Turn the Page

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"Turn the Page" was captured in Marquette, Michigan. The Presque Isle Harbor Breakwater Lighthouse sits at the end of the breakwater protecting Marquette Harbor in Presque Isle Park. The park is a hotbed for activity all year round. Not far from the Northern Michigan University campus, it's an easy escape for students to enjoy the Lake Superior beaches, hiking and cliff jumping in the park.

Presque Isle Park was one of the areas where I settled my adventure addictions in college. On the particular day "Turn the Page" was photographed, a wind storm had sent Lake Superior into a state of turmoil and was testing the stability of the harbor breakwall. College was a constant development of techniques for me. My photographic mind was fighting to take form, looking for a spark or pattern to guide my focus. After "Turn the Page" I would fall in love with long exposures which would then introduce me to night photography and eventually light painting. (The light painting fad would conclude with me finding a way to set my hand on fire.)

The decision to go to Presque Isle Park was made out of boredom, when you live in Marquette, there's no reason to just sit inside even when the weather is bad. As I watched the waves explode against the wall and burst into the air I decided to play with some longer shutter speeds. The violent sea and racing clouds softened by time gave the scene a soothing sensation. I can still hear the crashing of the waves hitting the rocks and the constant whistle of the wind when I look at this image, but I no longer feel the wind abusing my body.

"Turn the Page" is a perfect metaphor for that time in my life. I dove into a photography degree without any direction and spent four years trying to find an identity. It was photographs like this that would keep the doubts at bay. I relied on inspiration to keep shooting and growing. Rather than getting bogged down I launched into new techniques that kept the wheels turning. Looking back, those days were instrumental in creating the photographer I am today. I pursued photography because I wanted a career that I was passionate about. The road is going to be rough but I've grown to appreciate those times because there are moments like this that make it all worth while.

Location: Marquette, MI, USA

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