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Gardens in Winter

Winter Waterfall

After two days of photographing sports for the State Games of Michigan, we stopped to take in the scenery at Meijer Gardens. I had never experienced it in winter and as long as you are dressed appropriately and temper your expectations (sorry, but the gardens are not in bloom this time of year, but you can still enjoy the flowers in the greenhouses) it really is a good experience. The blanket of white totally changes the feel of the sculpture park.

The waterfall, pictured above, was probably one of my favorite parts. I have photographed the waterfall numerous times before, but the lighting in the middle of a summer day is not ideal. Afternoon in the winter, though, makes for much better photo. The snow adds more contrast to the rocks and trees and I really liked the footprints going towards the flowing water.

Continuing this year’s winter theme: Don’t let the cold keep you from photography and experiencing familiar places in a new way! I would never have thought about exploring the gardens in the winter (nothing is in bloom, right?) but I am very glad we stopped and got to see another side of one of our favorite Michigan spots!

There is still time to vote for my photo in the State Games of Michigan photo contest! Like, comment, and/or share to vote! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

Winter on Lake Michigan

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Winter on the shores of Lake Michigan can be harsh, cold, and windy. Lake effect snow is a big deal on the west side of the state with snowstorms seeming to blow in our of nowhere. As much as I love Lake Michigan, I tend to avoid it in winter. I’m not a winter fan to start with but the cold Lake Michigan breezes tend to be too much for me. Yet, this winter I was able to experience Lake Michigan twice in its harshest season (the other being to St. Joseph in January). Each time I was surprised with how many people flock to the beach in the winter. No, they are not sunbathing and swimming like they do in the summer. They were trekking out to lighthouses, sledding down sand dunes, and playing in the snow and ice.

As harsh and cold as it can be, Lake Michigan’s beauty is not seasonal. Ice on the shore and snow on the dunes really added something to the landscape that you don’t get in the summer. While there were more people out than I expected there to be, it was definitely not a summertime crowd, so it is much easier to capture a landscape without people in it (not that that’s a bad thing…I really should do a post on that one of these days). Although, winter skies in Michigan frequently leave something to be desired, I was very glad that I made it out to Muskegon State Park on a cold and blustery February day. Now, its March and I’m ready for it to warm up and be camping season, OK?

Thanks for stopping by! Are you brave enough to explore Lake Michigan in the winter? Let me know in the comments! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

 

7 Ways to Explore Michigan this Winter

Snow in TreesIts beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here! The temperature has dropped and the ground is now covered in a blanket of snow! The white landscape leads to a whole host of fun in the Great Lakes state:

  1. Go skiing: With about 50 ski hills around the state, The New York Times recently suggested Michigan as your “Secret Ski Destination
  2. Visit a state park and try out cross country skiing or snowshoeing
  3. Go ice skating: From Campus Martius in Detroit to Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids and the ice skating trail in Muskegon, lace up your skates and hit the ice
  4. Snowmobiling: I’m too much of a chicken for this, but northern Michigan has many trails for snowmobile enthusiasts (michigansnowmobile.com)
  5. Reenact the famous sledding scene from Christmas Vacation (MichiganLife.com)
  6. Check out the Luge: The Muskegon Winter Sports Complex is home to one of only four luge tracks in the country and is open to the public
  7. Train for the Iditarod: When in doubt, go dog sledding (both in the UP and the lower peninsula)

Don’t use the cold weather as an excuse to stay inside! Get outside and appreciate winter in Michigan! Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

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Wordless Wednesday: Skier

Hockey Stop

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Its that time of year, Christmas music is playing on the radio, the temperature is dropping, and snow is beginning to fall. This past weekend, we got our first big snow of the year in Michigan. I love photographing the freshly fallen snow, when it sticks to the trees and transforms the whole landscape into a world of white.

About the Photo:
One of the toughest things about photographing the snow is how cold it can get. Cold air is not good for cameras (or any electronics, really), so I had to make this shoot quick. The camera doesn’t understand all the white in snowscapes, so that can make photographing snow scenes tricky. It is important to shoot in RAW so you can make nondestructive edits in Lightroom.

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 19-55mm kit lens, handheld

Date Taken:
November 21, 2015

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.

#igtravelchallenge April (Snow) Showers

April (Snow) Showers Towards the end of the #igtravelchallenge for March I was given the prompt “Its still winter here”. I was very happy to announce that it was spring in the lower peninsula. Well, just a few days after that post, I was celebrating spring break in West Michigan. One morning, towards the end of the week I woke up to this. It was beautiful so I had to go out and take some shots, but it was also freezing and I was not happy about that. Especially because The Weather Channel recently announced that March, April, and May were supposed to be unseasonably warm. Does this look unseasonably warm to you? I am happy to announce, that Mother Nature has realized her mistake and we are back to the beautiful spring weather I was expecting!

About the Photo:
This was a single RAW exposure with basic edits done in Lightroom.

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 18.0-55.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, handheld.

Date Taken:
April 2, 2016

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr!

Wordless Wednesday: Carving the Bear

Getting in Bear

Snowfest

Carving Vader

This past weekend was Zehnder’s Snowfest in Frankenmuth. I really wanted to go and get some shots of the action! We chose to go on the coldest day but I’m glad we did because I didn’t want any sad, melting sculptures (this weekend we got temps in the 50s!). Frankenmuth holds a special place in my heart (and I’m sure I’ll share why in a future post) so I will take any excuse I can to visit. As expected, it was packed and all the restaurants had long waits, but that didn’t matter, I had my camera in my hand!

I wanted to focus on getting environmental portraits of the snow carvers because I feel it adds more story to the image. This was a lot trickier than I thought. Many of the sculptures were surrounded by ladders and other clutter. Tourists were taking selfies and there were piles of discarded snow everywhere!

About the Photo:
Since we were visiting at night and I knew I was going to try to capture the carvers at work, I grabbed my fastest lens and was prepared to crank my ISO, although some of the sculptures were well lit enough to bring it back down. This was shot wide open (f/1.8) with 1600 ISO to get my shutter speed fast enough for my 50mm lens. Luckily I was shooting towards the sky, so I was able to crush the blacks in Lightroom and get rid of any noise without worrying about losing my background. I planned on bringing my tripod but I forgot it at home and I was glad I wasn’t lugging it around. It would’ve been a pain to set it up and take it down at each sculpture. This is a time I feel I could’ve benefited from the added stability of a monopod.

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 50mm f/1.8 lens handheld

Date Taken:
January 29, 2016

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! Check out my new Gear page to see inside my camera bag! For more information on Snowfest and other Frankenmuth events, visit Frankenmuth.org

Wordless Wednesday: Snowy Squirrel

Squirrel!

Wordless Wednesday: Snow in Trees

Snow in Trees

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