When the wind really howls from the right direction, Lake Erie can absolutely transform. What is usually a shallow, warm, and often calm lake can erupt in a fury that seems almost unrealistic. This is not exactly something one would expect from a lake.
This particular spot is special, and I am certainly not the first person to see or photograph this. When wind comes from the right direction, huge waves will be kicked up, and end up crashing into other waves moving in the opposite direction, forcing the water to leap straight up into the air, where the wind that started all of this will catch it and make it appear to explode. This dynamic is really something to experience.
At first it just seems like the water is almost boiling, and then a wave just leaps straight up into the air, making incredible shapes as it rises and falls. Sometimes these shapes can just demonstrate the immense power of nature, while other times those waves can form more recognizable shapes. I’m sure there’s some psychology at play here, but to me those waves can often look like creatures, spirits, or even faces and people. Every wave becomes almost an ink blot, testing me to explore the wave deeper, and ask what the lake is trying to show me. Sometimes I see something, and sometimes I don’t.
This wave immediately stood out to me because I saw an obvious face in the water. For me, the calm and almost forgiving or accepting smile felt deeply personal. Like I was looking into my soul and trying to communicate to me that everything would be alright. What a special moment.