A Matching Set

It is truly amazing to me how perfect a simple flower can look. The beautiful matching blossoms so many of our wonderful flowers that bloom come in multiples. Showing to the world that they don't have to stand alone. It is actually more out of the norm to see a lone flower, they may have individual stems but they do usually tend to have a few in a group together. A simple reminder that we should keep our friends gathered around us.

Standing Tall

This little tulip was the only one in the flower bed. It was standing there all by itself among other plants but not another tulip to be found. I was instantly drawn into the flower. It stood out against the bark with the petals of deep purple that look like a velvety-satin. A beautiful masterpiece to be found out in nature left by our God and creator to be enjoyed.

A Prick and A Poke

One of my favorite things to do is take close up images. I am especially fond of doing this out in nature. I like to see the intricate details that make up the whole, for without those details we would not have the whole. It is the little things that make things what they are.

Bursting through the Clouds

This day was overcast most of the day. When the sun did finally break through the clouds, this is what we saw. I enjoy the effect of the rays being separated. My one photography teacher loved to call them God Rays. I just enjoy the sun coming out from behind the clouds to warm things up. Always a good thing.

Drayton Plains Covered Bridge (Waterford, MI)

Okay so I discovered a covered bridge. I have not seen this little bridge documented anywhere in my research thus far. I almost didn't take a pic of it and I thought wait a minute if I am going to be true to my mission and photograph the covered bridges of Michigan, then I really need to include this little bridge. Just a simple little thing leading back to the ponds of the Drayton Plains Nature Center. We had a pleasant day down in Waterford. We walked the perimeter of the ponds, almost two miles.

Sunset over Sleeping Bear Dunes

This was the gorgeous sunset that I saw while up in Sleeping Bear Dunes. At the time this is part of what made everything seem okay after my disappointment over the Pierce Stocking Bridge. I found so many gorgeous spots and could not stop taking pictures at every spot that you could pull the car off the circle drive. Many of the images are similar and I will not post them all just the most beautiful of the bunch. Enjoy.

Serenity as Watercolor

Okay I'm shifting modes for a moment. I decided to play with some of my wedding photos. This is one of my favorite images. I have actually made this to look as if it was a watercolor painting. This image is one of those once in a lifetime shots. She was a very active little girl. I love the way this image looks when printed traditionally (you know in the black and white darkroom). Although it was a pain to get the image to come out the way I really wanted it to, making it the only print of its kind. I did have a two prints that looked good so I gave them to her mother and grandmother. It worked out nice because they were able to be given as mother's day gifts. However the print that I tweaked to perfection I have hanging on my wall at the moment. It was juried into the student art show at school and hung in the gallery for like three weeks or so (not for sale though). I had four prints in the show and this was when I realized that maybe I was an artist, although I never plan to live by my art, it is more for my benefit. I have sold one piece and have started shooting weddings and senior portraits. These are always fun but can be a nightmare from what I have heard. So far I have been lucky but then again I have only shot for family and close friends.

Curwood Castle at Night (Owosso, MI)

Curwood Castle is a nice scenic photo spot. Although it is not an actual castle it was built to resemble French architecture, it was used as a study. It has a nice history to behind it. Built next to the Shiawasee River, the reflection of the castle is gorgeous. I am amazed at how well my night shots came out since I was not prepared with a tripod the night that we stopped. It was a last minute thing on the way home from one of my covered bridge drives. I'll have to dig out some of my reflection images to post as a follow up to this one.

This image was taken by Joshua's Crossing Covered Bridge in Lake Ann. It fit in so well with the scenery. I had to photograph it. I am pleased with the way it came out.

Pierce Stocking Bridge (Sleeping Bear Dunes - Empire, MI)

Looking at this photo now, I like it. I remember I was highly disappointed when I got to this bridge. I was expecting something more along the lines of the other covered bridges I had photographed. I remember thinking 'I drove all this way for this'. I was looking for grandeur and old world beauty, well I didn't find it. I had wished that I would have come across a photo in my research but sadly I hadn't. Now I actually like the way the picture looks, I actually prefer it to the ones that I have come across in my research. At the time that I took this photo, I remember being satisfied with my trip after I drove the scenic drive around and captured some beautiful images of the dunes and the lake. Gorgeous area some of the most beautiful scenery I have seen.

Zehnder's Holz Brucke Covered Bridge

This is the covered bridge in Frankenmuth. There are some wonderful spots for pics up there. I know when I started this project everyone would ask if I had gone to shoot this bridge. I think this is one of the most well known covered bridges in Michigan. Now I just need to finish locating and shooting the other covered bridges in Michigan so that I can say that I have completed this quest. Although it might take a little more than that because I want to be able to reshoot some of the bridges in different seasons. We'll see how things go this summer. Wish me luck in trying to finish this project.

Fallasburg Covered Bridge

This was my third of four bridges visited in one day. However for some reason I only took digitals of three or at least I can only find the images for three. This bridge is also where I got my shot of the fall trees that I have already posted. On this day we circled around leaving the Flint area heading to Reed City then on to Ada then to Fallasburg and also to the White's Bridge (this is the one that I am not finding my images for). It was a fun day but long we took my two cousins with us. They said they were bored but a few years later they were complaining to their mom that they never go anywhere anymore and about how much fun they used to have with us on these trips we used to take.

Reed City Bridge

Okay so this is not the best shot. I am hoping to go back this spring and take this one over again. I remember now that I didn't take the digital down with me just the 4x5 and I took these from the parking lot that we parked in. I left the digital in the car. Definitely want to go back and reshoot this bridge with the digital camera.

Ada Covered Bridge

Joshua's Crossing (Lake Ann)

This is a lovely bridge tucked away up north in Lake Ann. I almost didn't find the bridge. I had drove passed it and about half a mile down the road realized that I had gone to far (thank you mapquest). I pain stakingly plotted out my route and knew about where it had to be. I drove from Flint to here to Sleeping Bear Dunes and back to Flint all in about eleven hours. My sister came with me as well as her two daughters. They really did wonderful considering they were couped up in the car all day.

Langley Covered Bridge (Centreville)

This is the Langley Covered Bridge just north of Centreville, MI. It is a quest of mine to photograph the covered bridges in Michigan. I have found where ten bridges are located and have actually been to five of them and photographed them. Some have even been with a 4x5 large format camera and I have photographed all with the digital camera. I am still looking for more and would like to finish them. I am also looking for foot bridges in Michigan as well. I find them all intriguing. If anyone knows of particular covered bridge or foot bridge, I would appreciate if you would let me know where they are in MI. Thanks.