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Earth, Water, Sky: The Magic Of Lake Superior

Craig Blacklock uses the camera to explore the natural world and create images that inform, educate and inspire

Light—the essential ingredient for all photography. To capture the true essence of natural illumination, a photographer has to be able to read it, know its personality and quality, and translate it effectively on film or flash card. But while light is necessary for all photography, the landscape photographer has the extra challenge of featuring the elements of earth, sky and water.

For the past 30 years, nature photographer Craig Blacklock has successfully combined these essential elements in his photography of Lake Superior and his home state of Minnesota. One look at his new book, Minnesota's North Shore, and it becomes apparent he's at the pinnacle of his profession.

Capturing The Core Elements Of A Landscape
Blacklock remains to this day a lover of nature—a true naturalist by heart—and he views the camera as a tool to help him explore the natural world and use the resulting images to inform, educate and inspire others. "My skills as a naturalist taught me to be prepared to capture the right moment in the right light," says Blacklock.

When discovering a large, impressive landform to photograph, Blacklock searches for angles and foregrounds that will enhance the composition. "I put the landscape first," he explains. "What is it about the scene that impresses me the most? How can I convey the emotions the landscape has triggered within me?"

While considering the landscape, he also watches the weather. "I consider weather the deciding factor in whether or not a landscape has impact."

Placement of the horizon is also critical in the region where Blacklock photographs. "When working on the big lake, the sky and the horizon line are pretty dominant. If the sky is dramatic, I emphasize it, filling the frame almost entirely with it, forcing the horizon line very low as a grounding reference point. Contrarily, if the sky is clear or a monochrome, I may put the horizon line nearly at the top of the frame."

To further incorporate the core elements, Blacklock challenges himself to work with complex compositions. "I like landscapes that provide several elements in the composition," he says.

This complexity might take the form of several distinct compositions built in layers—a foreground that frames a middle ground that frames a background—each layer filling in the negative spaces. "I picked up this image-within-an-image technique from Pacific Northwest Native American artwork, which I loved as a young boy."

Blacklock also enjoys focusing on the smaller details of a landscape, using isolation techniques to emphasize only a portion of the landscape. "I love working with waves washing over stones," he says. "In these situations, I use a combination of scintillations, reflections, refraction lines, motion and color. If done right, these images can turn a simple beach stone into a sculpture that draws you in. You fill it with meaning from within yourself."

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