New Years' Eve In Hockeytown

Comerica Park in Detroit is all dressed up to host two NHL Alumni games today between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs as part of the NHL Winter Classic. The Classic will be played tomorrow in Ann Arbor at the Big House on the University of Michigan Campus. The NHL predicts 105,000+ are expected to pack the stadium.

Winter Photography Tips

It takes a little extra preparation to shoot in cold temps! But winter photography can yield beautiful photos! The extra effort to prepare for the shoot always pays dividends in the field as you will be as comfortable as possible and your gear will be safeguarded to operate as well as possible in difficult conditions. Here are a few quick tips to help make your winter photography successful:

1. Travel Light … No need to bring everything! You'll be wearing gloves and there may be snow blowing about so keep your kit as basic as you can…You'll be glad you did!
2. Keep your lenses and camera bodies enclosed in Large Re-Sealable Freezer Bags to reduce fogging as you move between cold and room temps. Seal the bags while in the cold BEFORE moving indoors. Bring extra batteries and try to keep them warm (use hand warmers).
3. Dress in layers…Wear good footwear…Bring extra socks and gloves…Wear a hat/ear muffs...Carry sunglasses with you at all times…Have dry towels available.
4. Stay hydrated! Drink water BEFORE you're thirsty!
5. Stay SAFE! Ice can be extreemly slippery! No picture is worth getting injured or killed for!

That's it for today! I'll have a much more detailed post regarding winter photography tips and techniques in a few days. Happy New Year!

Magical Dawn

Lake of the Clouds Overlook in Porcupine Mountains State Park is one of my favorite early morning photo locations in Michigan. The iconic shot of the lake itself is almost always amazing, but sometimes the shot of the day is not where you expect it. It is always a good idea to look beyond the obvious. This shot was only possible for a brief moment as the sun broke through the cloud cover and very briefly back lit the mist and fall foliage at the edge of the cliffs. A moment after tripping the shutter the light and the shot disappeared. The "Porkies" are located in the western Upper Peninsula.

An Early Seven

Shooting sunrise in Chicago, Illinois during the summer months is darn near insane! The nights are very short…Too short! The sun rises soooo early in the morning! To catch pre-dawn light and sunrise, one must be up and out of bed just after 4am! I shot this scene very early one morning and used a long (123-second) exposure to smooth out the lake. The morning was beautiful and it's always interesting to watch the city come to life. I'm pretty sure I took a nap that afternoon!

Green Bay Sunset

The middle of winter can be bitterly cold…and no where seems colder than standing on the ice when the wind is howling and the wind chill factors hover at or below zero! But winter at the shoreline can be a magical place to make beautiful photographs. I shot the photo above at Peninsula State Park in Wisconsin one cold January evening looking out over Green Bay. As long as one prepares for the cold the experience can in fact be enjoyable… and productive!

False Kiva Afternoon

America is blessed with amazing natural beauty and Canyonlands National Park contains some of what I consider to be the most beautiful vistas in the land. Canyonlands is located near Moab Utah, just up the road from Arches National Park. One of the hidden gems in Canyonlands is "False Kiva." It's not on any maps, the park rangers are reluctant to give you directions to find it, and the hike in and out is not exactly easy. But the view is spectacular and well worth the effort! 

Mineral Seeps and Rust

This first shot is a close-up from a rusty old car I spotted on the side of the road this summer in rural Wisconsin. A few months later I was kayaking along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan and was struck by the beauty of the mineral seeps. The similarities are obvious. Here are a few from that trip:

Eagle Harbor Lighthouse

Known as the Great Lake State, Michigan has 3126 miles of freshwater coastline and 116 lighthouses, more than any other state. There is history and beauty associated with each and every lighthouse. Most of these lighthouses no longer serve as navigational aids but many are maintained by historical associations eager to share their history. Eagle Harbor Lighthouse is located in the Keewenaw Peninsula of Michigans' UP.

Smoky Mountain Autumn

Smoky Mountain National Park is beautiful in all seasons, but Autumn is truly amazing! It really doesn't matter where in the park you go, there's a beautiful picture around every curve in the road just waiting to be photographed. The rivers and streams in the park are especially beautiful when the leaves change...I'm planning on a winter visit this year and hope to frame some of the same scenes with snow on the ground.

Over My Shoulder

There is a roadside park in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan near the tiny village of L'Anse that serves as the trailhead of a short and easy hike to view the very beautiful Canyon Falls. I was there leading a group from Michigan Photo Adventures on a workshop through the western Upper Peninsula and into the Keewenaw Peninsula. On my way down the trail toward the falls I looked back over my shoulder and spotted this beautiful scene. 

Backroads of Homer

I stumbled across this old relic just outside of Homer, Alaska. I was in Homer awaiting a bush flight into Katmai National Park to photograph grizzlies. The weather was awful and the pilots wouldn't risk flying so I had about three days to explore the Homer area. As everywhere in Alaska there was much to see and explore! Eagles and moose were plentiful...And every once in a while I would spot an old vehicle in a field or hidden behind some weathered structure. Eventually the weather cleared and we were able to fly into Katmai. 

Midnight Near the Garden Wall

Late one evening in Charleston, SC I happened by this garden wall near White Point. The simplicity of the scene struck me as quite beautiful. In my travels down this crazy path called photography I am constantly striving to simplify the scene to its' bare essence. Charleston is a wonderful place to explore simplicity...The first time I visited Charleston to make photographs was several years ago with +Tony Sweet  for a workshop. I immediately fell in love with the place and I try to get back there each and every spring! 

Straits at Dawn

The Straits of Mackinac at dawn...I was on my way into the Michigan Upper Peninsula with  +Thomas Nighswander  to lead a Michigan Photo Adventures photo workshop around Lake Michigan. We timed our travel to be at the Macinaw Bridge just before dawn (no, I haven't misspelled either the straits or the bridge...it's complicated). Southwest of the bridge we set out to explore the lakeshore and find a spot to shoot the pre-dawn light. Using a slow shutter speed I included some nearby rocks in the foreground and placed the bridge itself in the upper third of the frame. The result is a cool blue sunrise with a nice warm glow on the horizon.

My Fellow Traveler

I was walking around Wildwing Lake in Kensington Metropark (suburban Detroit) and I was enthralled with the fall color (as usual) and spotted this freshly fallen leaf on the ground. Since I had my macro lens with me, I decided to pick up the little fella and take him with me as I continued on my hike. Along the way I kept my eyes open for something to use as an interesting background. This is one of the macro techniques +Mike Moats espouses so brilliantly. Finally I spotted an old log with some interesting textures and posed my little friend in several compositions. In the end I settled on the square composition above. I ended up printing this on canvas and have it hanging in my home...and it always gets lots of compliments.

Saturday Morning In the D

Saturday morning in downtown Detroit, Michigan. I know it seems deserted, but the city did spring to life about a half an hour later. I shot this from the top of a high-rise apartment building. Detroit certainly gets its fair share of negative publicity in the press, and deservedly so...BUT the city really does seem to be rising from the ashes. There is a new and refreshing vibe downtown these days. Young professionals and artist-types are moving into the city and cafes and night spots are opening up! Now if we can just get some more jobs in the city...

Lake of the Clouds Dawn

The lookout at Lake of the Clouds in Porcupine Mountains State Park is one of my favorite spots to visit whenever I'm in the Michigan Upper Penunsula. It's especially magical at dawn. The anticipation on-site of a spectacular sunrise is palpable. Sometimes the magic happens and sometimes it doesn't. Whether it happens or not the experience of witnessing a dawn at a spectacular location is worth the effort. This is where a golf analogy is appropriate...In golf one good shot is enough to keep bringing you back for more...Same thing applies for sunrises (and sunsets)...If you happen to be there just once for a magical experience, you'll keep coming back for more! 

The Power of Three

When I visited Great Smoky Mointains National Park this spring I made sure to visit Cades Cove. Arriving before sunrise and waiting in line at the gate, I anticipated the early dawn light illluminating the bucolic scene at Sparks' Lane...An iconic location I have visited many times in many seasons. This time I was planning on getting a variation of photos all from the same location. I captured the standard color photo that no doubt is similar to those captured by the four dozen other photographers there that spring morning. Then I switched cameras and made an infrared exposure with my dedicated-infrared D 200 camera. The result was a very cool "color" infrared photo:

In post I converted the color infrared to black and white in Nik Silver Efex 2. The result resembles a winter scene. One scene...three very different iterations.

Waterfalls and Fall Color

I absolutely love photographing waterfalls and fall color! This year in Michigan the color was a little late and somewhat muted when it did arrive but there still was plenty to see, explore and shoot. That's one of the beautiful things about waterfalls...As long as the light is good they're always great subjects to visually explore. I was able to find some beautiful birch trees to play against colorful trees in the background. Fall color is so much fun to shoot...I just wish it would hang around a bit longer!

Bare Bluff Dawn

Michigan Photo Adventures hosted a photo workshop this fall in the western UP and Keewenaw Peninsula. Early one morning we hiked up in the dark to Bare Bluff to view the tip of the Keewenaw Peninsula at dawn. The scenery was amazing even though the sun rise over Lake Superior wasn't all that spectacular on that particular morning. I must say the experience and company was wonderful. This is easily one of my favorite hikes in the upper peninsula. MPA members Michael Marowske and George Hamzik busy at work on the Tip of the Keewenaw:

Raindrops Galore!

It was a rainy day in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan...I was out exploring the backroads between Munising and Marquette with some friends and I found this scene at a roadside park. The overcast, rainy and cool conditions made it less than ideal for most activities...But perfect for exploring intimate scenics with my camera!

Rainy Day at Bond Falls

Came up a little bit short on the fall color this year in the western UP of Michigan. But I still found plenty of beauty to shoot! I was leading an intrepid group of folks from Michigan Photo Adventures on a tour of the western UP and Keewenaw Peninsula and we stopped by Bond Falls on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Rain or shine Bond Falls is very beautiful and easy to photograph. Here's a close-up:

Presque Isle Autumn

No autumn is complete for me unless I get away to the western Upper Peninsula for a few days. This year the color in Michigan was late and somewhat muted when it did arrive, but there still is much to see and shoot throughout the state. Waterfalls abound in the Upper Peninsula! One of my favorite waterfalls in the area is Presque Isle Falls. Presque Isle Falls is located in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Here's a couple more...Enjoy!

Old Chevy Near Kanab

Here's another shot from my recent trip out west to Utah. Thomas Nighswander and I were leading a photo workshop for Michigan Photo Adventures in and around Kanab, Utah. Highlights included Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. Before the workshop started we explored Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada and the area around Kanab, Utah. Along the way we stumbled across this old Chevy on the side of the road. I'm always willing to explore old cars and trucks with my camera. There were a few interesting vehicles along the road but this old chevy was the most interesting. 

Hoodoos Standing Tall

I never tire of shooting at Bryce Canyon in southern Utah. A life-long flat-lander, I find mountains, foothills, buttes, and hoodoos to be endlessly fascinating. Every trip west with my camera is a visual awakening. Whenever I'm in the region I squeeze in at least a day or two at Bryce Canyon National Park. Red rock and reflected light is a photographers' dream! I shot this last month at sunrise just after a dusting of snow. I was in Utah leading a Photo Workshop with Michigan Photo Adventures. Trying to arrange my schedule so I can get back to southern Utah this winter...Maybe mid-February.

Down the Road and Off the Tracks

Exploring the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan this autumn with a friend (fellow Michigan Photo Adventures member Mark Patterson), we discovered this interesting site. We were several miles down an old mining road and stopped to explore the scene with our cameras. According to local hunters we met nearby, this rail car was intentionally pushed off the tracks a few years ago by the adjacent property owner so as to dissuade train traffic through his land. Seems to have worked. The sky in the pic was pretty boring so I added a texture overlay in Photoshop to add some visual interest. Just goes to show you never know what you'll find down the back roads of Michigan.

Early December in the D

December in Detroit is usually cold...But not this cold! Cold temps are affecting most of the US this week. Just means I have to dress in layers to go exploring the local environs with my camera. It also means I choose to travel lighter than usual...Here's a look at the abandoned Packard Plant in Detroit. This was shot just about a year ago. There's a strange beauty to this place. Despite the abundance of "ruin porn" being published these days and my aversion to shooting what everyone else is shooting, I do try to visit some iconic Detroit locations throughout the year in the various seasons. Sunday mornings are my favorite time to explore the city in search of such shots. I'm planning on getting up early tomorrow and exploring some spots downtown. However, I can't wait until these sites are redeveloped and the ruins are but memories! Detroit will rise from the ashes!