Category: Landscape Photography

Do I Have to Crop?
Posted by Heather on in Landscape Photography, Portraiture

Do I Have to Crop?

This is a question we receive with most photo orders, and the answer is: maybe.

Almost all the landscape images offered in our galleries are in the 2×3 aspect ratio, which means that one side is 1-1/2 times bigger than the other side. (Three is 1-1/2 times bigger than two.) So if you have a frame or a mat with an opening in any multiples of 2×3 – or if you buy a metal or canvas with that ratio – you won’t need to crop. Examples include:

4×6, 8×12, 12×18, 16×24, 20×30, 24×36, and 30×45.

If your frame or mat opening is any other ratio, you’ll need to crop. So 8x10s, 11x14s, 16x20s will all lose a little around the edges. Exactly how much? This much:

cropping-chart

How will this look in the final print? It depends on the photo. We examine each one and choose the best crop before sending it off to print. If it just won’t look good at a certain crop, we’ll let you know first. Here’s a real-world example to give you an idea of what to expect:

Original photo, 2×3 aspect ratio (includes 4×6, 8×12, 12×18, 16×24, 20×30, 24×36, 30×45

2x3originalI’d like a print!

Cropped to a 4×5 aspect ratio (includes 8×10, 16×20, 24×30)

4x5crop

Cropped to an 11×14 aspect ratio

11x14

Cropped to a 3×4 aspect ratio (includes 12×16, 18×24, 30×40)

3x4crop

If you’re ever unsure if a photo will look okay cropped, just ask! We’re happy to provide an opinion and/or a preview.

Sleepless for the Sunrise
Posted by Heather on in Landscape Photography

Sleepless for the Sunrise

With no blanket of clouds to keep it tucked in, heat flees the Earth on clear winter nights, and the temperature tumbles. Winds calm, and a skim of ice collects on the still bay. My alarm sounds, and I trek to the beach to witness the day’s cold start. Dawn breaks with a vibrant sunrise, reflected off the perfect mirror of Lake Michigan’s frozen surface. I marvel at the rising beauty, grateful for the clothes that keep me warm and dry as I wade through shallow waters, framing images with my camera. Is it worth the sleep deficit to be alone with this clear water at sunup? You bet it is.

11mm iso 100 f/5.6 1/80-sec
photo: A vibrant sunrise plays on the horizon over the still waters of an icy Lake Michigan bay in Traverse City
A vibrant sunrise plays on the horizon over the still waters of an icy Lake Michigan bay in Traverse CityI’d like a print!

Want to see more? Click through for other sunrises and sunsets, or other winter scenes. Tired of winter? Go ahead and look forward to the springtime landscape. I won’t tell 😉

A Quiet Night at the Frankfort Lighthouse
Posted by Heather on in Landscape Photography

A Quiet Night at the Frankfort Lighthouse

I think of myself as a serendipitous shooter: I go out to scenes in all kinds of light – the good, the bad, even the ugly – and I take photos. Sometimes I walk away with artwork worth sharing, and sometimes I just walk away with happy memories. I don’t often stalk a scene for the best light, I don’t think of myself as having a favorite thing to photograph, and I don’t find that I’m predictable (even I don’t know when or where I’ll be heading out to shoot until I get the itch). But, lately, if you wanted to catch me out and about, you’d look at northern Michigan’s west coast lighthouses:

You can click any photo for a larger view or to purchase a print.
Winter’s gnarly ice clings to the rust-flecked Manistee Lighthouse
Wicked ice formations along the pier stand out vividly against the pink sunrise glow at Michigan’s Manistee Lighthouse
Starry skies and ice formations adorn the beautiful Point Betsie Lighthouse
Winter Sunrise at the Manistee Lighthouse
Dark skies split dramatically over the ice-covered pier at the Manistee Lighthouse
Mission Point Lighthouse Reflects in a winter puddle
Blue ice formations below the red fog signal building at the Point Betsie Lightouse
Ice formations highlight seasonal drama at the Point Betsie Lighthouse
A break at the cloudy hinted at the potential for a lightshow at sundown, delivering this magnificent sunset at the Frankfort Lighthouse

I’ve visited every one of them from Manistee up to Northport (though I didn’t take the camera out), and I’ve been there from sunrise to sunset, and well into the night.

Last Wednesday, I checked the weather and saw something I hadn’t seen in what felt like eons: the possibility for clear night skies. I packed my gear, my cold weather clothes, and food and water, and headed for the coast. I missed the best light in an incredible sunset, but caught the afterglow and the first light of the moon on the lakeshore just south of Empire. While the skies were still cloudy, I headed south into Frankfort to see how the ice was shaping up along the beach. By this time, the winds had died down almost entirely. The water inside the breakwall was very still, the forming ice chattered, and tiny waves sloshed against the icebergs beached on the sand.

40mm iso 500 f/13 30-sec
Photo: A black and white capture of a quiet winter night at northern Michigan's Frankfort Lighthouse
A black and white capture of a quiet winter night at the Frankfort Lighthouse
I’d like a print!

I shot a few variations of the scenery in Frankfort, but this mid-range capture is my favorite. I opted for a black and white conversion on this for the added drama. It was a quiet, stark scene, and I feel like the lack of color tells a desolate winter story well.

I left Frankfort, heading back north up the coast, and stopped at a few places along the way as the skies cleared and the northern lights made an appearance. There’s a starry image of Point Betsie (<–linked here) in the gallery above, and there will be more sunsets and night skies from this trip coming soon! In the meantime, feel free to peruse the winter landscapes and night sky galleries in case you missed something cool 😉

Manistee Morning Light
Posted by Heather on in Landscape Photography

Manistee Morning Light

As a night owl, I don’t see very many sunrises, even in the winter. I especially don’t see them 65 miles from home. However, this past weekend brought frigid temperatures, lots of wind, and the promise of partly cloudy skies on Sunday morning, so I gave up sleep in favor of some photo opportunities. It’s a long drive to Manistee from Traverse City when the sun’s not up. Because it was so cold, I decided to pack my layers in the car, and finish dressing on my arrival. I barely had time to toss on my snow pants before heading out, and I was still slipping on my gloves when the first light touched the top of the lighthouse.

31mm iso 100 f/7.1 1/10-sec
Photo: pink and purple sunrise over the pier and frozen Manistee Lighthouse
Winter Sunrise at the Manistee Lighthouse
I’d like a print!

There were eight glorious, rosy minutes from that moment until the sun climbed into the low clouds. But even as the incredible pink sunrise faded, the light wasn’t boring, so I wasn’t bored.
frozenselfie
I stayed out on that ice-coated pier for the next hour-and-a-half, capturing the various frozen formations along the pier and on the lighthouse, before dragging myself back to the car. I didn’t see another person the whole time I was out, but the more impressive thing is that I managed to keep my fingers from getting cold! (Toe warmers stuck to the inside of ski mittens.)

11mm iso 100 f/7.1 1/125-sec
Photo: Dark skies split dramatically over the ice-covered pier at the Manistee Lighthouse
Dark skies split dramatically over the ice-covered pier at the Manistee Lighthouse
I’d like a print!

Check out the winter landscapes gallery for more frozen fun, or the sunrises and sunsets gallery for more colorful scenes.

Snow-Hiking at the Grass River Natural Area
Posted by Heather on in Landscape Photography

Snow-Hiking at the Grass River Natural Area
Photo: Snowy footbridge over creek - Grass River Natural Area
Thick snow covers a footbridge over a creek at the Grass River Natural Area

I’d like a print!

Three photos: 11mm iso 100 f/22 .8-s, 3.0-s, 1/4-s

I met up with some lovely ladies yesterday afternoon for a pre-class trek around the Grass River Natural Area. I’m sure if you snowshoe, this would be a great place to use them, but I find them to be mostly a hindrance to my mobility. Generally I do what I did yesterday, which is just hike in my winter boots and snow pants.

Warmer temperatures recently have melted much of the snow off the trees, but the Grass River wetlands seem to be holding onto the fluff. The sun shone earlier in the day, and I was initially hopeful for some beautiful winter bluebird skies, but I should’ve known better. By the time we arrived near the area in Bellaire, lake effect snow was flying again. So the skies were a little drab for grand landscapes, but that didn’t stop me from finding a few vignettes I really liked, including this one. I shot this scene in a way that’s out of character for me, mainly because I wanted some fodder for the Lightroom workshop I was teaching later that day. I don’t normally do traditional HDRs, but I think Lightroom has improved its engine, allowing you get decent results in one program.

Want more winter scenes? Check out the Winter Landscape Gallery.

Ice Maw and Mackinac at Moonrise
Posted by Heather on in Landscape Photography

Ice Maw and Mackinac at Moonrise
Photo: ice formations and Mackinac Bridge + reflections during moonrise
The moon rises over the Mackinac Bridge and the menacing maw of a small Lake Michigan ice cave

I’d like a print!

11mm, iso 100, f/2.8, 10-sec

I am so excited about this image. After gallivanting around the northern reaches of Michigan’s lower peninsula, we set our sights on the Mackinac Bridge – specifically McGulpin Rock – to watch the sunset. Sun bathed the landscape for most of the day, but clouds had since shrouded the sky – dashing my hopes for great light. What I hadn’t counted on, though, was the the Straits of Mackinac were nearly without a ripple. As night deepened, the bridge’s reflection became clearer, and my continued shoreline exploration led me to this icy maw adjacent to the McGulpin Rock. Despite the moonlight filtering through the clouds, there wasn’t enough contrast to see the ice in a photo the way I could with my eyes. So I broke out my trusty speedlight, which I diffused and used on a low setting. I’m sure I arrived back at the car with a goofy grin. How could I not? I had just witnessed a Pure Michigan Magic Moment. I’m still giddy. 🙂

Check out these galleries for more night scenes and winter landscapes.

Posted by Heather on in Landscape Photography

When There Are No April Showers

Photo: Partially frozen Grand Traverse Bay, colorful sunset
Patches of liquid water separate sheets of solid ice as the Grand Traverse Bay melts

I’d like a print!

Four frames (20mm, iso 100, f/9, 1/100) stitched together in Photoshop.

“April showers bring May flowers” …but only if there are April showers. Though this winter has been relatively mild, the past two Michigan winters were brutal. We watched in fascination in 2014 as the Grand Traverse Bay froze completely solid. We were less fascinated as it collected snow, looking like a flat field instead of the brilliant blue lake it is. With the longer days and persistent sun, the thick ice began to break up in mid-April. This day remains one of my favorites, because it was such a surprise, and the weather was perfect for between-the-ice reflections. The air was warm, but the ice was cold, reminding me of ice cream in the summertime. It was a sweet evening – the kind that makes me glad I live Up North.

Check out these galleries for more winter scenes and colorful sunsets.

Moody Monochrome Dock
Posted by Heather on in Landscape Photography

Moody Monochrome Dock

moody-monochrome-dock
Surrounded by the astonishing array of blues and greens in northern Michigan’s lakes, as well as our four very distinct seasons, I have a tough time letting go of color. I search for ways to highlight color in my images, and as a result, I sometimes don’t “see” in black and white very well. So, during this rather monochromatic moment in a recent sunset, I decided to think even more in monochrome – which let me dial up the contrast. Since the overcast skies were blue rather than grey, increasing contrast in the color image would’ve looked ludicrous, but the B&W conversion let me play with highlights and shadows, and fully display the scene reflecting in Cedar Lake in all its moody glory. As you can see, though, I wasn’t content with a straight black and white landscape; I added a touch of blue to the midtones.

Traverse City’s Clock Tower Under a Full Moon
Posted by Heather on in Landscape Photography

Traverse City’s Clock Tower Under a Full Moon

Photo: light trails, moonrise, Traverse City
Cars stream past the clock tower in Traverse City

Yesterday’s partly sunny skies became thick cloud cover just in time to dispel any notions I had of capturing an interesting sunset over the ice in Traverse City. As the color bled out of the day, so did those pesky clouds – just in time to uncover the full moon’s diaphanous orb. Having previously made images of the full moon over West Grand Traverse Bay, I wanted something different. I wasn’t sure what that was until we approached Traverse City’s downtown from West Front Street, and then I hopped out of the car with my camera and tripod in tow (but no coat or gloves – what was I thinking? It was 15F out there!). I framed the photograph several ways, and experimented with various exposures before I settled on this portrait version. I opted for a small aperture and low ISO, and then dialed in my shutter speed at 15 seconds for a good exposure of the scene. Then I just had to wait for the right amount of traffic to head toward me.

Elk Rapids Icebergs – Black and White
Posted by Heather on in Landscape Photography

Elk Rapids Icebergs – Black and White

black-white-icebergs
I made this image mid-morning on January 27. Overnight skies had been clear, so when the sun rose, it brought fog off the relatively warm waters – hence the cloud layer over the bay. As a Northern Michigander, I love a blue-sky day in the winter, but they make things tough for a photographer. Even fairly early in the day, shadows are harsh, and the sky – though beautiful – is boring as far as landscape imagery goes. But I like to keep an eye on the ever-changing ice scene, so I walked along the anchor ice (the part of the ice shelf that is anchored to the beach and not floating above water) until this line of icebergs caught my eye. I photographed the scene several ways, but chose this image with anchor ice in the foreground, rooting the image and providing a stark contrast to the darker water. I also like that you can see reflections of some of the icebergs, and the underwater part of some of the nearer ones. I’m glad I spent time with these in the morning, because when I came back that night for a sunset, the skim ice had melted, and the icebergs had disappeared.