15 Stunning Lake Superior Photos

Northern Minnesota photographer Christian Dalbec finds his calling—and a friend and therapist, of sorts—in Lake Superior, whose waves, ripples and endless shifts of light beckon him every day. Read our Q&A with him; check out his website, where you can buy prints, and his Instagram feed; and browse a sampling of his photos below.

Split Rock Lighthouse (shown in Firewater above and Framed in Fall below) is one of Dalbec's top locations. Framed in Fall is his favorite image. "I remember looking at it in the back of the camera right after I shot it and immediately I knew, it's the one I've been aiming for since I first got in the water," he says.

Dalbec typically preps his gear in the evening—wet suit, cameras, other equipment—and sets his timer for 4 a.m. so he can get out in the water for extraordinary shots.

See how Dalbec captures waves above, at, and below the surface of Lake Superior in all seasons. Below, Fall Suspension.

Lost Marbles.

Sea smoke on a subzero day puts a magical cast on sunrise from a Tettegouche State Park cave in Frozen Outlook.

Hook and Curl.

"What a beautiful sunrise below the surface of Superior," Dalbec wrote on his Instagram when he posted Bottoms Up, below. "Light was everywhere and doing wonders."

The Foundation.

Details.

Aqua at Split Rock Lighthouse.

Lake Superior Amen.

My Own #1.

Morning Above, under Palisade Head catching sunrise from below.

Rock Bottom.