Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Miner's Castle, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Copyright 2007 Andy Richards

Most of us are familiar with America’s National Park System (NPS), and many of the more famous Parks. Many are also familiar with the National Forests which are ubiquitous throughout our country. But there are some lesser known components of the NPS, including the National Wild and Scenic Rivers, and—in Michigan—our Sand Dunes systems and Lakeshores. One particular gem in the system is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, which occupies about a third of the Northern border of the Michigan Upper Peninsula (U.P.), along the Southern shore of Lake Superior; the largest and coldest of the Great Lakes. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore stretches from Grand Marais at its Eastern border, to Munising; its Western border. While there are numerous interesting sandstone formations all around the U.P., these are the most notable.

Sandstone Ledges, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

What makes the shoreline along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore unique is its cliffs and underwater ledges that were formed over many years from sediment deposits of sand. The sandstone layers create colorful graphic striations that, particularly when wet, and lit by nice sunlight make very photogenic subjects. Along the shoreline in many areas there are sandstone reefs that run out into Lake Superior, in at least one case, as far as a mile. Hiking along the beach, one can walk in sand for a mile and suddenly come upon a series of ledges and reefs that, while creating treacherous conditions for boaters, are very picturesque (giving the region its name).

Elliot Falls, Miner's Beach, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Munising, MI
Copyright 2009 Andy Richards

One remarkable formation, near Munising, Michigan, is “Miner’s Castle.” Through the natural process of accumulation, and then erosion, this formation at one time had 2 “turrets” which resembled a castle, jutting out over the lake. In late 2006, one of the turrets, due to erosion and high winds, fell into the lake. It is still a remarkable and photogenic subject. I have been to this area to photograph it many times and never fail to find something new to shoot. The park is very accessible with a large parking area above Miner’s Castle, and easy access and parking on the beach below the upper lot and the castle formation.

Sandstone Reef; Lake Superior Shoreline, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

Last weekend, I made a quick overnight trip up to the Munising area, to scout some locations for a Fall outing. These were areas I had not photographed previously. Almost to Grand Marais, Sable Point marks a massive sandstone reef that runs North into Lake Superior nearly a mile. Back in the days of shore-based navigation, the reef was known to have claimed many a commercial ship and there are still timbers from the wreckage along the shore in that area. The AuSable Lighthouse was placed to warn ships of this dangerous reef. Out of commission today, it is maintained by the NPS and is a popular site for visiting tourists. Access to the light requires a non-strenuous 1.6 mile hike out a two track road which begins at the NPS “Hurricane River Campground.” There is a nice beach here, where the Hurricane River empties into Lake Superior at the West end of the beach. On the East end there are timbers from a shipwreck. I photographed these timbers during the sunset.

Shipwreck Timbers; Hurricane River Campground Beach
Pictured Rocks National Lakshore
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

The lighthouse cannot be reached by hiking along the beach, as there are several sections where sandstone formations jut out into the water and it would require scrambling up over them. You can access the beach about ¾ of the way out to the light, where there is another shipwreck, and it is worth climbing down these stairs to finish the hike along the beach. From what I could see, the best photographic approach to the light for an afternoon shot is from this beach. I did not make it over to the East side, but I believe there may be a long view shot from the log slide (an area that loggers used to roll logs down to the beach to be loaded onto ships and shipped down to the lower peninsula and points South (through the Soo Locks).

AuSable Point Light; Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

Perhaps the most logical staging point for this area is Munising. From the middle of Munising, you can reach Marquette in less than an hour, the lighthouse parking lot in about 40 minutes, the Miner’s Castle points of interest in about 10 minutes, and the Hiawatha National Forest in about 10 minutes. There are a number of motels and hotels in Munising, all of them small. In certain seasons (especially late summer and during foliage times) early reservations are important. There are a smaller number of motels in Grand Marais, and it is an alternative, for the Pictured Rocks area.

Shipwreck Near Sable Point; Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

Essential Internet Tools for Photography

This is an image I might never have found without the able guidance of Carol Smith, who I met on the Scenes of Vermont Forums.
Copyright 2010 Andy Richards

This isn’t about gear. The internet is a vast resource for finding gear and finding reviews and information about gear to do your due diligence before buying. But this blog is about resources for the photographer to enhance the photographic endeavor.

I like to plan my photography excursions, whether they are day trips or more extended trips. Especially with the latter, it is challenging to take time off and spend the money for an “exotic” trip for photography without having an action plan. When I first started serious photography, I was fortunate to live in Vermont, where I could walk out the door and shoot interesting scenes, or jump in the car and reach anywhere in the state in 2- 4 hours. In those days, I didn’t do too much planning; just watched the weather and went somewhere and shot.

As Photographers, we have been really blessed by the internet

When I got back into photography in a significant way, it was the ’90s and the digital era. As photographers and travelers, we have been really blessed by the internet. Previously, we relied primarily on “how to” books published by outdoor and travel photographers and paper maps. While those resources are still invaluable in my view, they are not as versatile (nor as “instant”) as many of the internet resources available. I have had mixed results with the “photographing [location]” type books. Some are excellent. Others are, in my view, full of fluff and are a way for the photographer to publish some of their images. Indeed, sometimes one book by the same author will be great and another just awful.

This is another image I might not have found without some really good "intel" from a couple of photographers I met through the NPN and SOV forums. The Otter Cliff image is a classic, but many photographers don't find their way down onto the cobblestone beach which makes a wonderful foreground for this image.
Copyright 2009 Andy Richards

My first dedicated, week-long photography trip was in 2005 when buddy, Rich and I went to Vermont in search of Fall foliage images. The need to make efficient use of my very short time became compelling. That was my first venture into the world of the internet for travel and photography research. At that time, there still weren’t a lot of resources out there, but they were growing. There were other resources, like Robert Hitchman’s very helpful and relatively comprehensive Photograph America series, which became much more available and known through internet promotion.

My own pdf/series, “Photographing Scenic Vermont,” (soon to be offered as an eBook) and “Photographing Michigan’s ‘U.P.‘” are among the many offerings available (though for the reasons stated in this blog, I believe my pdf resources are unique). In 2011, the eBook “went viral” the popular uTube vernacular. A quick Google search turns up 100′s of new eBooks out on the market. By the end of 2012, I suspect you can get a reasonably priced eBook on almost any location or subject for your laptop or tablet computer.

But there are many other wonderful resources with information that posters and site owners have generously made available to the world, mostly free of charge! What follows is a short and certainly not exhaustive or exclusive list of resources I find absolutely invaluable for planning. I hope readers will add to this list in the comments section. Indeed, this may be a future “Page” here on this blog.

Photography Forums

The popular and common photographers’ forums are an invaluable tool for planning a trip to a new destination. I have been a long-time member of Nature Photographer’s Network (NPN), which, in addition to technical and philosophical discussions, gear review and classifieds, and image posting and critique, also offers “regional” forums where the members post information about places in the region, including current information about season, roads, opening and closings, etc. I have found the members universally friendly and helpful when responding to inquiries about trips to the area and about specific locations and destinations within a region. There are also often specimen photographs posted by these members. This gives an invaluable glimpse of what is in store for the traveler and helpful information for planning a trip. Things like bloom and foliage times, lodging, and directions can be instrumental to a well-planned trip. Another essentially similar forum is Naturescapes.net.

For photographers in the mid-West, another regional forum that has grown out of a former local camera club or group is Midwest Photography Enthusiasts Group(MPEG). At $30/year membership, it is perhaps the best “deal” on the net. The forum is more of a “gathering” place for members, but again, they tend to be members with a wealth of knowledge about the regions they live or photograph in. I have made a number of very good acquaintances who have provided me with up to date information about a location. The members are friendly and quick to offer help and even personal assistance when appropriate.

This waterfall involves a hike back into the woods and without the Michigan Waterfalls Database, I would probably never have found it, barring some local knowlege
Copyright 2007 Andy Richards

Information and Enthusiast Forums

In my quest to find good, current information about Vermont in late summer and early fall in 2005, I discovered Scenes of Vermont forum (SOV) on the Foliage Vermont website hosted by Tim Palmer-Benson of Morgan Vermont. A forum basically dedicated to all things Vermont, but with a strong leaning toward the Colorful New England Fall Foliage that Vermont is world-renowned for, this site is arguable the best of its kind in existence on the internet today. In addition to the foliage forum (which is pretty sleepy during the winter, spring and summer months, but heats up to a frenzy of posting and activity during September and October), there are other useful forums (including a photography forum which I moderate). The “regulars” there are an unending font of information about how to get there, when to get there, where to stay, etc. A couple of the moderators spend much of their spare time beginning in early Fall driving around and reporting back to the forum about current, local conditions. This is an invaluable asset for anyone planning a trip to Vermont or even Maine or New Hampshire. Yankee Magazine hosts another site, Yankee Foliage, which is more regional in nature, and different kind of information. In my view SOV offers a more focused, personal and individual view if you are looking for specifically Vermont information (though I may be biased  ). I have met a number of wonderful friends and photographers there, several of whom I have had the pleasure of meeting and shooting with in Vermont. One of the local shooters has even shared some of her “local information” with me that would otherwise never have been found in any book. I have made many nice images of Vermont, but my personal favorite is the Burton Road Farm scenic that she showed me near her home in Barton, Vermont.

Photographer Websites

I have developed a good list of links to other talented photographer’s websites over the years. This is a good resource to find specimen images of places you read about, to see if you want to make the effort to photograph the place, and to study viewpoints, angles, time of year, etc. I find that most of the time, these photographers will respond to inquiries and give you helpful information and encouragement. Many of my favorites are linked on the sidebar here (though I confess I really need to update it and add a few good links). And, of course, every pro photographer now has at least a website, if not a blog.

Flickr, Facebook and Google +

Flickr, 500pix, Google’s Picasa, and other similar sites are also very useful resources. I should note, here, that I am not necessarily endorsing any of these sites. Indeed, early on, I downloaded Picasa (I am a big Google user and for the most part a fan, using their Chrome Browser, Gmail, and [gasp] Blogger, for some other blogging I do) and was personally not happy with the way it took over my computer images. But they are for the most part, free photo uploading, album and sharing sites with the power to “share” your images with 1000′s of photographers worldwide. In addition to my own LightCentric Photography Website, I maintain a Flickr pro site, which gives me the ability to upload an unlimited number of images. However, both Flickr and Picasa offer free site to upload images which give lots of ability to maintain a nice site at no cost. I have found the Flickr site has given as much or more internet exposure than any other single site. I expect that with the “moving-target” nature of the internet and some of the new offerings (like Google+), this will change. But as a resource, even if you do not have your own site, you can search these sites and see photographs and often glean other information about places you want to visit.

Facebook, of course and now Google+ have opened up a “brave new world” for photographers. Through feeds, I have been streaming this blog and my Andy’s Photo weekly image blog onto Facebook for a couple years, now. Facebook allows me to connect with other photographers around the word. Google+ is even better, as a format that really lends itself to connecting with other photographers, even those you do not know. As you do so, you begin to have relationships with others who can be a very useful source of information about regions of the country and the world.

Informational and Technical Resources

These resources were the first place I stared searching for information some 15-20 years ago, when the internet was a relatively new phenomenon. Using internet search engines, I searched for terms which were related to where I planned to go or what I wanted to know about. Informational sites – particularly back 15 years, would most often bring up informational sites such as the National Park Service’s site, which will give you a good starting point for any national park you plan to visit. Likewise, most states have a pretty good State Park website and database.

Over time, some very generous and helpful persons began to compile topic-oriented databases. Some wonderful examples are the waterfall websites. Waterfalls of the Great Lakes covers hundreds of waterfalls around the Great Lakes and well beyond, extending to Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and even a few in California. In most cases there are representative photographs, detailed directions, and information about the ease of access. New England Waterfalls covers Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont waterfalls, with a similar approach of photographs where available, directions and information. Waterfalls of the Northeastern United States is yet another comprehensive on-line reference database to waterfalls. Waterfalls West features the photography of John Turnbull and has images and information about many waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest and California. I have not searched for other region-specific waterfall sites, but I am virtually (pun intended) certain a Google search will yield fruitful results.

As good, and comprehensive as the waterfalls databases are, I might not have found this little gem on Miner's Beach in the Michigan U.P. without the "local knowledge" provided by Scott Mitchell, who I "met" on the NPN and MPEG forums.
Copyright 2009 Andy Richards

Another great photography subject is lighthouses. While researching for this Blog, I came across the really comprehensive Lighthouse Fans database, which appears to be worldwide, and is searchable, with information and specimen images. A good starting point to perhaps more focused sites, like New England Lighthouses (gives illustrative images, directions to, and information about lighthouses on the New England Coast (principally Maine), or for Great Lakes light houses; Michigan Lighthouses is a great site.

Mapping Software

When I started my quest for information in 2005, when I made my first, dedicated, week-long photography trip to Vermont, I purchased a computer software program by DeLorme which gave me “street” maps and topographic maps. It is a software program that I use almost every day and it is always resident on whatever computer I own. With it, I am able to search the maps, tag them, obtain information about roads, rivers, lakes, etc., and obtain gps information. And, I can print custom maps. While I have never used it that way, it is possible to upload information to and from a hand-held gps device.

By now most of us are familiar with online mapping software, like Google Maps and Google Earth. These are also great tools, though from time to time, I have experienced incorrect information.

TPE is a nothing-short-of-incredible little reference tool!

And now, the best for last! TPE (“The Photographer’s Ephemeris) was recommended by another photographer on one of the forum sites and I played around with it one weekend morning and immediately downloaded and started using it. The computer-resident version interfaces with Google Maps, requires a (free) download of Adobe Air software, but most importantly is offered free of charge! There is also a very modestly priced mobile version for ios (iphone and ipad) and now for android. This is a nothing short of incredible little reference tool. Searchable, and with savable locations, this program renders civil and nautical twilight times, sunrise/sunset times and moonrise/moonset times for any month of the year for a given location. But that’s not the real magic of the program (there are numerous websites that will render up this information). This program also interfaces on Google Maps (with a choice of map/Google Earth-type interface/hybrid views) and produces a directional-arrow overlay showing sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset angles. How very cool! Imaging having a Google Earth style image zoomed in on a location showing you where the sun will rise (or set) at any given time of the year!

I used TPE while sitting in my living room in Michigan to find this Stowe, Vermont image on Google Maps and determine the best time and shooting angle to get the late afternoon sun to light this image.
Copyright 2009 Andy Richards

The foregoing summary may have scratched or even dented the surface. You should be able to go out and dig even more deeply and find any piece of information you want or need about photography, literally at your fingertips.

Do Your Photographs Evoke Emotion?

The colorful rocks, colorful reflections and the water and the graphic elements in this image created a visceral or emotional reaction to me - enough to compose it and click the shutter! Copyright 2011 Andy Richards

“It’s just emotion that’s taking me over.” This short lyrical riff from the 70′s era Samantha Sang song, Emotion,” (written and performed by the Gibbs brothers – the Bee Gees) might just be a good photographic theme (just to assure those of you might be worried, no, I was not/am not a Disco fan – but you have to admit, some of the music had rhythm and melody that was just – well, catchy ).

A recent photo contest statement illustrates the sentiment. The art director for the sponsor noted that what he was looking for was images that would evoke an emotional response. That got me thinking about whether my images evoke any emotional response, and if so, could I articulate it? Looking through some of my images, I asked myself, do they evoke an emotion? And if I thought the answer was yes, how could I articulate the emotion? Did they make me sad, happy, angry, excited, euphoric or depressed? Almost universally, I could not label any of my images with those traditional emotional responses. So what, exactly does it mean to have an “emotional response” to an image?

That got me thinking about whether my images evoke any emotional response, and if so, could I articulate it?

My conclusions are equivocal. On a purely empirical level, I suppose it can be said that every photograph evokes some emotion. We often see and hear comments like, “nice,” “beautiful,” “awesome,” “great composition,” “well – seen,” and the like. Less often, it may be “ho-hum,” or “yuck, that’s awful,”(though I suspect these latter comments are more often thought than heard or seen ).

Photography is all about light. I have always been drawn to moving water and those slow-exposures that create a silky effect to it. But here, the "angel hair" texture to the water with the sunlight and shadow dappling it created an emotional reaction as I looked through the viewfinder: "I like it."
Copyright 2010 Andy Richards

Recently, I read a statement by a photographer who said we as photographers often put too much emphasis on our work being liked or accepted by other photographers. It was a statement that resonated with me. While I welcome constructive critique, it is not the “camera club” photo contests and observance of “rules of photography” that is a motivating factor for my images. I want my images have impact generally to viewers who aren’t looking at it as photographers and artists, but just looking at it as an observer.

An image with impact should create an emotional, even perhaps visceral reaction

As I stood on a roadside above, with the October wind buffeting me, all I could think of was the vastness of this rugged, wild countryside. While "vast" is not an emotion, my reaction to it was certainly visceral.
Copyright 2008 Andy Richards

“Emotion” is perhaps not the precisely correct word for this phenomenon. An image with impact should create an emotional, even perhaps visceral reaction in the viewer. It needs to strike a chord that makes them keep coming back to it and keep looking at it (and in the economic sense, it has to create a feeling with that viewer that they want to have it hanging on their wall, day after day).

And if not, is the image worth making?

This kaleidoscope of color, sky, reflection and fog/steam in the very cold October dawn in Vermont created a number of emotional and visceral feelings in me (not the least of which was cold!)
Copyright 2010 Andy Richards

As I thought about this, I wondered how reach that emotional “chord” in people? And as I thought more, a plausible answer came to me. Does the image cause a visceral or emotional response in me? If so, there is a pretty good chance it will create that response in the viewer. And if not, is the image worth making?

Thanks for reading

Tranquil Turk; Grand Turk Island

Grand Turk Island is an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands, a chain of islands in the Caribbean under British Rule, just southeast of the Bahamas. The island derives its name comes from a species of cactus on the island, the Turk’s Cap Cactus, which has a distinctive cap, reminiscent of a Turkish fez. Grand Turk is the largest of the Turks Islands (the smaller of the two archipelagos making up the Turks and the much larger Caicos). At 6.9 square miles, and with a population just under 4,000, Grand Turk houses the territorial capital, in Cockburn Town, as well as a Masonic Temple, the Turks and Caicos Museum, and the Governor’s Mansion, on the Grand Turk Beach.

Originally settled by the same natives as many other Caribbean Islands, according to Wikipedia, in 1841, a Spanish ship engaged in the slave trade was wrecked off the coast of East Caicos, one of the larger Caicos Islands. One hundred and ninety-two captive Africans survived the sinking and made it to shore where, under British rule, the slave trade was illegal. These survivors were apprenticed to trades for one year then settled mostly on Grand Turk Island. For several decades around the turn of the 18th century The Turks and Caicos were pirate hideouts. In 1680, Bermudian salt collectors settled the Turk Islands and you can still see the large salt flat impounds as you come into port today.

In 1962, John Glenn’s Friendship 7 Mercury spacecraft splashed down near Grand Turk Island and today, a replica of the Friendship 7 is on display in Grand Turk at the entrance to the Grand Turk Island JAGS McCartney Airport. There has been (disputed) speculation over the years that Grand Turk may have also been the first land sighted by Christopher Columbus’ “New World” discovery in 1492.

Grand Turk, Caribbean Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

There are no ziplines, colorful nightlife, jewelry stores, duty-free liquor stores, or other traditional cruise line retail establishments inland and in the heart of Cockburn town (though there is now a well-developed – outlet-mall style development right at the cruise dock itself at the Southeastern End of the island. The town itself is laid-back, local, and most certainly doesn’t reek of high dollar shopping and restaurants. Indeed, apparently until only very recently, only the exclusive, small ship lines such as Silversea even made port at Grand Turk. In more recent years, however, the Carnival Corporation (Carnival, Holland America and Princess are all within the Carnival “umbrella”). If you want nightlife or an upscale resort experience, the Caicos Island of Providencialesapparently is the “in place.”

Grand Turk, Caribbean Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

We took a taxi into Cockburn Town and “downtown” was a little strip of rather timeworn buildings along the beach, with a bit of local color showing as small “trinket” sale huts and food establishments on the beach. The community had a decidedly rural and “poor” quality to it, though a large (and from the photographs at the cruise terminal, elaborate) “visitor center” was under construction.

Grand Turk, Caribbean Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

A gorgeous Caribbean Sunset closed out our visit to Grand Turk on a quiet, picturesque, quintessential Caribbean. I didn’t have my camera or tripod (a terrible admission for a photographer), but it is a scene I will remember until my next (perhaps) visit to Grand Turk.

Grand Turk Beach, Caribbean Copyright 2012 Andy Richards