How Red Jack Lake received its name is a mystery I have not solved in the 14 years I have been visiting Hiawatha National Forest, but I have enjoyed my time here very much nonetheless. Sadly, over the years, I have watched as the water level in all of Hiawatha’s waters, including Red Jack’s, has risen, cutting off access to many of the wonderful locations that have historically offered so much creative opportunity. However, I do not despair, the beauty of Hiawatha will always be available to anyone who is willing to look. Red Jack lies upstream from Council, which lies upstream from Snipe, and thus so to Fish Lake and the waters of Little Indian River, Indian River, and in the end to the wide waters of Lake Michigan itself, all the way down where the Manistique River joins the lake by the town of Manistique. It is a convoluted drainage, whose geologic history is equally tortured.
A focal length of 70mm, on the short side of telephotoland, gave me the angle-of-view I wanted, isolating a small corner of the shoreline crowded with firs and the ever-present maples, but excluding the sky in favor of an old white birch log waiting patiently to come closer to the shore.. An aperture of f/14 provided depth-of-field from the camera-to-subject distance, and a shutter speed of 0.5 second at ISO 100 gave me an overall somewhat lighter-than-medium exposure.
The children of Kitchi-Gami are many, and their varieties make for an astounding diversity in the Great North Woods, but the winds of change are blowing and what they may herald remains unknown.
Really enjoyed the workshop this past week. It definitely lived up to my expectations. Really like the diagonal line created by the log leading us into the scene and how the green tree on the right leads us there too. Also like the evergreens interspersed with the birches so there is some contrast. Thanks for sharing and thanks for sharing the UP with us.
I was there perhaps 15 years ago for a photo workshop. THat area is truly a magical place in the Fall. That being said, the New England fall color is the best I have seen in years. Just beautiful.
Maybe the name Red Lake is because the water appears red on days like this! Beautiful.
Good morning Everyone. Thank you all very much for joining me for this conversation. The beauty of Kitchi-Gami and the Land of the Anishinaabe resonates deeply within my soul and I have been blessed to be able to share it with many adventurers and seekers of beauty over nearly two decades. This year’s autumn foliage would have to rank at, or very near, the top of the list of all of our visits and it was a great group that joined us. I bow to all of them.
Hey Kev. Thank you for all of the work you gave to make this adventure such a success. I appreciate hearing that my version of the UP met your hopes and desires. It was great having you and Elizabeth with us. I’m looking forward to seeing some of your creative work be shared. Hope the fall colors around St. Louis will give you an extended opportunity to nature’s turning. When you and I scouted Red Jack, it did not yet look anything like this image; my how things can change. Be well. We’ll start planning Acadia soon.
Hey Ron. It’s always good to have you join me. I hope all is well with you. I would never discount the awesome beauty of a New England autumn, for I have witnessed quite a few of them; but I have to concede that John Shaw is probably correct in his assessment. That said, isn’t it wonderful and amazing that we have such choices for being creative. Walk in Beauty, my friend.
Hi Micki. It’s simply delightful when I hear from you. Thank you for joining us. I hope all is well with you. Your explanation seems as plausible as any I’ve come across. Thank for your kind words. We hope to get out your way for a visit very soon when workshop season winds down. Walk in Beauty.
To be honest, I don’t know if I’ll be back to the UP; but I certainly hope so. And if I am so blessed, 2022 will be the year. We’ll look forward to the possibility. Thank you all, again, for traveling with me for this visit.