UP - Shots from the last couple days

[Andy]

Spent today by myself exploring and shooting - first cloudy day of the week. Will shoot somewhere at sunrise, and head home after a full week up here:

[faxmachineanthem]

Andy,
Really impressive color. Is that a good year or typical for the UP? That second shot is great. What a view.

[Andy]

Hi Brian: This is typical of the fall color in the UP. Perhaps just a bit more brilliant this year than years past.

The second shot you liked was, unfortunately, not in the best of light conditions. You can see my clumsy use of the Viveza plugin in the sky is a bit "over-processed." But it is a pretty incredible view. I will try to get back there for a sunrise one day.

[autzig]

Andy, it looks like you got some nice photo opportunities in the UP. My travel and work schedule (yes work, while I'm retired, they still want my input on occasion) conflicted with foliage season here and I didn't have the opportunity to do any photography. Grandparents day at the grandkids' school in South Dakota was scheduled for Columbus Day. People without trees don't seem to understand that those of us who have them, don't want to be in a treeless environment during foliage season.

I noticed your Viveza work on the photo that Brian liked. I liked it too but you are using the wrong tool. You need Nik's Color Efex Pro. If you want, send me an original and I'll show you what it can do.

Al

[deaner1971]

Andy, it looks like you got some nice photo opportunities in the UP. My travel and work schedule (yes work, while I'm retired, they still want my input on occasion) conflicted with foliage season here and I didn't have the opportunity to do any photography. Grandparents day at the grandkids' school in South Dakota was scheduled for Columbus Day. People without trees don't seem to understand that those of us who have them, don't want to be in a treeless environment during foliage season.

I noticed your Viveza work on the photo that Brian liked. I liked it too but you are using the wrong tool. You need Nik's Color Efex Pro. If you want, send me an original and I'll show you what it can do.

Al

Yeah, I keep trying to wriggle out of the office and this infernal quarterly schedule that is to office drones what the dinner bell was to ranch hands is confounding me. I squeezed in a day off last Tuesday and it was well pre-peak. I took yesterday off and it was peak but with clouds and rain. The next day I can feasibly take off is a week from today. With a series of storms and winds coming through in between, unless there is a big demand out there for pictures of sticks high in the image with newly created compost beneath, I doubt I am going to be able to pull in much.

Looks like I am now waiting for the first snows to give some personality back to the landscape.

Al, if you and Andy do work on that photo, would you mind terribly giving a brief tutorial on what you did? I enjoy those tools a ton and am always looking for real-world lessons on better ways to develop with them.

[Andy]

Dean: Al did work on it and he sent it to me, along with his workflow. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to give it more than a cursory look. When I do get a chance, I'll post it on here.

[deaner1971]

Dean: Al did work on it and he sent it to me, along with his workflow. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to give it more than a cursory look. When I do get a chance, I'll post it on here.

Thank you!

Love those pictures. I'll have to wander up that way one day. I have always wanted to travel to the UP and northern Michigan but it was previously due to my reading Hemingway and my membership in Trout Unlimited (and my knowledge of its founding). From your pictures, I may have to come up in the spring/summer for the fishing and in the fall for the foliage. Wonderful pictures.

[Andy]

Dean: There are many photo opportunities that are year-round up there. The lakes/reflections are kind of boring except during fall foliage, but the waterfalls (and there are many of them) can be photographed almost any time. Also, the scenes on Lake Superior, and the lighthouses can be shot anytime. I have not been up there in the early spring, but would guess there are some pretty good wildflower areas, especially along the lake shores. (I know that the Western shore of the Lower Peninsula at the very tip has some incredible banks of Trillium, as well as pink, yellow and "showy" Ladies slippers, Columbine, dwarf lake iris and others, so I would expect you could find some of them in the U.P.

There are also some wildlife areas - if that tickles your fancy.

NOTE WELL: You probably do not want to be up there during Mid-May - Mid-July, as there are "black flies" (they bite and get into every opening in your clothes) that are almost insurmountable - I am told, and any time during warm weather, you'll want to protect yourself from "hummingbird-sized" mosquitoes that are ubiquitous. Late summer and early, as well as winter and early spring are your best bets.