Category: Project: State Parks Page 11 of 13

I Love Ludington

On June 6, 2016

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.

Happy Memorial Day!

By Ashleigh

On May 30, 2016

In Michigan, Project: State Parks

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!

Big Red

By Ashleigh

On May 23, 2016

In Michigan, Project: State Parks

Holland Lighthouse The Holland Harbor lighthouse is the most photographed lighthouse in Michigan and like all of Michigan lighthouses, has an interesting history. The United States Lighthouse Board (yes, that was an actual thing. Oh, the things I learn while doing research for this blog) initially recommended construction of a lighthouse in Holland Harbor in 1870. The original lighthouse on this spot was built in 1872. In 1880, a new light was installed in a protective cage on top of a pole. The lighthouse keeper used a pulley to lower the lamp for service. Can you imagine? The current lighthouse, commonly known as “Big Red” was built in 1907.The architecture of the building was designed to reflect the Dutch influence in the area. Like many Michigan lighthouses, it has been abandoned by the Coast Guard but was restored and preserved by a private historical group. Because you would have to cross private property to see it up close, private access to the lighthouse is limited. But, it can be viewed across the channel from Holland State Park. (wikipedia)

About this Photo:
This wasn’t much of a planned shot, I know the lighting wasn’t great when we were at the park, but I snapped this shot while walking the pier at the state park. This was a single RAW exposure with basic edits done in Ligthroom. I was able to pull some detail back into the sky by pulling out the highlights (this is a great save if you ever have a shot with a blown out sky).

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 50.0 mm f/1.8 handheld

Date Taken:
May 8, 2016

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

#igtravelchallenge May: Great Skies

By Ashleigh

On May 15, 2016

In Michigan, Photo Tips, Project: State Parks

When talking skies, I had to go back to my trip to the Silver Lake Sand Dunes. Rain was on the forecast, but we decided to take the chance and drive up there anyway. The results were stunning! We got beautiful shots of the rain falling over Lake Michigan. I learned my lesson, that’s for sure! Don’t let the weather deter you from exploring and photographing!

About the Photo:
When I saw the sun in the sky this day, I knew it was the perfect candidate for a sunburst! To do this, you’ll want to be in Manual or Aperature Priority Mode on your camera and set a small aperture (larger number). I recommend starting around f/16 and taking shots, each time getting a smaller and smaller aperture. Especially if you are shooting RAW, you may not see the results on the back of your camera, but once you import it into Lightroom, pull out the highlights and you should see a sunburst in the sky!

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

Date Taken:
April 1, 2016

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

Storm Rolling In

By Ashleigh

On April 25, 2016

In Photo Tips, Project: State Parks

Over Spring Break, one of the places I wanted to visit was the Silver Lake Sand Dunes. It was supposed to start raining and turn into snow on the day we had chosen and I was skeptical about whether or not we should still go. Well, Chris talked me into and I’m glad I decided to brave it! It was a great photographer’s sky! Those rays in the sky are not Photoshopped in! That is the rain coming in off the lake! Tip for photographers: Don’t let “bad” weather stop you from exploring and shooting! Be brave! Clear sky days are the time to stay home and do housework!

About this Photo:
I knew going to the dunes that I was going to want the widest lens I have and that wasn’t even really wide enough, so I decided to go the panorama route. This was 5 shots stitched together in Lightroom. Once Lightroom did its thing, I did my basic edits and voila!

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 18.0-55.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, handheld. Tip: If you’re planning a visit to the dunes, bring your camera bag with you. It is quite a climb up there and you don’t want to get any sand in anything!

Date Taken:
April 1, 2016

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

Chris Corner #10: Driftwood

By Chris

On April 23, 2016

In Chris' Corner, Michigan, Project: State Parks

Driftwood by Christopher Mowers on 500px.com

The posting of the photos that I took while on vacation continues this week, and we are back to Silver Lake State Park near Mears, MI.

We were at Silver lake on this sort of blustery, cold day, where rain was imminent. Really, it was actually snow that was imminent, but we didn’t know that yet. Overall, that week’s weather had been pretty nice for the first week in April, but the upcoming weekend was about to teach us a lesson, and that lesson was to not assume that spring had arrived just yet.

About the photo:

This beach, near the Little Sable lighthouse, had some really cool driftwood; this one was my favorite piece. Unlike the picture I posted a few weeks ago, where I had enhanced the light beams, these ones are straight out of the camera.

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.

Date Taken:
April 9, 2016

Thank you for reading. You can see my best work on 500px and can also find pictures of the “trying my hardest to be good at this” type on Flickr or Pixoto.

Also, be sure to like the Go See Do Facebook Page, and follow Ashleigh on Instagram and Flickr! Check out our Gear page to see inside our camera bag!

Wordless Wednesday: Lighthouse Vista

By Ashleigh

On April 20, 2016

In Project: State Parks, Wordless Wednesday

Road Trippin’

By Ashleigh

On April 18, 2016

In Michigan, Project: State Parks, Road Trip, Travel Tips

Since Spring Break is over, I have been busy planning our summer road trip. I was looking for an app or website that would help me with this planning; something that could help me choose an order for stops and let me know if the distance between stops was unrealistic. Well, after a quick Google search, I found exactly what I was looking for. Furkot.com does all that and more (and no one is paying me to say this). Furkot can help you find lodging in your chosen destinations or at certain intervals throughout your trip that you can customize. It will also help you plan your meals and activities once you’ve finalized your stops. If you are planning a road trip, you’ve got to check out Furkot!

About this Photo:
This photo was taken near the Little Sable Lighthouse at Silver Lake State Park near Mears, Michigan. This shot was taken right as a snow storm was blowing in off of Lake Michigan. It 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 handheld

Date Taken:
April 1, 2016

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

Chris Corner #5: Reflection Restored

By Chris

On March 18, 2016

In Chris' Corner, Michigan, Project: State Parks

Reflection Restored by Christopher Mowers on 500px.com

I must continue to post pictures that are impressionistic. My last couple posts have been too realistic!

This one was taken at Island Lake Recreation Area, east of Brighton, Michigan. Island Lake is part of the Michigan State Park system, which is renowned for the quality of its parks and the skill with which they are administered.

Island lake has great opportunities for hiking, biking and boating. It also connects with Kensington Metropark, one of the gems in the HCMA Metropark System.

About the Photo:
As far as photo impressionism goes, this one is pretty simple. It is a single exposure of the reflection of trees on Spring Mill Pond, rotated 180 degrees. I did do some fairly heavy color adjustments, but that’s really about it. Nature did this one for me rather than Photoshop

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens.

Date Taken:
March 4, 2016

Thank you for reading. You can see my best work on 500px and can also find pictures of the “trying my hardest to be good at this” type on Flickr or Pixoto.

Also, be sure to like the Go See Do Facebook Page, and follow Ashleigh on Instagram and Flickr! Check out our Gear page to see inside our camera bag!

Wordless Wednesday: Picnic Table Reflection

By Ashleigh

On March 16, 2016

In Michigan, Project: State Parks