Slow Down: Winter Landscape Photography Trip Report from Minnesota's North Shore

A four-day winter adventure. 1,500+ miles. Brutal subzero temperatures. New ice forming by the hour. And the kind of Lake Superior conditions photographers dream about! Sea smoke, shoreline ice, and magical winter light along Minnesota's North Shore.

In the first trip report of 2026, I share the biggest lesson the North Shore taught me: slow down. Not as a motivational phrase but as a practical tool that improves your decisions in the field, especially when the cold punishes every mistake. From refining a winter workflow to building stronger compositions through patience, this episode is about earning the photograph instead of chasing it.

If you photograph winter landscapes, Lake Superior shorelines, or want more consistency in your field process, this episode will help you slow down, and come home with better work. Related Video: Field journaling for photographers New episodes every two weeks. Follow along for more Great Lakes landscape photography stories, education, and trip reports.

Connect with Nicholas Albert 👋🏼

Website

YouTube

Instagram

The Lakescape Photography Podcast 🎙️

Great Lakes Photo Collective - Discord

Support the Show

Website

Instagram

Email

All Content © Nicholas Albert Photography & The Lakescape Photography Podcast - All Rights Reserved.

The Lakescape Photography Podcast name, artwork, logo, audio and associated content are property of Nicholas Albert Photography & The Lakescape Photography Podcast. Reproduction, modification, or any use of the podcast name, artwork, logo, audio, and associated content must receive prior written authorization. For inquiries, please reach out: lakescapepodcast@gmail.com.

The Decisive Moment: From Lake Superior to the Sardine Run with Ian Plant

In this episode of the Lakescape Photography Podcast, Nick sits down with photographer, educator, and author Ian Plant for a practical, field-focused conversation about decision-making in landscape photography. The real stuff that separates "pretty scenes" from photographs that actually stand on their own.

Together, they break down what the decisive moment looks like in nature: recognizing visual energy, anticipating change, committing to a composition, and making confident choices when conditions are moving fast. From the rugged shoreline of Lake Superior to the chaos and intensity of the Sardine Run, Ian shares how to read a scene, simplify the noise, and build frames with intention.

If you've ever come home with a full card and still felt like you missed something, this episode will help you slow down mentally, sharpen your instincts, and start making photographs that feel deliberate.

*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:d0aa20c0-c533-45cf-adc1-d3706a434df3-15" data-testid= "conversation-turn-20" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn= "assistant"> Resources & Links Mentioned

Ian Plant

• Ian's portfolio

Photo Masters (Ian's education platform)

• Photo Masters

  • Workshops + tours

  • eBooks + videos (free + premium)

  • Webinars + opportunities to interact directly

  • Interviews with other photographers

Software / Tools Referenced

• Adobe Camera Raw

• Adobe Lightroom

• Photoshop

Connect With The Host - Nicholas Albert👋🏼

Website

YouTube

Instagram

The Lakescape Photography Podcast 🎙️

Great Lakes Photo Collective - Discord

Support the Show

Website

Instagram

Email

Your Reality, Your Art: Editing as Expression with Blake Rudis

In this episode of the Lakescape Photography Podcast, Nick sits down with Blake Rudis. Professional photography educator, landscape photographer, and founder of F64 Academy, for a deep, practical conversation about artistic vision, editing as translation, and why your photos deserve more than "driving north" with no plan in post-processing.

Together, they unpack the tension between "purism" and creative expression, how our brains actually see a scene versus what a sensor records, and why the final image is often a gift of experience to the viewer, not a literal document of reality. They also tackle the modern landscape: AI accusations, authenticity, ethics, critique, jealousy, and how to stay grounded while still making work you're proud to share.

If you've ever looked at your RAW files and thought, "This doesn't match what I felt," this one's for you.

Resources & Links Mentioned

• F64 Academy (Blake's education + newsletter): https://f64academy.com

• F64 Academy on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@f64Academy

• F64 Elite (Blake's community + critiques + roundtables): https://f64elite.com

• Recommended Ansel Adams books: The Camera, The Negative, The Print

Connect With The Host - Nicholas Albert👋🏼

Website

YouTube

Instagram

The Lakescape Photography Podcast 🎙️

Great Lakes Photo Collective - Discord

Support the Show

Website

Instagram

Email

Finding Your Photographic Voice with Craig Blacklock (Lake Superior, Style, Composition & Creative Freedom)

Please don't forget to rate and subscribe! 🙂

Blacklock Gallery (books / store): https://www.blacklockgallery.com Craig's fine art prints: https://www.craigblacklock.art Singulart profile (search his name): https://www.singulart.com

Season Two kicks off with renowned Minnesota-based landscape photographer, author, educator, and gallery owner Craig Blacklock, a lifelong photographer of Lake Superior. Craig shares the throughline of his 50+ year career (from large-format landscapes to intimate projects and modern abstract work), and breaks down what it actually means to develop a photographic voice, separate from "vision," separate from trends, and often separate from what performs online.

This conversation is packed with practical field and creative guidance: how to spot your patterns, why constraints make you more creative, how to slow down and refine composition, and why social media engagement is a terrible measuring stick for meaningful work.

In this episode, you'll learn

• The difference between photographic vision (what you want your work to do) and photographic voice (how your work sounds/feels).

• How Craig's long-term Lake Superior projects evolved:

  • Lake Superior Images (4x5 transparencies + kayak circumnavigation writing)

  • A Voice Within: The Lake Superior Nudes (metaphor, humanity, emotion)

  • North Shore / Apostle Islands / Pictured Rocks work

  • Horizons and the shift toward minimalism and abstraction

  • Light Waves and the current abstract "resistance arts" direction

• Why your best work may get less engagement online, and why that can be a good sign.

• A compositional approach that helps complex scenes read clearly: separation of elements (the "loose jigsaw puzzle" idea).

• How to stop shooting "14mm panic photos" and start making wide angles work.

Next Episode

Next up: "Your Reality, Your Art." A digital darkroom conversation with Blake Rudis about interpretation, style, and creating work that reflects your experience (not the internet's expectations).

Connect with the Host - Nicholas Albert 👋🏼

Website

YouTube

Instagram

_____________________________________________________

The Lakescape Photography Podcast 🎙️

Great Lakes Photo Collective - Discord

Support the Show

Website

Instagram

Email

Season 2 Kickoff: Great Lakes Landscape Photography, YouTube Adventures & the Great Lakes Photo Collective

Season Two of the Lakescape Photography Podcast is officially here, and it's bigger, more visual, and more community-driven than ever. In this season opener, Nick shares the incredible growth of Season One, explains the biweekly Thursday release schedule, and announces two major expansions: a YouTube companion series (Nicholas Albert Photography on YouTube) and the launch of the Great Lakes Photo Collective (free Discord community).

You'll also learn how the new "From the Collective" segment works, where listener images and stories get featured on the podcast and on Instagram.

New episodes every two weeks on Thursdays through November 19, 2026.

YouTube Companion Series

• Channel: Nicholas Albert Photography

Great Lakes Photo Collective (Discord)

• A free community focused on Great Lakes + Midwest landscape photography (open to anyone who connects with the show).

• Great Lakes Photo Collective - Discord

_____________________________________________________

CONNECT WITH THE HOST NICHOLAS ALBERT 👋🏼

Website

YouTube

Instagram

_____________________________________________________

THE LAKESCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY PODCAST 🎙️

Great Lakes Photo Collective - Discord

Support the Show

Website

Instagram

Email

_____________________________________________________

All Content © Nicholas Albert Photography & The Lakescape Photography Podcast - All Rights Reserved.

The Lakescape Photography Podcast name, artwork, logo, audio and associated content are property of Nicholas Albert Photography & The Lakescape Photography Podcast. Reproduction, modification, or any use of the podcast name, artwork, logo, audio, and associated content must receive prior written authorization. For inquiries, please reach out: lakescapepodcast@gmail.com.

The Lost and Forgotten Waterfalls of Michigan's Western Upper Peninsula with Jake Ring

Jake Ring joins us for a discussion on his journey to finding 1,000 waterfalls in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and shares details about his newly released book, The Lost and Forgotten Waterfalls of Michigan's Western Upper Peninsula.

Please don't forget to rate and subscribe! 🙂

CONNECT WITH JAKE RING 📸

Website | Instagram

Purchase Lost & Forgotten Waterfalls of Michigan's Western Upper Pensinsula

Wow Creek

Andrew Morrissey (Kayaker over Tahquamenon)

Geology Books

1. Geology of Michigan
2. Geology and Landscapes of Michigan's Pictured Rocks

_____________________________________________________

CONNECT WITH THE HOST 👋🏼

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | Email

_____________________________________________________

THE LAKESCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY PODCAST 🎙️

Website | Patreon | Instagram | Email

_____________________________________________________

All Content © Nicholas Albert Photography & The Lakescape Photography Podcast - All Rights Reserved.

The Lakescape Photography Podcast name, artwork, logo, audio and associated content are property of Nicholas Albert Photography. Reproduction, modification, or any use of the podcast name, artwork, logo, audio, and associated content must receive prior written authorization. For inquiries, please reach out: lakescapepodcast@gmail.com.

Shoulder Seasons and Landscape Photography

This week, I share some takeaways from my recent shoulder season trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Autumn met winter, and it was a beautiful thing!

Please don't forget to rate and subscribe! 🙂

CONNECT WITH THE HOST 👋🏼

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | Email

_____________________________________________________

THE LAKESCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY PODCAST 🎙️

Website | Patreon | Instagram | Email

_____________________________________________________

All Content © Nicholas Albert Photography & The Lakescape Photography Podcast - All Rights Reserved.

The Lakescape Photography Podcast name, artwork, logo, audio and associated content are property of Nicholas Albert Photography. Reproduction, modification, or any use of the podcast name, artwork, logo, audio, and associated content must receive prior written authorization. For inquiries, please reach out: lakescapepodcast@gmail.com.

Lessons Learned! Recap of Fall Colors 2025

This week, I share the challenges that came with my 2025 Fall Colors Trip, and the lessons I learned in the process. I hope you have all had an outstanding fall color season!

Please don't forget to rate and subscribe! 🙂

CONNECT WITH THE HOST 👋🏼

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | Email

_____________________________________________________

THE LAKESCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY PODCAST 🎙️

Website | Patreon | Instagram | Email

_____________________________________________________

All Content © Nicholas Albert Photography & The Lakescape Photography Podcast - All Rights Reserved.

The Lakescape Photography Podcast name, artwork, logo, audio and associated content are property of Nicholas Albert Photography. Reproduction, modification, or any use of the podcast name, artwork, logo, audio, and associated content must receive prior written authorization. For inquiries, please reach out: lakescapepodcast@gmail.com.

Fall Color in Illinois & Three of my Favorite Autumn Photography Tips

This week, I share five of my favorite locations to experience fall color in Illinois, and three of my best pieces of advice about making the most out of your fall color adventures wherever you might be! I hope you all have an outstanding autumn season!!

Please don't forget to rate and subscribe! 🙂

Starved Rock Color Progression

_____________________________________________________

CONNECT WITH THE HOST 👋🏼

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | Email

_____________________________________________________

THE LAKESCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY PODCAST 🎙️

Website | Patreon | Instagram | Email

_____________________________________________________

All Content © Nicholas Albert Photography & The Lakescape Photography Podcast - All Rights Reserved.

The Lakescape Photography Podcast name, artwork, logo, audio and associated content are property of Nicholas Albert Photography. Reproduction, modification, or any use of the podcast name, artwork, logo, audio, and associated content must receive prior written authorization. For inquiries, please reach out: lakescapepodcast@gmail.com.

Fall Color in Wisconsin with Douglas Jones

This week, Douglas Jones joins us for a discussion on the autumn landscapes of Wisconsin, and Door County. From enjoying the experience to getting out of your comfort zone, Doug shares some of his favorite moments exploring all the region has to offer.

Please don't forget to rate and subscribe! 🙂

CONNECT WITH DOUGLAS JONES 📸

Website | Facebook | Instagram

_____________________________________________________

CONNECT WITH THE HOST 👋🏼

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | Email

_____________________________________________________

THE LAKESCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY PODCAST 🎙️

Website | Patreon | Instagram | Email

_____________________________________________________

All Content © Nicholas Albert Photography & The Lakescape Photography Podcast - All Rights Reserved.

The Lakescape Photography Podcast name, artwork, logo, audio and associated content are property of Nicholas Albert Photography. Reproduction, modification, or any use of the podcast name, artwork, logo, audio, and associated content must receive prior written authorization. For inquiries, please reach out: lakescapepodcast@gmail.com.