Frigid Smiles!

Here's some better scenery than my previous post. Warm, happy smiles all around despite the frigid 21° temperature! Over a thousand runners participated in the charity run and raised more than $200,000 for the Childrens' Tumor Foundation. 

Cupids' Run 2014

Still gripped in the effects of the Polar Vortex, metro Detroit saw sunny skies and a high temp of 21° Saturday. Despite the frigid conditions, more than a thousand brave souls stripped down to their undies and raced through the streets of Motown...All in the name of charity! Over two hundred thousand dollars was raised for the Childrens' Tumor Foundation. 

Near Record Ice Cover

The NASA satelite image above shows the near-record ice cover over the Great Lakes as of Valentine's Day 2014. Ice cover is estimated to be at 88.4%. Lake Superior and Lake Huron are nearly entirely frozen over. Lake Ontario is only about 34% frozen over. The 1979 record of 95% ice cover may be safe as warmer temps are expected this week (finally!). If you have hopes of getting out on the frozen lakes this winter there's no time like the present!

Badger Olds

Travelling with some friends through Wisconsin last summer, we happened by a used car lot on the side of the road and stopped to explore the old relics with our cameras. It was a pretty interesting stop for a variety of reasons. When I pulled over to stop there was some grumbling among the group that the scene wasn't very interesting. "It's just a bunch of old, rusty cars." It was just a quick stop and after about twenty minutes we were on the road again. What was interesting is that everyone came away with some pretty cool images. Most in the group admitted they would have kept on going and missed an interesting photo opp…By stopping and investing just twenty minutes of time we were able to have some fun, make some interesting photos and learn a valuable lesson: you can't get the shot if you don't take the time to stop!

Rust "Seeps"

Yesterday I posted a photo of some "mineral seeps" along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Pictured here today is a close-up from an old rusty car I shot on the side of the road. The similarities are obvious and are just one example of patterns and designs repeating themselves in very different contexts throughout both the natural and man-made worlds. Design-wise, what works in one often will work in the other. Perhaps this is the best proof that there is an element of "truth" to the business of design!

Superior Mineral Seeps

While kayaking along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore I was constantly amazed by the variety and beauty of the many mineral seeps that give the famous rocks their name. On this particular morning the lake was amazingly calm and I was thrilled to capture the emerald green water and seeps in the same shot. 

View From the Lake

There are many beautiful hikes in and around the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigans' Upper Penninsula. The views can be spectacular. But here's a dirty little secret: the best views are from out on the lake! There are many ways to get out on the water but my favorite is to kayak. Sea kayaking is not for the faint of heart but the beautiful views and intimate perspectives are well worth the effort. If kayaking is not your thing then renting a pontoon boat is a great alternative. 

Deadly Sunset

The sunset pictured above was shot safely this past summer on the shores of Lake Superior in Michigans' Upper Penninsula. Nothing dangerous here. But I stumbled across a story in the LA Times today about a photographer that ended up getting killed (electrocuted) while shooting a sunset from an elevated vantage point in a tree in his backyard. These kind of stories seem to appear every few months and should serve as a reminder that no photo is worth getting injured or killed for! Stay safe!

Here's the link: Deadly Sunset

Speaking of Spring...

Yes, it's time to start planning springtime photo-trips! I usually start my springtime photo activities in the Low Country…South Carolina and Georgia. Starting in late March in Savanna, Georgia I work my way up to Charleston, South Carolina, hoping to time things right so I catch the magnolias in full bloom. There is so much to see, shoot and enjoy in and around Charleston each spring. I can't even begin to list a fraction of the terrific photo opportunities throughout the area. But in upcoming posts I shall endeavor to do so!

Around the Bend

Enough with all the snow and ice! I'm tired of all the grey skies and wind blown flurries! Here's a splash of color from this past autumn. I was exploring the backroads of Michigans' Upper Penninsula early in October. The color wasn't all that spectacular at the time, and overall the color was quite muted last fall. But now in the middle of winter, what I wouldn't give to find such a color explosion today! Alas, spring is just weeks away!

Amazing Satelite Images

I posted the other day about the Great Lakes freezing over and have had many conversations with other photographers about the great photo opportunities that such a cold winter make possible. Personally, the assurance that the frozen lake surface is safe to venture out onto is more than enough to ask for. The thought of falling through thin ice terrifies me! But the possibilities of making beautiful images in such conditions entices me to explore the frozen coastline carefully. Pictured above is a recent NASA satelite image of the Great Lakes region. The lakes are even more frozen over today. Lake Superior is nearly frozen over and Green Bay is completely frozen over. Conditions will remain safe for some arctic-like exploration for a few weeks. Once the ice cover starts to break up, even more spectacular photo opportunities will occur when the ice sheets move toward and crash into the eastern coastlines!

Great Lakes Freezing Over!

With the record-setting cold tempertures throughout the midwest the Great Lakes are freezing to levels not seen in many years. Lake Superior is presently 92% frozen over! Be sure to google satelite images of the ice cover…they're amazing! If you can stand the cold, now is the best and safest time to venture out on the ice away from the shore and capture images of the shoreline not possible with any other conditions! As always, lighthouses are a surefire winner in any conditions. Stay safe!

Roadside Treasure

Driving can be a hazardous activity for a photographer. There's no doubt situational awareness is a key skill for anyone operating a vehicle. However, it does seem that as I drive down the road in search of the next perfect photo opportunity and my eyes constantly scan my surroundings for anything of visual interest that just maybe I should be a bit more focused on the immediate task at hand. On one such trip down US 12 in Michigan I spotted this roadside treasure and safely stopped and made a few pictures before continuing on my way.

Seeking Simplicity

When I first made the transition from film to digital photography several years ago I was, like most photographers at the time, somewhat overwhelmed by the new technology. It was photography without film. I was excited about the possibilities the new technology offered, yet at the same time I seemed to focus more on what digital couldn't do. I, again like many photographers, would often make comments similar to "Yes, but film does this much better," or "film does that better." 

After just a few short years, and coupled with advancements in the digital darkroom, the new technology not only caught up with film but surpassed it in every way. One of the advantages to using digital technology that I embraced early on was a new freedom to explore and try new things knowing that I wasn't wasting film. Who cares if I made a couple hundred wasted exposures? It didn't cost anything. So, encouraged by Maryland-based photographer +Tony Sweet I embraced the idea of intentional camera movement…I wanted to use my camera like a paintbrush! This truly opened up a limitless array of possibilities. 

The photo above is a painterly color study accomplished entirely in-camera by utilizing intentional camera movement during exposure. I use this technique often and the large prints I make from my successfull experiments are quite popular and sell very well. In a later post I will cover the technique in much more detail.

Looking a little closer

Whenever I'm out exploring with my camera I always try to take a closer look at the little details that help make up the scene as a whole. Often the little details tell a very different story than the bigger picture. Whatever the scale, grand landscape or macro, design considerations remain the same. It's still important to identify a subject, choose an interesting perspective, place the subject properly within the frame in a pleasing way and and make the hard decisions regarding what to include and exclude in the composition. And as always, light is the key to everything!

Texture Saves the Day!

I shot this late autumn scene just over a year ago. The tree was beautiful enough and the detail in the field helped add some interest to the shot but the sky was just too plain and the overall picture just didn't work. The solution I came up with was to overlay a texture in Photoshop. This added some grit and additional texture to the scene and helped accent some of the blue hues already present throughout the scene. I was pleased with the result and have made several successful prints which have proven to be quite popular. Overlaying textures can be easy to overdo and doesn't always work but sometimes it's just the ticket to help save the day!

Cana Island Light

This winter has been record-setting in terms of both cold temps and snowfall. In winters such as this I become somewhat braver in the field. Heights and speed have never bothered me much. But one thing I'm deathly afraid of is falling through thin ice. When it's been this cold for this long I'm much more willing to venture out on the ice and explore with my camera. I shot this scene a few winters ago at Cana Island Lighthouse in Wisconsin.

Lakefront Ice

Every winter is different and ice along the shoreline is never the same twice. It varies not only year to year, but even day to day. It's always interesting to carefully explore the frozen shoreline. As always, the key is light and as in all landscape photography, things seem to be most interesting when the sun is low in the sky helping to make longer shadows and interesting textures.

Keewenaw Dawn

Dawn breaks at the tip of the Keewenaw Penninsula in Michigan. The Keewenaw juts out into Lake Superior. Early one morning a group of friends from Michigan Photo Adventures hiked up through the dark to witness and photograph the dawn…It was a beautiful morning and highlight of the early autumn trip up north!

Beautiful Bryce

I visited Bryce Canyon early this past November with a group of intrepid photographers and friends from Michigan Photo Adventures. We had a great time and were even lucky enough to get a little snow. Back home here in Michigan, we're now getting deluged with snow and cold! I'm currently working my schedule over trying to fit in a quick trip out west next month to shoot Bryce and Zion. I've visited and photographed both Zion and Bryce many, many times but I just can't get enough. No two visits are ever the same. The way the light sculps the landscape in these parks is different every time!

Words of Wisdom

Really…What else matters?

Warm Reflections

Early one spring morning in Charleston, South Carolina I was captivated by this lamp reflection in the window of an antebellum home near White Point. There's just something about reflections that seem to always grab my attention! The warm hues of sunrise and the pink exterior really captured the mood that morning. I struggled with choosing a composition until I settled on a square format.

Henry Ford Museum

I visited the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan yesterday with Michigan Photo Adventures. It was great to catch up with some old friends and meet a few new friends as well! The Henry Ford Museum is a wondeful place to explore. The range of history presented here is nothing short of amazing. There's an excellent automotive collection of course but there's much more than autos… The museum is also tripod-friendly which is always appreciated!

Auto Show Fisheye

I visited the 2014 Detroit International Auto Show the other day and found some interesting displays to explore with my fisheye lens. This particular robotics display was part of the Ford exhibit. I have lots of auto pics to work through and will post several here soon! I thought this years show was the best in at least a few years. If you're in Detroit this week be sure to put the DIAS on your agenda!

Ice Caves

Mid-winter is a great time to bundle-up and explore frozen waterfalls and icicles. I shot this pic in an ice cave in Illinois near Starved Rock State Park. Icicles and frozen waterfalls can be tricky to photograph well. Direct sunlight is not helpful as it creates too great a dynamic range between the darks and lights. However, overcast days are perfect.

Grand Haven Lighthouse

It's always great fun to shoot the lighthouses of west Michigan. Grand Haven is one of the best to photograph any time of year. I made this photo one summer evening after the sun had set and used a long exposure to help smooth out the lake and capture the full range of color that lingered in the sky.

Shooting Indoors with my Macro Lens

I made this photo the other day at the University of Michigan Matthei Botanical Gardens while with a group of photogs from Michigan Photo Adventures. Botanical gardens are a great place to play with a macro lens when the weather outside is just a bit too blustery.

Laughing Whitefish Falls

Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park is always worth stopping by anytime you're in the area! Located near Chatham, Michigan in the central UP, it is approximately twenty-five miles southwest of Munising. The waterfall is quite beautiful and fairly easy to photograph, at least parts of it are. Pictured above is the very top of the waterfall. It descends quite a ways (100 feet) and resembles a large slide. Pictures don't do it justice…It is certainly much more impressive in person than in photographs. There is a long series of steps that take you to the bottom of the falls and both the workout on the steps and the view are worth the effort! I visited Laughing Whitefish Falls with some friends from Michigan Photo Adventures including +John Clark and +Jim O'Neall this past autumn and had a great time!

Sunrise in the Smokies

I absolutely love shooting in the Smokies! From my driveway in the western suburbs of Detroit and driving safely, I can be in the Smokies in under eight hours. It's actually closer to home than many of my favorite spots right here in Michigan…The Porkies in the western UP are nearly ten hours away! Great Smoky Mountain National Park is beautiful in all seasons. Winter is no exception. I am doing everything I can right now to try and squeeze in a quick winter visit next month!

Wolf in the Wild

I shot this photo of a wild wolf in Yellowstone National Park one snowy June morning. Yes, June! Recently the State of Michigan has licensed a wolf hunt in the Upper Penninsula. A few states out west have as well. I've never been a hunter. I never will be a hunter. It's not that I'm against hunting. I'm not…As long as one eats what is harvested. I just don't understand the thrill of the kill. It's not as if it's a fair fight. At least when I shoot an animal with my Nikon both of us leave the encounter alive. 

Canyon Road Window

I happened by this beautiful scene one day in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was strolling along Canyon Road, known as "The Arts and Crafts Road." There was much to see and shoot as well as many galleries to visit. All throughout New Mexico I stumbled upon beautiful scenes like this. New Mexico truly is the land of enchantment.

Pano at Horsehoe Bend

This is a pano I shot at Horseshoe Bend near Page, Arizona. This place never ceases to amaze me! The raw power of the mighty Colorado is mind boggling! This shot was made hand-held stitching nine shots together in Photoshop. It wasn't but ten minutes later that the sky opened up and rained for hours. A thunderstorm in the desert!

Playing with Macro

I'm always amazed when I have a conversation with a fellow photographer and they make a comment along the lines of "I can't seem to find anything to shoot." This seems to happen more often during the winter months. Whenever I feel I need to take a break from my usual local photo haunts or when the weather outside is unbearable, I turn to close-up or macro photography. Lately, I've made it a point to get busy with my macro lens at least a couple of times a week. The possibilities are truly endless. Macro subjects are all around you. This nautilus shell is combined in post with a textured overlay for an interesting effect. Flowers are always a good choice for close-up photography. Flowers are not only cooperative models but beautiful and fun to shoot. And this is as good a reason as any to get to know your local florist! I've had the good fortune of meeting macro photographer +Mike Moats and attended a seminar and workshop he conducted. If you're interested in learning more about macro photography I highly recommend you peruse his website and consider attending a weekend workshop!

Yearning for Spring

Spring arrives a little earlier in Charleston, South Carolina than here in the midwest. I am always more than eager to travel south and meet spring as it works its way north. South Carolina is a wonderful place to explore with a camera. After a long, cold and grey winter color just seems to explode throughout the "Low Country" each spring. 

Icy Light

Shooting lighthouses is always fun, especially when the Great Lakes freeze and the lights become coated with ice and snow. As you'd expect, the polor vortex that gripped most of North America this week did a number on the lakes and lighthouses. Pictured above is the outer structure of the St. Joseph North Pier Lighthouse on Lake Michigan. Because the lake is frozen for at least a mile out from the shoreline, there's not much spray freezing on the structure…So I'll just have to keep my eyes on the conditions and be prepared to return to St. Joseph when the conditions demand it!

Rainy Day at the Ice Festival

Plymouth Michigan hosts an Ice Festival every year…But the last few years they just can't catch a break with the weather! Last year was downright balmy, way too warm for ice. This year was looking to be better as local temps were hovering at and below zero just a few days ago. But here comes the rain just in time for the Ice Festival! I arrived before dawn in thick fog and was looking forward to meeting some friends to shoot the sculptures and artists at work throughout the morning. Rain was in the forecast and only myself and one other shooter actually showed up. After shooting for about a half an hour the rain did begin and grew stronger by the minute. Finally we decided to pack up and wait for a break in the rain. Maybe it will be cooler this evening or tomorrow morning!

Ice Time

It's now the dead of winter and time to get brave and explore the frigid elements for interesting photo opportunities. After all, you can't stay indoors all winter long, can you? Even if you could, you wouldn't want to. There's just yoo much to see and play with outside. If you're fortunate enough to live in a location with four seasons, embrace the seasons! Or at least pretend to. For the next couple of months tremendous opportunities exist at the lakeshore, lighthouses, winter festivals, and anywhere else you can make seasonally unique compositions. The lakeshore looks very different in January compared to July… So does everything else! Be brave, explore…and make some beautiful winter photos!

Two More from the Gilmore

Yesterday I posted a few photos from a daytrip last winter to the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan.  Southwest Michigan offers many choices for fun photography excursions. There's the Gilmore, the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, Wineries, Farms, Lake Michigan Beaches, Lighthouses and much more. We're now in the middle of winter and that means it's a perfect time to visit southwest Michigan for both indoor and outdoor photography! Here are two more photos from the Gilmore:

Selfie

Selfies are all the rage. Even President Obama has been known to snap one every now and again. With the onset of winter and bitterly cold temps I often seek interesting indoor venues in which to play with my camera. Auto museums offer tremendous photo opportunities. Some even allow tripods! The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan hosts a very beautiful collection of old cars and is very accomodating to photographers. Museums do make for busy backgrounds so often one must seek to move in real close and make what essentially are macro compositions. This of course is a great time to work on isolating subject matter and simplifying compositions. I snapped this "selfie" last winter when I visited the Gilmore with Macro Photographer +Mike Moats . We had a great time and I highly recommend you put the Gilmore on your list of Southwest Michigan must-see locations! Here are a couple more from that visit:

Mesa Arch Sunstar

When you visit an iconic location like Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park there are certain shots that you simply need to make. I consider such shots to be more than just clichés…They're like bricks in a wall or mile posts along the highway of a photographers' artistic development. Along that highway each of us picks up a few tricks along the way…If we're thoughtful and diligent, lots of tricks. These tricks are just the manifestation of lessons and skills learned. The iconic shots created at these beautiful locations can serve as affirmation of new skills learned. The key is to take those lessons and apply them to new and unique photographic opportunities that we encounter further down that highway. These original photos made in new and unique situations serve as affirmation of new skills mastered. Besides, if you visit Paris and don't shoot the typical portrait of the Eifel Tower, no one will believe you were actually there! And even if you convince them that you were there and that you did have your camera but chose not to make the same shot as everyone else…All they'll want to know is "why not ?"

Pancake Ice

Ice is nice! Ice formations at the shoreline often offer an amazing opportunity to seek out interesting compositions. Wave and wind action push and carve random patterns and formations in the ice that are never the same twice. If you happen to be there early or late in the day, the low angle of the sun can add to the mix long shadows and beautiful light. Despite the cold, these conditions are a perfect opportunity to get down low and use a wide angle lens to frame your compositions. The secret to using a wide angle lens for landscapes is to include something interesting up-close in the forground. It's important to stay safe whenever going out on the frozen water. It's never a good idea to do so all alone. When I shot the picture above at the Lake Michigan shoreline it was about 8°… Had I fallen into the water I never would have made it back to my car which was parked more than a mile away.

Before the Dawn

As I strolled the beach before dawn one spring morning I was treated to beautiful light bathing the shoreline at Hunting Island State Park in South Carolina. It always amazes me how beautiful the pre-dawn light can be! I'm very fortunate to have been born a "morning person." It's never been too difficult for me to roll out of bed to pursue a beautiful sunrise. That said, I do appreciate a siesta every once in a while! Hunting Island State Park in South Carolina is a great location to explore. There's a very beautiful beach, an historic lighthouse, wildlife and much more! I'll be leading a photo workshop in South Carolina this March for Michigan Photo Adventures and Hunting Island will definately be on our list of photo locations!