{"id":1172,"date":"2024-02-01T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T17:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/?p=1172"},"modified":"2024-11-18T13:33:15","modified_gmt":"2024-11-18T19:33:15","slug":"go-with-the-blow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/illinois-nature-photography\/go-with-the-blow\/","title":{"rendered":"Go With the Blow"},"content":{"rendered":"

Go With the Blow<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n
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\"The

The wind whips the grasses along the edge of a partially frozen Dead River that empties into Lake Michigan.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Well, I did my first below-zero photo shoot of the winter season on January 15.\u00a0 It was one below, so it qualified.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Most of the time, the wind is my nemesis. But on this bitter afternoon, instead of fighting it, I decided to go with the blow. The trick is to slow down the shutter speed to a point where the grass tops render as discernable and sweeping at the same time. Otherwise, you just see a confusing blurry mess leaving viewers to wonder what they’re looking at. (It helps to zoom in to see the effect.)<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
This scene of Illinois Beach State Park is interesting because it shows the Dead River flowing into Lake Michigan. This isn’t a common occurrence, as its name comes from the fact that it doesn’t seem to flow. But sometimes it does, breaking through the sandbar that separates it from the lake. Here, the water flows beneath a thin layer of ice and emerges around the bend.<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u2014Mike<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Go With the Blow Well, I did my first below-zero photo shoot of the winter season on January 15.\u00a0 It was one below, so it qualified. Most of the time, the wind is my nemesis. But on this bitter afternoon, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1163,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[68,71,212,236,261,73,67,79,70],"tags":[264,265,262,266,268,267,263,142],"class_list":["post-1172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chicago-nature","category-digital-photography-lessons-tips","category-illinois-nature-photography","category-illinois-lake-county-nature","category-landscape-photography","category-landscape-photography-lessons-tips","category-nature","category-nature-photography-lessons","category-photography-lessons-tips","tag-below-zero-photography","tag-dead-river","tag-illinois-beach-state-park","tag-lake-michigan","tag-landscape","tag-landscape-photography","tag-wind-photography","tag-winter-photography"],"yoast_head":"\nGo With the Blow - 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The fog wasn't as dense as I had\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Chicago Nature"","block_context":{"text":"Chicago Nature","link":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/category\/illinois-nature-photography\/chicago-nature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The winter fog added a sense of mystery over the sand savanna of black oak and holly.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/IL-Beach-SP-231224-0010-UNCROPPED-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/IL-Beach-SP-231224-0010-UNCROPPED-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/IL-Beach-SP-231224-0010-UNCROPPED-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/IL-Beach-SP-231224-0010-UNCROPPED-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/IL-Beach-SP-231224-0010-UNCROPPED-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1190,"url":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/photography-lessons-tips\/nature-photography-lessons\/bunnys-view-of-springtime-woodland\/","url_meta":{"origin":1172,"position":1},"title":"A Bunny’s View of a Springtime Woodland","author":"Mike MacDonald","date":"November 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In the woodlands of early May, shy waxy white blossoms of mayapples hide under their umbrella-like foliage.","rel":"","context":"In "Chicago Nature"","block_context":{"text":"Chicago Nature","link":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/category\/illinois-nature-photography\/chicago-nature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An intimate view from underneath a miniature forest of mayapples in the woodland known as Raccoon Grove Nature Preserve in Monee, Illinois.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Raccoon-Grove-240506-0010-FS-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C959&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Raccoon-Grove-240506-0010-FS-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C959&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Raccoon-Grove-240506-0010-FS-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C959&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Raccoon-Grove-240506-0010-FS-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C959&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Raccoon-Grove-240506-0010-FS-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C959&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1115,"url":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/illinois-nature-photography\/from-dreary-to-dreamy\/","url_meta":{"origin":1172,"position":2},"title":"From Dreary to Dreamy","author":"Mike MacDonald","date":"February 11, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"From Dreary to Dreamy Just in case you're unaware, all of my images are available as big, beautiful photographic prints. More than just pretty, they tell elaborate stories that celebrate Chicago's wondrous habitats and inhabitants. Click here for more information. On overcast days like this, I usually stay home. Rarely\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Chicago Nature"","block_context":{"text":"Chicago Nature","link":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/category\/illinois-nature-photography\/chicago-nature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Shelves of ice form along the sandy shore of a turquoise Lake Michigan at Illinois Beach Nature Preserve in Zion, Illinois.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/IL-Beach-SP-Snow_Ice-220129-0010-FS-00-FINAL-UNCROPPED-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C901&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/IL-Beach-SP-Snow_Ice-220129-0010-FS-00-FINAL-UNCROPPED-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C901&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/IL-Beach-SP-Snow_Ice-220129-0010-FS-00-FINAL-UNCROPPED-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C901&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/IL-Beach-SP-Snow_Ice-220129-0010-FS-00-FINAL-UNCROPPED-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C901&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/IL-Beach-SP-Snow_Ice-220129-0010-FS-00-FINAL-UNCROPPED-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=1200%2C901&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1181,"url":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/illinois-nature-photography\/it-can-take-decades\/","url_meta":{"origin":1172,"position":3},"title":"It Can Take Decades","author":"Mike MacDonald","date":"September 22, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The image here showcases a hanging fen and a sedge meadow, two unique wetland habitats Mike has been trying to photograph for over twenty years. The fen, fed by a gravel hill's seep, features rare plants like Ohio goldenrod and sphynx lady tresses orchid, adapted to its alkaline water conditions.","rel":"","context":"In "Chicago Nature"","block_context":{"text":"Chicago Nature","link":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/category\/illinois-nature-photography\/chicago-nature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"At Lake in the Hills Fen, late-summer flowers decorate the seep of one of its hanging fens.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lake-in-the-Hills-Fen-220908-0010-FS-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=982%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lake-in-the-Hills-Fen-220908-0010-FS-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=982%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lake-in-the-Hills-Fen-220908-0010-FS-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=982%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lake-in-the-Hills-Fen-220908-0010-FS-2000px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=982%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1206,"url":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/nature\/biodiversity-nature\/tribute-dune-succession-cowles-indiana-dunes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1172,"position":4},"title":"A Tribute to Dune Succession","author":"Mike MacDonald","date":"December 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Cowles Bog Trail at Indiana Dunes National Park exemplifies dune succession, a concept pioneered by Henry Chandler Cowles. The process begins with marram grass, which stabilizes sand and enriches soil over time, allowing diverse flora, from flowers to oaks, to develop. This ecological transformation highlights the area's significance in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biodiversity"","block_context":{"text":"Biodiversity","link":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/category\/nature\/biodiversity-nature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Autumn begins along the Lake Michigan shoreline at Indiana Dunes National Park.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IN-Dunes-Nat-Lakeshore-Autumn-241027-0010-FS-800px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=654%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IN-Dunes-Nat-Lakeshore-Autumn-241027-0010-FS-800px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=654%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IN-Dunes-Nat-Lakeshore-Autumn-241027-0010-FS-800px-copyright-sRGB.jpg?fit=654%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":124,"url":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/nature\/new-nature-photography-blog-the-heart-of-nature\/","url_meta":{"origin":1172,"position":5},"title":"New Nature Photography Blog: A Celebration of Biodiversity & The Art of Nature Photography","author":"Mike MacDonald","date":"January 30, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"It's a new day and a\u00a0new year,\u00a0and with\u00a0them\u00a0come\u00a0a fresh new resource, a nature photography blog\u00a0that speaks to\u00a0the avid photographer\u00a0and the\u00a0lover of nature. I call it: The Heart of Nature. The purpose of this blog\u00a0is to share my insights about photography and my\u00a0explorations in the wilds of Chicago. It's a celebration\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Biodiversity"","block_context":{"text":"Biodiversity","link":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/category\/nature\/biodiversity-nature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The morning sun peaks above the horizon to illuminate a large display of Foxglove Beardtongue at Bluff Spring Fen in Elgin, Illinois. \u00a92007 Mike MacDonald Photography\u2014All Rights Reserved","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Tender-Kiss-of-Light-600px-Copyright.jpg?fit=600%2C439&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Tender-Kiss-of-Light-600px-Copyright.jpg?fit=600%2C439&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Tender-Kiss-of-Light-600px-Copyright.jpg?fit=600%2C439&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1172"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1197,"href":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1172\/revisions\/1197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chicagonature.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}