Travel by Any Means Necessary

Tag: Crosswinds Marsh

Flashback Friday: Boardwalk Sunset

Flashback Friday: Crosswinds Sunset

Wordless Wednesday: Sunset on the Marsh

Crosswinds Marsh

Early Season Camping

Spring is in the Air

Trees at Crosswinds Marsh

This past weekend, we made our inaugural camping trip of the season. The weather was beautiful and I just had the itch to get out and sleep under the stars. We drove to Holly Recreation Area just in time to set up camp in daylight and have a campfire. One of the nice things about camping near home is the reduced travel time gives you more time in camp. Since we don’t typically camp just to camp but to explore, we don’t usually stay overnight at our local parks. This was my first time at Holly Recreation Area and it was very quiet this early in the season. I look forward to returning in the future, maybe for another low key camping trip. Who knows?

If you are ever doing a spur of the moment camping trip like this, I have a few little tips for you. I would recommend checking availability online before you leave. We were planning on going to Highland Recreation Area but after looking on the website, we discovered that to camp there in April and May you have to bring a horse. I was very glad I checked this before we left and we didn’t drive all the way out there before learning that. And of course, you could get all the way out to a campground only to find out that they are full and that wouldn’t be good either. So, I suggest that you check the website before you leave, but do not book a last minute trip online. Most campground reservation systems charge you a processing fee, but if you book at the campground they do not. By booking at the park, we saved some money and it didn’t take any additional time to check in.

Just for clarification, the above photo is from Crosswinds Marsh not Holly Recreation Area. We weren’t really at the park long enough to explore and take pictures. Maybe we will come back another time to capture it and share it here.

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Wordless Wednesday: Marsh Sunset

Marsh Sunset

Wordless Wednesday: Walkway at Sunset

Walkway at Sunset

Marsh Sunset

Marsh Sunset

The other day, I wanted to go shoot somewhere I had never been before, so I posed the question in a Michigan Photography Facebook group. Someone suggested Crosswinds Marsh. I had never heard of this place so I did some research and found out that it is a Wayne County park in New Boston. It seemed interesting enough and not too far of a drive for a sunset shooting trip, so we decided to check it out. Crosswinds Marsh is the largest man made wetlands in the country. It was built t replace the wetlands that were destroyed during the expansion of the Detroit Metro Airport. It is a really peaceful place that I definitely recommend to visit, especially if you’re into bird watching or fishing. It would also be a lovely place for a picnic!

About the Photo:
In my research of this place, I found some gorgeous pictures taken of the marsh but when I got there, I really struggled with my compositions. I think my problems were due a lot to the position of the sun as compared to the foreground objects. Photo Tip: To avoid lighting struggles like this, check out The Photographer’s Ephemeris (free for desktop) so you can see where the sun will be when you go out! Frustrations aside, I will definitely go back and try again another day. This shot was a single RAW exposure with basic edits done in Lightroom.

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

Date Taken:
April 23, 2016

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