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.

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:

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.