photobyjohnbo

Cellpic Sunday—First Light at Breezy Point

Cellpic sunrise

April 2017.
Breezy Point, Minnesota.

Tucked beside Pelican Lake in Crow Wing County, Breezy Point is a resort town in central Minnesota with a colorful past and a peaceful present. Founded in the 1920s by Wilford “Captain Billy” Fawcett, a publisher known for Whiz Bang magazine, Breezy Point quickly became a retreat for celebrities and vacationers seeking lakeside serenity. Over the decades, Breezy Point evolved from a rustic getaway into a year-round destination, offering golf, cabins, and quiet mornings like the one captured in this photo. For more photos and a closer look at the story of Breezy Point, you can see my original post here.

About the photo: It wasn’t yet 6 AM when I began scouting Breezy Point for potential sunrise shots with my Nikon D500. This image, however, came from my Samsung S7—a quick capture that proved the phone could hold its own. At the time, Skylum (then known as Macphun) primarily offered its editing tools, like Luminar 2017, only for Mac. It was already developing Luminar 2018, which would become its first major release for both Mac and Windows later that year. I processed this photo in Adobe Lightroom Classic with minimal adjustments: a slight lift to shadows and highlights, a touch of vibrance, and a single click to straighten the perspective. Click on the image to view it on my Flickr site in 2K HD.

I invite fellow bloggers to join in by creating their own Cellpic Sunday posts. There’s no set theme. The first rule is that your photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or other mobile device. The second rule is simple: link your challenge response to this post or drop a comment here with your link so others can find it. And remember, despite the name, there’s no penalty for sharing on a day other than Sunday.

John Steiner

41 comments

    • Thanks! By the way, I don’t count the date on a photo, or even whether it was posted on a Sunday. It’s just my day for honoring the improvements made in cell phone cameras, so much so, that camera companies are feeling the pinch and have all but abandoned the “point and shoot” market.

      Reply

  7. Immediately, I felt myself relaxed seeing your wonderful image of that gorgeous sunrise, John. The colors are serene and vibrant (if that combination is even possible). What a great view to wake up to. Thank you as always for the processing tips and the helpful information that locates the place of your photo. Cellphone cameras have come a long way.

    Reply

  16. The image is spectacular – yours all are – but I mostly enjoyed your narrative, thank you John. I’m sorry I do not join in on CellPic Sunday but I have never (not even once) taken a decent shot with my phone. To be fair, it is now ancient (iPhone 4) but even new, my shots are all a blurred mess. I seemingly cannot take a shot without moving the damned phone. [Please stop laughing!] So it is not indifference, nor laziness, but incompetence that keeps me from joining this challenge. 🙂 pp

    Reply

    • Hey, Pam… you don’t know how many photos I’ve deleted on my phone for whatever stupid reason (mostly carrying the camera and accidentally triggering the shutter.) >grin<

      Reply

  17. I love it when a cellphone does the lions’ share of work in a shot, especially in a low-light situation, John! I think I have a similar pic of a sunset with the plant in the foreground, taken years ago. I’m joining you tomorrow with some more tulips!

    Reply

    • Even older cell phones had pretty decent performance, but in the last five years, manufacturers really started tweaking their phone hardware and software. I really like that RAW edits are now available if I choose to take the photo after I select the option.

      Reply

  20. What a gorgeous sunrise! I often have to straighten out the perspective, but I find that I am more careful about taking them straight than I used to be. That helps. I’ll have my pics for you at 9:00 am. You are going to love them. 🙂

    Reply

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