One of my favorite places to photograph, especially in the fall, is Cave Point County Park.  This park is located in what us Wisconsinites call the Door Peninsula--that funny looking "thumb" of the state that juts out into Lake Michigan.  I really enjoy this location because of its moodiness, which can lead to some great photos.  You really don't know what you're going to get when you come here.    The weather and conditions are always changing.  It may very well be sunny and calm in the morning, but end up very windy and overcast by mid afternoon if one of our famous Great Lakes storms descends upon the area.  This is when conditions are prime for action shots of the huge waves crashing against the rocky cliffs that make up the shoreline. 

The image at right was taken very early in the morning just as the sun was coming up over the horizon.  I got up around 1 or 2am so I could make the long drive to this area in time to catch the sunrise.  I live about 2 hours from the park so I wanted to allow myself plenty of time to arrive and set up my shot before prime time.  I used a wide angle lens coupled with a low perspective so I could accentuate the foreground details in the layered rock.  I decided to go with a smaller aperture so I could use a long shutter speed to blur the movement of the waves lapping against the shoreline.  Leaving the shutter open for one second gave me the effect I was looking for.

What to Bring

If you're going to visit Cave Point, make sure that you bring appropriate attire.  It's often cooler on the lakeshore than inland so bring a jacket even if you think you won't need one.  It can come in handy if the weather changes.  I would also bring a raincoat, as storms can blow in at anytime.  Bring sturdy hiking boots with rubber soles that have good tread.  You'll definitely need them if you decide to venture out by the shoreline because the rocks are often times covered with very slippery seaweed and algae.  I fell a couple times while setting up for this shot even though I was being careful.  Luckily I have sufficient padding on my person and didn't hurt myself or my equipment.  As far as photo equipment is concerned, I bring everything.  Opportunities are always presenting themselves here and you can use your wide angle lenses to accentuate foreground rock formations, while your long lenses can be useful in woods and along the hiking path located here.  And as I always suggest, bring a tripod if you want to get sharper images or get creative with slow shutter speeds.

Directions

The park is actually located adjacent to Whitefish Dunes State Park.  To get there, turn East from Highway 57 onto County Highway WD (Clark Lake Road) in Door County about a mile north of the town of Valmy.  Follow this road to Schauer Road and turn North.  You will drive right into the park.