asked permission to shoot these beautiful horses and the owner was a super nice lady who let me go wherever I wanted. These horses were magnificent, I could have stayed here all day! When I have a camera in hand, horses seem to either spook or become interested in what I’m doing. It seems some are attracted to the shutter sound and when that happens it’s something beautiful. All in all, a great day shooting here in my hometown. I’m here till Monday when I’ll start making my way back to Texas with a few blog-able and interesting stops that should prove fun.

As always, thanks for following and reading!

All photos taken with the iPhone 13 mini

Kamakura Daibutsu 鎌倉大仏

February 2, 2019 by Bill Chizek, posted in Photography

Shooting today while on a family trip to the Great Buddha of Kamakura. As much I hate shooting on blue sky days, I may have gotten some keepers!

Photo at the top of the page by Amanda Chizek.

Coronado, CA

May 12, 2017May 16, 2017 by Bill Chizek, posted in Photography, travel

I had the good fortune of living in the coastal city of Coronado, California from 2007-2011, courtesy of the US Navy. Photography was reentering my life as I had not taken many photos in over 25 years. I found myself in the land of sunsets, beaches, ocean views, and I loved it. When I found out in 2014 that I would be returning to Coronado, I was a happy camper! I began searching online for photos of Coronado to see what other photographers were shooting, something I often do to get ideas. I found sunset photos, the Hotel Del Coronado, sunsets, the beach, the bridge, the boathouse, and even sunsets! I made a decision right then and there to take photos of Coronado, the city; sure I’d shoot the San Diego skyline, the bridge, boathouse, and yes, the legendary Pacific coast sunsets; but I hoped to capture something different. Let me say upfront, there are many amazing photographers in Coronado who I respect, they shoot everything including the incredible sunsets, and I love checking out their amazing photos! However, I hoped to do something else and wanted to catch another side of Coronado while I was here. The photo at the top of the page was taken at the Fiddler’s Cove Marina when the sun was just starting to burn through the morning fog.

The main marina in Coronado makes for an excellent photo subject just about 24/7 (above left). I hoped to show that there is life in this marina, even at night, because many people live aboard their boats. This was the night of the “super moon” and while this isn’t a spectacular super moon photo compared to others, I think it captures the vibe of this marina at night with the calm waters and reflection of the moon. Since sailing and boating are a major activities in Coronado, it’s not difficult finding sailboats virtually everywhere. The above right photo was taken from Tidelands Park which is a great location to shoot sunrises as well. You might be able to tell by this photo, and the one at the top of this page, I LOVE fog! When it comes to photography, I find that while blue skies are amazing to the naked eye, they just do nothing for me with my camera. I’ve found the trick to shooting fog in Coronado is to have the camera bag ready to go at all times, the fog can appear and disappear quickly here. Unlike the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin where I grew up, the sun can literally burn off solid fog in minutes, and in both of these photos the fog was gone within 10 minutes after snapping these.

Capturing everyday scenes in Coronado has been interesting because common events we do daily are set in front of an incredible backdrop. In the above left photo, a bird dives in to the water for a fish while a guy is relaxing with his hands behind head checking out the view. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up, Coronado is really like this at times! The above right photo was taken at the Spreckel’s Park gazebo after my daughters had their Girl Scout meeting there. The below middle sunrise photo was also taken at Spreckel’s Park, if there is a hub for Coronado, in my opinion it is this park because concerts, flower shows, playtime with the kids, and even craft shows on Sunday mornings happen at this park. Below left are two VW vans that I drive by practically every day, and for over a year I meant to shoot them. There’s nothing fancy here, I just thought it looked cool as a typical street scene with these classic vans. Finally, the shot below on the right is a front yard swing, it could be Anywhere USA, which was the point of this photo; there are many times when Coronado feels like any other small town I’ve visited, I mean that in the best possible way!

Coronado has a rich military history as both the US Army and US Navy maintained a presence here until the late 1930’s. However, it has been the Navy that remained and Coronado has been the major training location for the US Navy SEAL’s for decades. In 2016, Coronado erected a statue honoring all maritime commandos called the “Naked Warrior” sculpted by artist J. Seward Johnson Jr. (below). These ‘naked warriors’ would later evolve in to the Navy SEAL’s of today. For a great book on this, check out The Naked Warriors: The Elite Fighting Force that became the Navy SEAL’s by CDR Francis Fane. While I was shooting this photo, a young man actually slowly passed by the statue on his beach cruiser bike, fist bumped his heart and flashed a peace sign to the statue in respect, this is Coronado. While I love the ocean, beaches, and sunsets, I think there is more to Coronado. While it’s a place of seaside mansions and a major travel desination, if you peel back it’s layers you’ll find a simple coastal village and military town rich in history. Look past the streets filled with tourists and you’ll see swings hanging from trees, VW’s parked on the streets in front of simple cottages, and quiet neighborhoods like most other little towns. Oh, and if you wait till the evening, you might even experience an incredible sunset.

Point Loma, San Diego

July 11, 2016July 19, 2016 by Bill Chizek, posted in Photography, travel

I have a few ‘go-to’ places to shoot in the San Diego area, places I can count on to hopefully take a few “keepers” when the weather is right. Point Loma is one of those locations because of the view of San Diego, the altitude (400+ feet above the sea), and the numerous photo subjects readily available there. The history geek in me loves that Point Loma is where the first Europeans landed in California exploring the new world in the sixteenth century.(1) There are three main locations at Point Loma that are of interest for photography; the old lighthouse, the monument commemorating the Europeans landing in California, and a national cemetery that honors many heroes of our nation. As my friends know, I hate shooting on sunny days, so when I see clouds I usually head to Point Loma or Imperial Beach, my other ‘go-to’ place (see earlier blog entry: Why I Love IB).

The Old Point Loma Lighthouse is an amazing way to begin any morning. The lighthouse was first lit on the evening of November 15, 1855 and was functional for approximately 36 years until a new lighthouse was built at a lower elevation and closer to the coast.(2) On the grounds are two buildings; the lighthouse itself which also consisted of living quarters for the lighthouse keepers and their families; the other is the small museum building. These grounds are completely kid friendly and even though I’ve taken my kids here numerous times, climbing to the top of the lighthouse never get old for them! The photo at the top of the page, Distant Lighthouse, is the lighthouse captured through the grass that surrounds the lighthouse. The photo at right, The Old Light, shows the walkway around the light itself. The lighthouse itself is a great subject close-up or at a distance.

It’s hard to imagine a better view of San Diego and Coronado than that from the Cabrillo National Monument. Here there are actually two views worth considering; by the monument itself and the patio area at the nearby visitors center. This monument celebrates the arrival of European explorers commanded by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo of Portugal. The Cabrillo National Monument was established in 1913 and features a stone statue of Cabrillo commemorating his arrival on September 28, 1542.(3) Again, this is another area that my kids can run a little but need to be somewhat careful because of the cliffs near the monument area. Any time I can let my kids run and can shoot pics, it’s a win-win. The photo at left, Cabrillo (B&W), was shot with an approaching storm in front of the camera while the sun was still out behind me creating a strange lighting effect on the statue.

When you travel to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and Cabrillo Monument, you’ll pass through the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. The cemetery sits on the hills overlooking San Diego Bay and is a beautiful final resting for our fallen service members. There are so many incredible people buried here that, as a retired Navy Musician and former history professor, I could spend an entire day searching the historical people as well as paying my respects to a couple of former bosses. The photo at right, called The Gathering, is the grave of Medal of Honor recipient Michael Monsoor taken a few years ago around the anniversary of his death. It appeared his shipmates gathered for a beer with their friend. Michael Monsoor threw himself on a grenade that landed on a rooftop in ar-Ramadi, Iraq. His actions saved the lives of his fellow SEAL’s; you can read about Monsoon’s action on his Medal of Honor citation. Monsoor is a hero and the very definition of selfless service in my opinion. Another grave, although not a military hero in the same category of Michael Monsoor, is musician Conrad Gozzo. Gozzo is still considered one of the greatest trumpet players-ever, decades after his death. The photo below, entitled simply Goz, shows his grave not far from that of Monsoor. During World War Two, many top musicians entered military service to do their part, Gozzo was no different and joined the US Navy. Click this link to here Conrad Gozzo play Torna a Sorrento.

Many times US Navy ships can be seen arriving and departing San Diego and Point Loma offers the perfect view! The photo at left, called The Meyer, was taken earn the Cabrillo Monument Visitor Center as the USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG-108) departed for the ocean. The below photo, CVN-73, was taken from Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery as the USS George Washington departed. Both of these photos were taken with a Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 L DO IS USM lens, while a bit heavy its size allow me carry it daily and it sure comes in handy for moments like these. However, you don’t have to be a photographer to appreciate what Point Loma has to offer but in my case, it’s a plus. Whenever friends or family come to town, were usually make a trip to Point Loma. However, Old Point Loma Lighthouse and the Cabrillo Monument share the same parking lot so it can get busy, especially in the summer months, and on weekends. If you’ve got the time and don’t like crowds, try going during the week and you won’t be disappointed.