Split Rock Lighthouse is both an easy and difficult subject to photograph well. Its ease comes from the fact that there are numerous vantage points along the shore that make for obviously appealing compositions. On the other hand, given the sheer number of photographs made here, it can be challenging to capture something fresh.

This image from last September is the result of a very deliberate effort of combining 18 individual frames into one seamless panoramic image with enhanced tonal range (meaning that no detail is lost, from the brightest highlights near the sun to darkest shadows in the rock crevices). The panorama blend allows for the image to be printed as large as 30"x90" (if I were feeling a little adventurous) without a significant reduction in detail, while the enhanced tonal range gives the image a "real world" appearance that would be impossible to capture with a single exposure. The result is an image depicting the first light of day, as I remember it, with exquisite detail throughout.

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