Go See Do Explore

Kangaroos

On October 17, 2016

During a visit to the Detroit Zoo this summer, I asked one of the volunteers at the Outback Adventure when the Kangaroos are the most active because I ever time I visit in the summer, the kangaroos are all asleep in the shade. What she should’ve said was come back in the fall. We visited the zoo again this past weekend so Chris could experience the new penguin exhibit. We got to the river otter and he was swimming around and having fun. I knew this was a good sign because in the heat of the summer, I never even saw him. So, as we walked towards the back of the park, my hopes were rising that I might get some interesting kangaroo photos. I love the Kangaroo (and wallaby) exhibit, The Outback Adventure, because once you enter the exhibit, there are no cages, no big ditches separating you from the marsupials. They ask you to stay on the path, but the kangaroos can hop right up to you. Have you ever seen a kangaroo hop? I never knew their tail was involved, but it seemed like that’s where they get the power for their long hops!

About the Photo:
If you’re new to photography, a trip to the zoo is a great, low stakes, time to learn to shoot in manual. After shooting my first wedding (an outdoor ceremony with changing light conditions), I realized that I should not always be relying on Aperture Priority mode. So, I used this as a time to practice shooting in manual. I knew I would need a fast shutter speed to be able to freeze any kangaroo movement (1/320) because of that, I had my lens as wide as it would go and I still had to up my ISO to 800 even though it was the middle of the day. I kind of wish I could’ve kept those fast lenses we rented for that wedding.

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

Date Taken:
October 15, 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. To plan your trip to the Detroit Zoo, visit DetroitZoo.org.

Wordless Wednesday: Fall on the Farm

By Ashleigh

On October 12, 2016

In Michigan

Fall in the Village

By Ashleigh

On October 10, 2016

In Michigan

Fall is probably my favorite time to visit Greenfield Village (America’s #1 History Attraction) in Dearborn, Michigan. From the harvesting of the farms to the historical fall cooking in the houses, in my opinion, fall is the best time to experience the Village. And probably the best part about in the village is the food! I love eating at The Eagle Tavern! When you sit down at The Eagle Tavern, you sit down to a meal in the 19th century. The servers wear period clothing, there are not electric lights, and the recipes are the same that would’ve been enjoyed in the 1850s. All ingredients are locally sourced and the menu is seasonal. Which means, if you enjoy good fall cooking like I do, you can’t go wrong with The Eagle Tavern at harvest time!

About the Photo:
During my last visit to the Village, it was hay baling day at the Firestone Farm. The workers were using period appropriate farm equipment and the hay was flying! With this shot, I tried to capture the workers, the equipment and the hay in the air.

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

Date Taken:
September 26, 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. To plan your visit the Greenfield Village visit TheHenryFord.org.

Wordless Wednesday: Island Colors

By Ashleigh

On October 5, 2016

In Michigan

Kitch-iti-Kipi

By Ashleigh

On October 3, 2016

In Hiking, Michigan, Project: State Parks

Kitch-iti-Kipi, AKA “The Big Spring” is the largest freshwater spring in Michigan. When I heard about this place, I had to add it to our road trip. Yes, it added a few extra hours to our longest driving day, but the view was unlike anything else I’ve seen. The only way to see the spring is by large raft that is maneuvered onto the spring by a wheel that propels the raft along a rope across the spring. An interesting fact about the spring is that the water is always 45 degrees so even in the dead of winter, it does not freeze. In fact, when it is cold, the fish congregate in the spring because it is warmer than surrounding waters.

About the Photo:
The spring was very difficult to photograph. It was a dreary, rainy day when we visited so the sky in my pictures was unusable. The above photo the best one I got and I actually took it on my phone and did a little Instagram editing.

Camera Gear:
iPhone 6

Date Taken:
June 27, 2016

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. To plan your visit to the springs, visit the Michigan DNR.

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Wordless Wednesday: Orchard Beach

By Ashleigh

On September 28, 2016

In Michigan

Evening in Manistee

By Ashleigh

On September 26, 2016

In Michigan

Over Labor Day Weekend I had the chance to visit Manistee. This was an important visit because it checks the final box on my Lake Michigan beach town checklist. I have been to St. Joseph, Muskegon, Ludington, Traverse City, but I had yet to visit Manistee. There is a lot to see and do in Manistee and we enjoyed exploring the 1.5 mile riverwalk and crossed another State Park off our list at Orchard Beach. Of course, we ended the day watching the sunset at Fifth Avenue Beach. Afterwards, we stopped at House of Flavors for a yummy ice cream treat!

About the Photo:
The Manistee Lighthouse is a popular evening fishing spot so I really wanted to capture the action with my shot. I knew I wanted all of the lighthouse in focus so I went with a small aperture and long exposure. The long exposure caused the ghost effect in a few areas, but I think it shows the story of the fishermen on the pier. I did basic color adjustments in Lightroom but went into Photoshop to create the beam of light.

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 55-200 kit lens on a tripod

Date Taken:
September 4, 2016

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.

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Wordless Wednesday: Electric

By Ashleigh

On September 21, 2016

In Michigan

100 Years of National Parks

By Ashleigh

On September 19, 2016

In Michigan, National Parks & Places

August marked 100 years of the National Park Service and for two days, all US National Parks were free. We used this as an excuse to visit our nearest National Park, the Sleeping Bear Dunes. While this event meant more crowds, its always good to visit the dunes and realize just how small you are in the grand scheme of things.

Back in college, we made the trek down this behemoth of a dune at sunset. If you are adventurous and fit, I highly recommend you do it at least once! With the beautiful water on one side and on the other, a dune that seems to go all the way to the sky, it is an awe-inspiring experience. Although the walk back up is not easy! The sign at the top says its a 2-hour climb. I doubt it took us that long, but I did realize how out of shape I was. I’m not planning on repeating this trek, but I am very glad I did it!

About the Photo:
With this shot, I really wanted to capture just how large the dune is. I used my widest lens and tried to get an angle that also captured the far dune. If there weren’t the people climbing the dune in the photo, I would have loved to try out a longer shutter speed to show movement in the clouds.I like the shadows the clouds left in the water.

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

Date Taken:
August 28, 2016

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.

Wordless Wednesday: Sleeping Bear Vista

By Ashleigh

On September 14, 2016

In Michigan, National Parks & Places, Wordless Wednesday