I cannot thank you girls enough for this wonderful opportunity! :)
At the end of the day we picked our four favorite images of the day to have critiqued. Here were my picks.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Photography Workshop Recap
This past Saturday I attended a workshop hosted by the fabulous girls who make up Mirror Mirror Studio, Amy and Jen. Let me tell you one thing, these girls rock! We covered everything from preparing for the shot to the final edited image. Anything hands on is totally my thing, so this workshop proved to be very benefical. We even took advantage of the nice weather and headed outside. A special thanks for Shawn and Amy for being models for the day.
I cannot thank you girls enough for this wonderful opportunity! :)
At the end of the day we picked our four favorite images of the day to have critiqued. Here were my picks.
I cannot thank you girls enough for this wonderful opportunity! :)
At the end of the day we picked our four favorite images of the day to have critiqued. Here were my picks.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Winter Wonderland
Upper Peninsula ~Marquette, MI ~ February 19-22, 2009
There is something about traveling north that just makes you want to lose yourself in nature. Could it be the quiet stillness, the stunning views or of how life just seems more relaxed? When Brian and I cross the big bridge it is a feeling that cannot be explained by words. Winter in the UP, while equally beautiful, can sometimes prove to be a bit challenging. Some call it unending. Storms seem to blow in without warning, leaving inches and sometimes feet of snow. Brian and I were able to experience some of this first during our stay.
As much as I love the UP, I dread crossing the Mackinac Bridge. It scares me, makes my palms sweaty and my armpits tingle. The heights, the wind and the grates. Normally, I close my eyes, hum to myself and wait to hear the voice of the toll booth operator collecting our fare. This time however, I thought I would try something new. So out popped my camera and I started clicking away.
Soon after crossing the bridge and starting onto US-2 we quickly found out just how fast changing the weather could be.
Friday, Brian and I awoke to a gorgeous sunrise and agreed to take advantage of the beautiful day. Kaytee, our friend and host, had put together a list of possible ideas while in Marquette. We decided to check out Black River Falls on our snowshoes. Only a five minute outside of town, these falls prove amazing. A well worn trail through the woods leads to an opening in the trees where the falls and the river flows. We decided to keep heading up river to see what else we could find; and boy was it ever worth it. Waterfalls after waterfalls make up this section of the river. The refreshing sound of falling water proved "some good therapy" for the day.
We even saw some animals along the way.
Next stop, Sugarloaf. The hike up Sugarloaf itself is fairly short and easy, well worth experincing while in Marquette. Sugarloaf provides incredible spectacular views of Marquette and Lake Superior. Many patches of flat rock are provide an excellent sitting spot to just enjoy the view. We could have spent all day up there.
Cheese ;)
Friday night, was the start of the UP 200. This 240 mile sled dog race begins and ends in Marquette. We headed downtown to participate in the action. Family and friends alike, young and old gathered around Washington Street waiting for the races to start. The atmosphere was filled with laughter, cheers and stories of past races. Seeing the mushers prepare their dogs and sleds, made me wonder what was going through their minds. The dogs yipped with aniticipation. This was a celebration I was truly proud to have been part of.
Sunday morning we left Marquette to sun. We turned onto M28 and ran into blizzard conditions soon thereafter. We slowed down to about 5 mph and crept along using the snowbanks as a guide. Thankfully, we arrived in Munising safely. We learned, soon after we made it through, they shut M28 down. It remained closed for much of that day.
There is something about traveling north that just makes you want to lose yourself in nature. Could it be the quiet stillness, the stunning views or of how life just seems more relaxed? When Brian and I cross the big bridge it is a feeling that cannot be explained by words. Winter in the UP, while equally beautiful, can sometimes prove to be a bit challenging. Some call it unending. Storms seem to blow in without warning, leaving inches and sometimes feet of snow. Brian and I were able to experience some of this first during our stay.
As much as I love the UP, I dread crossing the Mackinac Bridge. It scares me, makes my palms sweaty and my armpits tingle. The heights, the wind and the grates. Normally, I close my eyes, hum to myself and wait to hear the voice of the toll booth operator collecting our fare. This time however, I thought I would try something new. So out popped my camera and I started clicking away.
Soon after crossing the bridge and starting onto US-2 we quickly found out just how fast changing the weather could be.
Friday, Brian and I awoke to a gorgeous sunrise and agreed to take advantage of the beautiful day. Kaytee, our friend and host, had put together a list of possible ideas while in Marquette. We decided to check out Black River Falls on our snowshoes. Only a five minute outside of town, these falls prove amazing. A well worn trail through the woods leads to an opening in the trees where the falls and the river flows. We decided to keep heading up river to see what else we could find; and boy was it ever worth it. Waterfalls after waterfalls make up this section of the river. The refreshing sound of falling water proved "some good therapy" for the day.
We even saw some animals along the way.
Next stop, Sugarloaf. The hike up Sugarloaf itself is fairly short and easy, well worth experincing while in Marquette. Sugarloaf provides incredible spectacular views of Marquette and Lake Superior. Many patches of flat rock are provide an excellent sitting spot to just enjoy the view. We could have spent all day up there.
Cheese ;)
Friday night, was the start of the UP 200. This 240 mile sled dog race begins and ends in Marquette. We headed downtown to participate in the action. Family and friends alike, young and old gathered around Washington Street waiting for the races to start. The atmosphere was filled with laughter, cheers and stories of past races. Seeing the mushers prepare their dogs and sleds, made me wonder what was going through their minds. The dogs yipped with aniticipation. This was a celebration I was truly proud to have been part of.
Sunday morning we left Marquette to sun. We turned onto M28 and ran into blizzard conditions soon thereafter. We slowed down to about 5 mph and crept along using the snowbanks as a guide. Thankfully, we arrived in Munising safely. We learned, soon after we made it through, they shut M28 down. It remained closed for much of that day.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Art of Being Graceful
or not so much...
One thing Brian and I both share is a love for the outdoors. We also have become frequent travelers of the Upper Peninsula. Many people head south, especially during the winter months, or west. But ah, yes, Brian and I always find ourselves heading north. This February, we headed to Marquette to stay with some friends for the dogsled races. While there we took advantage of the gorgeous weather on Friday and headed up Sugarloaf. Sugarloaf is this incredible mountain offering spectacular views of Marquette and Lake Superior.
We followed the well worn trail to the top; however, Brian decided to "blaze trail" on the way back down. Kaytee and I followed, a little reluctant to the terrian beneath our snowshoes, but were up for an adventure. One area in particular proved challenging. Our choices: jump or slide. Kaytee and I chose slide; Brian chose jump. Lets just say jumping didn't work out as planned for Brian. He neglected to take into consideration his snowshoes, which toe picked into the snow. Any laughing you may hear was out of complete love.
Two things the video fails to show:
1) The jump off the rock was about 9-10 foot drop. For this reason, Kaytee and I chose the alternative method of sliding down to the left of the rock.
2) My camera, yes MY CAMERA, was tucked in Brian's coat hanging around his neck. I realized this about 5 seconds into the laughter which turned into panic. Thankfully, no damage. And yes, lessons have been learned.
Enjoy! And if you find yourself laughing, it's okay, Brian will never know.
p.s. Blog post later this week with pictures and full trip report, I promise.
One thing Brian and I both share is a love for the outdoors. We also have become frequent travelers of the Upper Peninsula. Many people head south, especially during the winter months, or west. But ah, yes, Brian and I always find ourselves heading north. This February, we headed to Marquette to stay with some friends for the dogsled races. While there we took advantage of the gorgeous weather on Friday and headed up Sugarloaf. Sugarloaf is this incredible mountain offering spectacular views of Marquette and Lake Superior.
We followed the well worn trail to the top; however, Brian decided to "blaze trail" on the way back down. Kaytee and I followed, a little reluctant to the terrian beneath our snowshoes, but were up for an adventure. One area in particular proved challenging. Our choices: jump or slide. Kaytee and I chose slide; Brian chose jump. Lets just say jumping didn't work out as planned for Brian. He neglected to take into consideration his snowshoes, which toe picked into the snow. Any laughing you may hear was out of complete love.
Two things the video fails to show:
1) The jump off the rock was about 9-10 foot drop. For this reason, Kaytee and I chose the alternative method of sliding down to the left of the rock.
2) My camera, yes MY CAMERA, was tucked in Brian's coat hanging around his neck. I realized this about 5 seconds into the laughter which turned into panic. Thankfully, no damage. And yes, lessons have been learned.
Enjoy! And if you find yourself laughing, it's okay, Brian will never know.
p.s. Blog post later this week with pictures and full trip report, I promise.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Watkins Family
This past weekend I met the Watkins family downtown for their session. Celene's husband leaves for overseas next month and this made for a special session :) We started the day at the Museum and then headed outside. You guys were a complete joy! Enjoy! :)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Fiona
The last time I had saw Fiona she was just a baby and she is sure growing into a little doll. Those eyes absolutely melt your heart. Fiona didn't want to give up many smiles for me but adorable none the less. Rory and Amanda, thank you for letting me into your home!
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