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Category: Michigan Page 29 of 37

Taking a Photo a Day

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On June 27, 2016

In Michigan, Photo Tips

Chipmunk #11

Once again, I am embarking on a Photo a Day Project this summer. I enjoy this because it forces me to look for interesting subjects in the every day. Also, I like to use this project to learn new techniques and editing styles. Back in 2011 I tried a Project 365 (where you take a photo a day for a year) and that was just too much for me. First off, it is very hard to start a project like this in the winter. I don’t know about you, but I don’t find all white landscapes very inspiring. Not to mention, I really don’t enjoy spending time outside when its below zero. If you’re looking to try something new and get some inspiration, I highly recommend trying a photo a day project, whether you have the dedication for a 365, that’s up to you.

About the Photo:
This guy comes by my house all the time but I’ve had a hard time capturing him. I know how fast he moves, so I knew I fast shutter speed was in order, so I used my 50mm lens because it is the fastest in my arsenal. Because Mr. Chippy was sitting in the shade, I upped the ISO to 800 and got a shutter speed of 1/500. The D3100 doesn’t have great noise performance so I had to do some noise reduction in Lightroom to smooth out the green.

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 50.0 mm f/1.8

Date Taken:
June 8, 2016

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page.  To make sure you don’t miss any of my photos during the summer, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see what’s in my camera bag, check out my gear page!

Wordless Wednesday: Penguin

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On June 22, 2016

In Michigan, Wordless Wednesday

Penguin in the Light

Lets Talk Editing!

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On June 20, 2016

In Michigan, Photo Tips

Butterfly House

Over and over on the blog, I preach that the gear does not make the photographer. One simple way to elevate your photography is by upgrading your photo editing software. When I got started in photography, I used Google’s free editing software, Picassa. Its inexpensive and enables the photographer to make very simple changes to a photo (i.e. exposure, contrast, simple color adjustments, crop). It is good for basic snapshots, but doesn’t really do what a serious photographer needs. Photoshop is expensive, so my first upgrade was to Photoshop Elements ($74 on Amazon). While it is a step in the right direction, it is not easy to use. And, like Picassa you have to save a copy of every photo you edit which takes up a lot of space on your hard drive, not to mention its a pain when you want to re-edit a photo. Then, I hear about Adobe Creative Cloud, a $9.99/month subscription service in which you get Lightroom and Photoshop. I signed up for a 30 day free trial and never looked back. Lightroom is so much more user friendly than Elements and its Library function is a godsend in photo organization. All three of these programs have RAW editors, but I definitely recommend Lightroom. If you’re not interested in a subscription service, you can purchase Lightroom 6 on Amazon. Of course, you do need Photoshop for more advanced edits. I’ll have Chris write on that later.

About the Photo:
This was a single RAW exposure with basic edits done in Lightroom. In a future post I will detail what I mean when I say “basic edits”.

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 55-200 kit lens, handheld

Date Taken:
June 3, 2016

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page.  I have started my summer photo a day project again this year. To make sure you don’t miss a single day, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr!

#igtravelchallenge June: Street Art

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On June 15, 2016

In Michigan

Ludington Street Art

When I saw the topic for June was street art, I was worried. This really isn’t a topic I photograph often. Before my last trip to Ludington, the only street art I’ve photographed was the post card painting in Key West (below). I remembered that when I visited Ludington last year, they were working on a park downtown with these vibrantly colored, locally inspired, murals. I had to stop and snap some photos for the travel challenge. I like this one,  which depicts the SS Badger, the car ferry that transports passengers from Ludington to Wisconsin (Manitowoc, Wisconsin for you Making a Murder fans).

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My mom & I in Key West

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page.  I have started my summer photo a day project again this year. To make sure you don’t miss a single day, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To plan your visit to Ludington, check out  VisitLudington.com.

Who Says Penguins Can’t Fly?

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On June 13, 2016

In Michigan

Swimming Penguin #7

Last summer I visited the Detroit Zoo for the first time in 13 years (and wrote an article about my experience, which can be read here). While I was there, I saw a new building being erected with the sign saying “Future Home of the Polk Penguin Coservation Center” and I could not wait to check it out! I literally checked the zoo’s website monthly, waiting for an opening date! Penguins are one of my favorite animals to photograph and it was so hard to do in the old penguin house (which was the first ever building built for specifically for penguins) because the glass was so smudged and it was so dark (not to mention the smell). I finally got to check it out and I was impressed! It was a much more immersive experience; you don’t just look at penguins, you are transported to Antarctica. And the coolest part, you go in a glass tunnel at the bottom of the tank (I don’t feel like I’m describing this well, photo below) and you can see the penguins zoom around above you!

About the Photos:
This was a single RAW exposure edited in Lightroom with the Improve Photography 2016 preset B&W Light. While the new exhibit seems lighter with all the blue lighting, it is still pretty dark from a photography perspective, meaning you’re going to have to open up your aperture and push your ISO to be able to get fast enough shutter speeds to freeze the penguins’ motion. I had my kit lens as fast as it will go at f/4.5, my ISO at 800 (I know my camera does not have great noise performance any higher than that), and I was able to get the shutter at 1/125, which was fast enough to make the penguin look like he was flying! Also, by converting the shot from the blue color cast, that no amount of editing was able to tone down, it almost looks like he’s not flying through water, but through the air.

The bottom photo was a JPEG taken with my iphone and uploaded to Instagram. This is not an art photo, I just want you to understand this exhibit.

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 55-200 kit lens, handheld

Date Taken:
June 3, 2016

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page.  I have started my summer photo a day project again this year. To make sure you don’t miss a single day, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To plan your visit to see the penguins, visit DetroitZoo.com.

Wordless Wednesday: Skyline Vista

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On June 8, 2016

In Michigan, Project: State Parks, Wordless Wednesday

Skyline Trail #2

I Love Ludington

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On June 6, 2016

In Michigan, Project: State Parks

Big Sable Point

Over Memorial Day weekend, I had the joy of returning to Ludington. This time, I truly fell in love with Ludington State Park. Between the half-mile Skyline Trail’s stunning dune vistas (look for a photo on Wednesday), the beautiful Lake Michigan beach, and the historically striking views at the end a two mile hike on the Lighthouse Trail. After this visit, I am making plans to return for a camping trip. The Jack Pine campground is a hike-in campground (meaning no road access) halfway to the lighthouse. This is a wonderful opportunity for photographers, because I would be able to stay at the park later (the day use areas close at 10) to capture the sunset and night sky at the lighthouse.

About the Photo:
This photo was a single RAW exposure with basic edits done in Lightroom. I really wanted to the catch sunset at the lighthouse, but, as I mentioned above, the day use areas (read parking lot) close at 10:00 and in the summer, the sun sets on Michigan’s west coast after 9:00, leaving very little time to get our shots, hike two miles, and get back to the car before they close the gate. So, if you want to get a true sunset shot, visit in the winter or camp in the park (there are several modern camping options in the park if you don’t want to carry in all your gear, but you would have more walking from the lighthouse than the hike in campground).

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 18-55 kit lens handheld

Date Taken:
May 29, 2016

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page.  I have started my summer photo a day project again this year. To make sure you don’t miss a single day, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To plan your visit to Ludington State Park visit the Michigan DNR or VisitLudington.com.

Wordless Wednesday: Depot at Dusk

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On June 1, 2016

In Michigan, Wordless Wednesday

Depot

Happy Memorial Day!

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On May 30, 2016

In Michigan, Project: State Parks

Light & Shadow

Happy Memorial Day from GSDP!

Last weekend, I was able to cross another State Park off my list. I recently discovered Seven Lakes State Park while planning our summer road trip and when I realized how close it was, I had to check it out! There are 230 acres of water at the park and a big draw is Big Seven Lake and the recreation that goes along with it. There are also 4 miles of hiking trails around the lakes to explore around the lake. This is a gorgeous park and I can’t wait to go back!

About the Photo:
This photo was taken on one of the hiking trails around the lake. I love how the light was coming in during Magic Hour (about an hour before sunset) and I had to capture it! This was a single RAW exposure with basic edits done in Lightroom. To figure out when Magic Hour is, visit Golden-Hour.com.

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

Date Taken:
May 22, 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: Red Tulips

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On May 25, 2016

In Flowers, Michigan, Wordless Wednesday

Red Tulip

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