Icy Tranquility

A photographer finds peace on Grand Haven’s Fisherman’s Pier
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Photo by Sarah Goodwin

Michigan is home to a wealth of beautiful lighthouses — an impressive 129 in total. I have so many personal favorites that I’ve jokingly been known to say, “They’re all my favorites, because it’s impossible for me to pick just one!” One of those is easily the iconic Grand Haven inner and outer lighthouses, which are magical in each of Michigan’s beautiful four seasons.

I thoroughly enjoy every one of our seasons, and that absolutely includes winter. I’m such a winter-loving person, in fact, that there’s nothing I enjoy more than getting bundled up in my cold-weather gear and playing in the snow. I love exploring Michigan’s beauty: our hiking trails dressed in snow, the countryside, our frozen lakes, and, of course, our lighthouses!

One of the many magical elements about winter is how piers and lighthouses are transformed into elegant snow- and ice-glazed fortresses. There’s something so majestic about a lighthouse that’s coated in snow and ice — and the icing on the cake is the ice pancakes that form offshore. Being immersed in this magnificence on a peaceful winter’s day or evening is simply unmatched.

The combination of hearing the ice pancakes softly gliding though the channel and watching them roll in rhythmic unison with the water is a mesmerizing and zen-like experience. The evening I captured this image was no exception. I put my ice spikes on (safety first, always!) and ventured out to the end of Grand Haven’s Fisherman’s Pier, where I took in the immensely beautiful frozen tranquility.

This image was captured with my Nikon Z6II (using a 24-200mm). I had my camera set for an ISO of 200, a half-second shutter speed, and a f5.6 aperture. To get this shot, I also used a tripod.

Sarah Goodwin, of Spring Lake, is a photo ambassador for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. She owns SG Captures and sells her work on Etsy/SGCaptures. Follow her on Instagram at @sg.captures.

P.S. More about Grand Haven’s lights: Established in 1839, the two lights on the south pier, both painted red, are joined by a lighted catwalk that also connects them to the shore and the Grand Haven Boardwalk. The inner light is cylindrical, and the foghouse’s outer light stands on a huge concrete foundation.


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