My Favorite Places: The Huron River
Just outside of Ann Arbor is a stretch of the Huron River that captivates me every time I visit. With regular seasonal changes and water level fluctuations it is always an amazing area to photograph. There are three parks that I visit with regularity when I explore this area; Hudson Mills, Dexter-Huron, and my favorite Delhi Metropark. It is in large part because of these parks that the Huron River is one of My Favorite Places.
Hudson Mills Metropark is easy to access and lies just nine miles to the west of US 23 via N. Territorial Road. There is plenty to do at this 1,500 acre park including hiking, biking and disc golf but that's of course not why I go! When I enter the park I immediately head to the bank of the Huron River and grab the camera. There is very easy access to the Huron River by simply heading west on the service drive and taking another right turn to a small parking lot near the shore of the river. Large boulders and beautiful surrounding forest make photographing this part of the Huron River quite enjoyable. While it is a very popular park I seldom run into many people in this area of the park.
From Hudson Mills I generally head to Dexter-Huron Metropark which is only 6 miles via Huron River Drive. At 122 acres this park is substantially smaller than Hudson Mills and of the three parks Dexter-Huron is the one that I visit the least. It is a nice park and there are some good hikes and views to be had but I just always seem to come out with fewer quality images versus the other two parks. Besides creating photographs, this park offers a couple good hiking trails and from what I hear some decent fly fishing!! If you're photographing this area, and you have some extra time, definitely stop by this park to create some photos!
Just three miles from Dexter-Huron Metropark is my favorite of these three parks, Delhi Metropark. It is by far the smallest of these parks at just 53 acres in size. Though small in land size it makes up for it in photographic opportunity. When you arrive at this park, again from beautiful Huron River Drive, you will cross the unique one-way Delhi Bridge over the river. As you're crossing the bridge take a quick glance to your right and you will see why this park is an incredible place to photograph. It is just north of this bridge that the beautiful Huron River hits some rapids. Yes, they're subtle compared to some rivers in the U.P. but when the water level is just right they are simply fantastic to view and fantastic to photograph. If you ever decide to photograph this part of the river you have to do yourself the favor of shooting from both sides. That means that you'll want to walk across the bridge and head down into the forest along the banks of the river(again north of the bridge) where you can find a small trail that leads you along the river. Take your time and watch the light because it reflects beautifully off the river.
Thanks for taking the time to read the latest blog post on the Fine Michigan Photography Blog! If you're new to the Fine Michigan Photography Blog and want to receive future updates simply fill out the form below. Have a great day!
Photographer Profile: Craig Sterken
Hey guys! It's time for another 'Photographer Profile' on the Fine Michigan Photography blog. This time around the very talented Craig Sterken was kind enough to answer some questions and share some beautiful photos from the Mitten State. If you aren't familiar with his work, I think you will be truly impressed with the beauty and vision in Craig's images! Enjoy!
Serenity Swim
“The water was actually very cold, but I love how the scene just captures the ruggedness of Lake Superior, as well as how serene and peaceful it can be.”
How did you first end up behind the camera?
CS: I used to Scuba dive as a hobby as well as for a part time job and I wanted to capture some underwater photos. This was the mid to late seventies and I bought a Kodak 110 camera and an underwater housing. Unfortunately, my underwater Michigan photos didn’t compare to the photos I was seeing in Skin Diver magazine! But I had a great time messing around with it. After that, I bought a 35mm Minolta and I used that until 2000 when I bought a Canon Rebel DSLR.
Where is your favorite place in Michigan to shoot?
CS: My wife and I have been visiting Ludington for over 30 years and have taken at least one family vacation a year there, every summer. We’ve done the Disney thing with the kids a couple times, but they still insist on a Ludington vacation as well. We all consider it a second home and for that reason, Ludington is a favorite. But really, anywhere along Lake Michigan is a joy to shoot. Sleeping Bear Dunes, Leelanau, and the Upper Peninsula are among my other favorites. With those locations there is just so much variety. I’ve been spending a lot of time in the UP the last two years and the more I visit, the more I want to return. Michigan is hard to beat when it comes to photography.
Big Sable Lighthouse
What is your favorite season to shoot?
CS: Autumn is hands down my favorite time to be in the field. The colors are vibrant, sunsets really put on a show, morning and evening light are at their best, and it’s just a great time to be outdoors. My wife and I love the outdoors and although summer is my favorite season to be out, autumn just has so much more to offer a photographer.
Why do you love photographing Michigan?
CS: The variety of subjects available. A great example is the Porcupine Wilderness Area. In one day, you can shoot the sun rising over Lake of the Clouds, drive over to Presque Isle River and shoot the various waterfalls that run along the western edge of the mountain and then get down to Lake Superior for a sunset shot. It’s amazing what you can do in one day in Michigan! The same is true along Lake Michigan. You can shoot numerous lighthouses with a one day trip. This past winter, I shot frozen lighthouses at Grand Haven, South Haven and St. Joseph, all in one day!
“I don’t think any photographer ever stops learning new things.”
What photographers have influenced or inspired you the most?
CS: That’s an easy one. I can tell you flat out that I would not be doing this if it were not for the influence of Todd Reed. For years when our family would visit Ludington, I would admire Todd’s work and think it was something I’d like to try. Todd just has a very artful eye with a lot of thought put into his work. It was amazing to me how his images could inspire the same feelings I had when I was actually watching a sunset, or another landscape scene. I wanted to be able to express myself that way as well. As interest in my work grew, I knew I wasn’t at the level I wanted to be. So I took a class with Todd and Brad and things really improved from there. I used to spend a lot of time on Flickr and other photo sharing sites. Over time, I think you just get a feel for what you want your style to be from shooting a lot and looking at other work. Beyond the Reeds, there are quite a few people out there whose work I admire - Neil Weaver, John McCormick, & Richard Thompson, immediately come to mind.
Did you go to school for photography or are you self taught?
CS: Other than the one day class that I took with Todd and Brad Reed, I’ve never had any formal training. I’m constantly learning though. I’m always seeing new techniques and reading blogs, etc. Every time I go on a long shoot, of several days, I pick up something new. Just the act of all that shooting and then evaluating your work when you return helps you learn new things. It may just be something small with composition or learning a limitation with your gear. I don’t think any photographer ever stops learning new things. I tend to shoot alone a lot but I’ve picked up something new every time I shoot with another photographer. You can’t help but talk shop when you’re out shooting with someone else and it’s a very helpful way to learn.
“I was nervous the entire way back, realizing just how stupid it was.”
What is the most dangerous situation you've been in while creating images?
CS: I did a remarkably stupid thing several years ago. I was out at Ludington State Park in the winter and shelf ice extended way out onto the lake. I have been one to preach about the dangers of shelf ice and am cautious by nature. I saw about a dozen people out there on the shelf ice. I got caught up in the moment and figured it was okay since all the other people were out there. I ended up on the edge and was about 25 feet above the surface of Lake Michigan. I got a couple really great shots but after the adrenalin died down, I realized I had to make my way back off the ice. I was nervous the entire way back, realizing just how stupid it was. The photo was popular and was broadcast on a news station but it was not worth the risk. No photo is worth that kind of risk and I’ve promised myself not to get into that kind of situation again, at least not with intent. Although the photo has been popular, I tend not look at it often as it annoys me that I did something so incredibly stupid.
“I just don’t think it’s helpful to chase a style or to create work in anticipation of what others may think.”
Do you like the effect social media has had on photography and do you feel the effect has been better or worse for photography?
CS: I think it has had a huge effect on photography. I think it’s a mixed bag for whether it’s is better or worse. With social media we have instant feedback on what is going on in the field. I traveled with another photographer to the UP for the Grand Island ice curtains this past winter. Without social media, it would have been difficult to know when the conditions were right for the trip. Also, many of the photographers whose work I follow, I would not be aware of were it not for social media. Because of Facebook, specifically, I have met and gone shooting with several other photographers or recognized them in the field. Some, I have become good friends with and look forward to future photo treks with them. So, it has connected me with some great people. Also, a lot of my sales are driven in one fashion, or another, from social media. I would estimate half of my business comes from there.
One of the downsides is that I see people shooting for what they think will be popular, rather than what they like themselves. If you look at what’s popular on 500px or Flickr, you begin to see oversaturated, fake looking photos and they all look the same. Even magazines like Outdoor Photographer are pushing a certain type of look. I’m not knocking anyone if that’s what they want to do, I just don’t think it’s helpful to chase a style or to create work in anticipation of what others may think. The other downside to social media is that it has become a necessity and it requires a fair amount of time to manage it well. I’ve begun to scale back the amount of time that I interact on social media. It’s easy to get hung up on spending every spare moment looking at others work and commenting. I’d rather be in the field shooting or processing images I’ve already shot. There’s only so much time in a day and I don’t want 20% of it to be taken up with Facebook. I’m sure that it has an effect on my sales when I bow out for a few days, but that’s okay.
What do you currently have in the gear bag?
CS: My current gear consists of:
-Canon 5D MK III
-Canon “L” series lenses – 70-200mm f/2.8, 24-105mm f/4, 16-35mm f/2.8, 400mm f5.6, Canon macro 100mm f/2.8, and a cheap Canon 50mm f f/1.8(nifty-fifty).
-Canon 1.4 Extender
-Gitzo Carbon Fiber Tripod
-Induro Carbon Fiber Monopod
-Canon Speedlite for fill-flash
-Various filters i.e. CPL, ND, Vari-ND. The ND’s are Singh-Ray and the others are B+W.
-My wife, to help me carry everything!
Well, I hope you enjoyed the latest 'Photographer Profile'! I would like to thank to Craig for sharing his amazing work with the Fine Michigan Photography blog and if you're not already following Craig on the social media sites why not go ahead and follow him on Facebook, 500px, Flickr and Instagram?! We love interacting with people on social media but we also like selling our work! So I would like to encourage you to check out www.CraigSterken.com and order a beautiful print to hang on your wall. Thanks guys and feel free to leave comments below and add your email to the subscription list to receive future newsletters and blog updates!
Photographer Profile: Neil Weaver
A Michigan Summer Night
When I first started the "Fine Michigan Photography Blog" one of my goals was to share other photographers work as well as my own. I thought a good way to do that would be to occasionally "profile" a Michigan photographer by asking them a few questions and sharing their responses along with some of their photographs. For the first 'Photographer Profile' I asked the very talented Neil Weaver if he would be interested and being the nice guy that he is, he kindly obliged. Neil has been photographing Michigan for 15 years now and has been an inspiration to many photographers, myself included. I hope you enjoy this first 'Photographer Profile' and the magnificent images by Neil Weaver, I'm certain you will. Thanks!
Winter Heavens
How did you first end up behind the camera?
Edge of Twilight
NW: I’ve always loved art and even dabbled in photography in high school, but I discovered landscape and nature photography when I was twenty one years old. My parents had just moved to Pentwater from Sault Ste. Marie and at the end of that school year at LSSU(Lake Superior State University) I decided to spend the summer down there working. One night I borrowed my Mom’s 35mm film camera and headed to the pier for the sunset. I took some photographs of the lights on both piers, and when I developed them I liked what I saw. It wasn’t long after that when I purchased a Canon Rebel SLR camera and began shooting the area’s lighthouses and beautiful beaches.
Do you have a favorite Michigan location to create photographs?
NW: It’s difficult choosing just one but I’d have to go with the Munising/Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore area. So much to photograph there - the many photogenic waterfalls and stunning cliffs that tower over the lakeshore. The beautiful beaches - Miner’s, Mosquito, Chapel, and Sand Point. A stay in Munising gives a photographer a lot of options.
Mackinac Reflections
Why do you love photographing Michigan?
NW: My love for Michigan and the Great Lakes goes back to my childhood. My parents loved the outdoors and would take my sisters and I on day trips to places like Point Iroquois Lighthouse, Cut River Bridge and the Huron shore near Cedarville. When I’m photographing all of these beautiful places in Michigan I feel like I'm not just there visiting but I’m truly experiencing them, and now I can share my impressions of each location with an audience.
What is your favorite season to shoot?
NW: I love to shoot in the fall. To me there’s nothing more beautiful than the explosion of reds, oranges and yellows at places like Tahquamenon Falls, Lake of the Clouds, or Brockway Mountain. The season has a pretty short window before the leaves drop which makes it even more special to me.
What photographers have influenced you or inspired you the most?
NW:There are a few but Todd and Brad Reed were my biggest influences from the beginning. During those couple of summers I spent in Pentwater, I would head up to Ludington and look around in their gallery. Viewing their work has always been inspiring. It really got me excited to photograph the natural world around me and view it photographically. Todd and Brad were always very kind and answered any questions I had, and I am really grateful for that.
Keweenaw Sunrise
With such great compositions and clearly an excellent knowledge of all that goes into creating a strong image, you must have attended school to advance your photographic talents, right?
NW: I never studied photography in school, in fact I’ve never even taken a class or attended a workshop. I learned through reading books on composition, exposure and light. But overall, it comes mostly through practice, learning from my many mistakes along the way.
Are there any photography books in particular that you currently like to reference(photographers always have at least one book dogeared!)?
NW:The last few books I’ve read are 'Visual Flow' by Ian Plant, 'Mountain Light' by Galen Rowell and 'Nightscape' by David Kingham.
How do you feel about the relatively new influence social media has had on photography and what do you feel may be a positive and negative aspect of social media?
NW:I like it for the most part. I don’t know if social media has made me a better photographer or not but I’m viewing much more photography each day which can be inspiring. I have met a lot of other photographers through social media, some really cool people that I enjoy talking shop with. Some of them I have met in person and since then have become good friends with.
Another reason I like it is because it has been instrumental in growing my business. A pretty significant amount of my sales have come through Facebook and I always enjoy the enthusiasm of my page followers.
On the negative side, early on there would be occasions where I would find myself photographing subjects and I’d catch myself thinking “I hope this gets a good response on Facebook.” It didn’t take long to realize that I wasn’t enjoying photography the way I used to. I learned that I needed to do this for myself, concentrate on shooting only what inspires me, and everything will fall into place.
And finally, what everyone really wants to know - what's in your bag?
NW:
Morning Mist
Camera Bodies
Nikon D800
Nikon D300 (backup body)
Lenses
Nikon 18-35mm AF-S
Nikon 24-70mm AF-S f/2.8
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8
Rokinon 14mm f/2.8
Tripod System
Gitzo 3532LS legs
Arca Swiss Z1 Monoball Head
Flash
Nikon SB800
Misc
B+W CPL & UV filters
Lee and Singh Ray GND filters
Lowepro AW500 bag
I would like to thank Neil for being kind enough to be the first photographer in the 'Photographer Profile' blog series. I would also like thank everyone for reading this post! If you're not already following Neil on the popular social media sites be sure to click the following links to check him out on Facebook, Google +, Instagram and Twitter. After seeing just a sampling of his great work, feel free to head to www.NeilWeaverPhotography.com and order some of his fine photos! Thanks again!
-Brad
Fill out the form below if you're interested in receiving updates from Outdoor Imaging and The Fine Michigan Photography Blog
The Best Day Of My Photographic Life
Fall at Presque Isle River. Porcupine Mountains State Park. October 2014.
Photographers have good days and bad days, just like everyone else. We also have great days and terrible days. The terrible days make us want to throw our equipment off the Mighty Mac and never click the shutter again. No photographer(as far as I know) has ever done this and that's because the highs we get from the great days hugely outweigh the lows from the terrible days. A few months ago I had the best photographic day of my life! This one day will keep me from ever tossing my equipment off that bridge!
When my desire to photograph came back with a vengeance a few years ago I knew eventually I would want to get back to the Upper Peninsula and create some images. I put it off for a while deciding to "re-hone" my skills closer to home first. I ventured to the U.P. a few years ago and fell in love with the abundance of beautiful scenery. That was 2006 and was so long ago that I was still using a film camera(actually I switched to digital shortly after that trip as the lab I was using lost 4 of my 12 rolls of film from that trip). I went back again in 2008 and found it just as amazing! Anyway, a trip to the U.P. was long overdo.
South Boundary Road. Porcupine Mountains State Park.
So I started planning. I decided mid October might be a good time to go. There would hopefully still be some fall color and the tourists would hopefully have thinned out by then. I booked my hotel(s), started checking the maps and anxiously awaited for the day to arrive. Finally, departure day - October 15th. I would spend this day on the road traveling 10+ hours to get to the Porcupine Mountains, spend one day there and then travel to Marquette. The travel day started off great with dry roads and blue skies with the occasional white puffy cloud. But as I traveled farther north the blue sky gave way to overcast, misty weather. It would remain this way for the rest of the travel day. I finally arrived in the Porkies in the middle of the night(I was delayed by scenic overlooks and pasties). I went right to bed and hoped that when I awoke in the morning the weather would be a little nicer. My alarm went off around 5:45 in the morning and I was so excited that I didn't even hit the snooze button! I grabbed a cup of joe and headed to South Boundary Road(a beautiful site by itself) which would lead me deeper into the Porcupine Mountains and eventually take me to the Presque Isle Scenic Site. Being as early as it was the sun was not up when I headed out but as it got lighter I could tell that the gray, misty skies had cleared and it looked like I was in for some good lighting conditions.
“I was seeing photographs before even framing them in the camera’s viewfinder, my head was clearer than at any other point in my life that I could remember and I seemingly floated along the river’s edge for a couple hours going scene to scene and clicking the shutter. ”
Sun shines through the forest at Presque Isle Scenic Site.
When I finally arrived and started the short trek to the river's edge I was certainly not disappointed. The light was great, the river was gorgeous and the October temperature wasn't even that bad. After a few clicks of the shutter I knew it was going to be a good day! I had a feeling come over me that I've had from time to time when shooting in the past but this was stronger. I was seeing photographs before even framing them in the camera's viewfinder, my head was clearer than at any other point in my life that I could remember and I seemingly floated along the river's edge for a couple hours going scene to scene and clicking the shutter. I felt like with every click I was creating a fantastic photograph. I was hoping, unrealistically obviously, that this wouldn't end. Finally and sadly, the sun rose to a point where the light was no longer great for photographing. My U.P. high was wearing off and I was coming back to reality. I got back in the car and travelled to the next destination I had pinned on my map. I would travel to L'Anse to see Canyon Falls and Powerhouse Falls and eventually head to Marquette for the 2nd night's stay. Powerhouse Falls and the Falls River didn't make my "high" return but it was a beautiful and unique place nonetheless. The weather, at this point, was starting to turn again into that gray misty mess I was hoping wouldn't return. It let up just enough when I arrived at Canyon Falls to allow me to photograph for about an hour before the skies started getting too dark to photograph any longer. My day, sadly, had come to an end. But boy what a day it was! The weather turned so bad the next day that I headed home early but there was no way I could be disappointed. I had the best photographic day* of my life just 24 hours prior!
*all images in this post, including the slideshow below, are from October 16th, 2014 - the best day of my photographic life.
All images from this post can be found in "Color Imaging" Gallery at www.outdoorimaging.net
There is now a special 4 pack of notecards available on the "Specials" Page at www.outdoorimaging.net containing 4 of my favorite images from this trip.
Add your email to the Subscription List to receive blog and email updates
Praesent id libero id metus varius consectetur ac eget diam. Nulla felis nunc, consequat laoreet lacus id.