“All Is Calm”
Along the western shore of Geneva Lake in Fontana, Wisconsin
November 9, 2024
If you are attuned to Christmas music, you will recognize the source of my title for this photograph. The first two lines of the beloved yuletide song “Silent Night” are “Silent night, holy night / All is calm, all is bright.”
In writing out those two lines I realized I could have used each of the four phrases as the title of this photo, which I made on the western shore of Geneva Lake in Fontana, Wisconsin. The pier, Sunfish sailboat, and gigantic willow belonged to Bill and Barbara Turner, long-time village residents who moved from the area several years ago.
That night of November 2, 1979 – only 45 years ago! – definitely was silent, since the time was well into the autumn when the lake-area population drops dramatically. The number of visitors lessens considerably, too.
The night also was holy, as in one definition in the Webster’s New World College Dictionary: “regarded with or deserving deep respect, awe, reverence, or adoration.” Of course, anytime of the day or night can be (and should be, in my view) looked upon with those characteristics. Being alive is magical!
As evidenced by the mirror-like surface of the lake, all was calm due to the lack of wind. I used film to make this photo, and the conditions required an exposure of approximately 30 seconds. You can see some blurring of the willow branches and leaves, but not much.
All was bright because of the moon and the reflection of the moonlight on the lake. Reading under such conditions is no problem, so I changed my camera settings without using a flashlight.
As I have expressed when writing about other nighttime lake photographs, walking the shore path when darkness engulfs the area is fantastic. The experience is significantly different from daytime and perhaps more enlightening and enriching. I heartily encourage you to do so if you have not already.
View more photos of the Geneva Lake area and other parts of Walworth County in the portfolios on my home page.