225/365 Open water and wind

Ah, Lake Michigan.

I don't often get to see expansive bodies of water (central Indiana tends to be landlocked), so just seeing the waters of the Great Lakes is a treat.

I drove up to southwestern Michigan last week with some colleagues for a meeting with a client. Their office is just about 100 yards from Lake Michigan. Luckily, it was a nice enough day that I was able to venture to the edge for a few quick photos before we headed home. (My traveling companions were very generous with their patience.)

The drive from Indianapolis to Michigan on I-65 offers an interesting sight as well: two expansive wind farms.

I'm a definite supporter of collecting energy in this way, and these farms along I-65 are the first I've seen in person. I find it very interesting, mesmerizing... and foreign. The turbines are massive and remind me of something I'd see in a science fiction movie, like Contact (with Jodie Foster).

Here's a photo that really illustrates their scale if you've never seen one before:

Each is bright white, supported on narrow posts, with three blades making up the turbine itself. What's most amazing about this particular farm is the sheer number of individual turbines -- they literally stretch for miles. Hundreds of them dot this landscape.

Indiana doesn't have the most favorable conditions for farms like this, which is part of the reason I've never actually seen one before. The first time we drove by this farm, very few of the turbines were spinning. On this day, all (or close to all) were in motion.

I'd call it a successful day -- good client meeting, and two new photo opportunities.

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/500s, f/5.6 and f/8 at ISO 100 between 1:00 and 3:30 p.m.