It’s Been Awhile

Hello friends of Forward Photography!

I realize that it’s been awhile since my last blog. In fact, it’s been awhile since my last photo post. I just wanted to let you all know that things are not at a stand still here in the photography world. You may not see much happening, but there are many things going on behind the scenes.

We have once again started working on getting an actual website up and running to go along with our facebook page. We are also trying to get our “100 Like” contest together, so be on the lookout for that.

There are a few other things happening, but we’ll get to that at a later date.

Thanks again to everyone who continues to follow and support us. We can not thank you enough!

Until next time…

A Trip Up North

A random weekend trip to Marquette, Michigan left me in a renewed state of awe at the power and beauty of mother nature. Between the waves crashing over the breakwater in the upper harbor, to the cliffs and shorelines of Presque Isle park, Marquette is an amazing place to visit, and the foods not bad either!

Our first stop takes us to Presque Isle park, located just north of the upper harbor. Here you can get a taste of life on the shores of Lake Superior as waves break over the wall. There was a strong wind coming off the lake, and the waves were plentiful.

Here is another shot from the park showing its impressive shoreline and rock walls.

After spending some time in the park, we headed down to the lower harbor to see what we could see. This impressive structure is a retired ore dock. Leave it to me to find anything and everything related to boats on the great lakes! Regardless of its use, it’s quite a site.

We only spent one night in Marquette, but the city is home to enough interesting things that you could spend a week and still not take it all in. We will be going back, I have no doubt.

As I mentioned at the open of this blog, the food in Marquette is great. We had dinner at a bar/restaurant called The Portside Inn. Great food, friendly staff, and an all around good time. Aside from that, I will let their website do the talking.

In closing, I would like to point out that Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is an amazing place all together. The shoreline is probably one of the bigger draws, but you can find some equally impressive sights inland as well ranging from retired open-pit mines to waterfalls.  The image below is Agate Falls, which is just east of Bruce Crossing on M-28. Perhaps not the most impressive falls I’ve seen, but surely a great spot to take a break from the road and take in some of natures beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiet Time

I woke this morning to clear skies and 35 degrees. As the sun started to rise, I decided that a walk was in order. For some reason, the idea of letting a morning like this pass by while sitting inside was just not in the cards. All things considered, one week ago we were dealing with temps that were 15 degrees above average (high 80’s), so this sounded like heaven.

It was cool, crisp, and peaceful, and the lake had fog rising from it in misty forms. After looking for a minute or so, I realized that the scum and algae that had been covering better than half the lake was all but gone. There were a few spots here and there, but the chance for a nice picture had been restored. Probably the result of getting 3 inches of rain on Wednesday. I took a few shots, and finished my loop of the lake. All in all it was a great morning.

Here’s a poll question for you. Be sure to look under the poll question for a couple shots from my walk. Also note that you can click an image to see it full size.

Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you again real soon.

Summer Flys When You’re Having Fun – Part 1

It’s amazing how fast time can fly when you stay busy. Between getting our first client, planting and tending to our first garden, traveling, and dodging the barrage of severe weather, we’ve had little time to give any updates. Now that I’ve got a few moments, I’ll see how much of our summer I can recall. In fact, I think I will start with June, and leave it at that.

June – The first weekend of June I found myself in Marinette, WI for a couple days. The weather was foggy and dreary for the most part, leaving me wondering if any of my shots would turn out. The better part of one day was spent watching it downpour from my grandparents front room. Once it cleared up a little, I spent some time at the Menominee North Pier Lighthouse as I usually do. Upon my arrival, I discovered the bay to be blanketed with a light fog. I figured I would take advantage of the situation, and try to get an artsy shot of the lighthouse. I tried several different angles, including one I hadn’t scoped out before. The result of my new spot is pictured below.

At the end of June, I spent three days in Sault Ste. Marie, MI boat watching. If you’re confused by this statement, I’m not surprised. BoatNerds, as we are called, are a die-hard group of people with a love for great lakes shipping and its history. This is the second year I’ve been able to make the trip north for Engineers Day, and as always, it’s great fun. Every year those of us who can gather at Mission Point for a picnic on that Thursday. Food, drinks, and of course ships are always in abundance. We share stories and pictures and of course laughs. This year I decided to try to get the ultimate picture of every boat possible, and ended up missing almost all of the festivities. I’ve yet to master the whole “right place right time” thing. A bummer for sure, but there’s always next year. My favorite picture from the Soo is below, and isn’t even a laker. I was at Mission Point just after midnight waiting on the Roger Blough, and decided to shoot the moon over the St. Mary’s River. It turned out to be too dark to catch the Blough, but was surprised with what I found when I checked the river shots. The photo you see here has been textured to add an artsy feel to it.

There were dozens of other things on the agenda for the month of June, but those were the big two. I will be collecting my thoughts on July, and will be posting again very soon! I’ve added a couple other shots below the text here, so enjoy and we’ll see you again soon!

The Saginaw at Mission Point.

The towers of the Mighty Mackinaw Bridge are lost to the fog.

A Day in the Door.

This past Monday, I was lucky enough to spend a day in Door County, WI with my wife. The day turned out to be a perfect example of how diverse a day in the door can be. It also made me realize that a picture can be found anywhere, regardless of lighting and conditions.

For those of you don’t know, Door County is the “thumb” on the hand that is Wisconsin. On the west, it is bordered by Green Bay, and on the east, it is bordered by Lake Michigan.

We started our day in Sturgeon Bay, which is basically the gateway to the northern part of the county. Heading north from Sturgeon Bay, we made our way up through one small town after another in pursuit of the best smoked fish we’ve ever found. Gills Rock holds one of the jewels of the door: Charlies Smokehouse. We purchase the usual, which is fresh smoked Whitefish, straight from the waters surrounding Door County, and fresh smoked Atlantic Salmon, straight from… well… the Atlantic. A pound of each is the norm.

From Gills Rock we took the short, winding, scenic drive to Northport, which is where you are able to board the car ferry for Washington Island. We have yet to make the trek across Death’s Door, but hope to by the end of the summer. From there, we made our way back to Gills Rock, then back south through Ellison Bay, Sister Bay, and Ephraim before arriving for lunch in Fish Creek. Another of our favorite spots makes its home here, and that spot is “Not Licked Yet.” This restaurant sits just short of the south entrance to Penninsula State Park, which could be an entire blog in itself, and perhaps it will be. Offering great food and desserts, it’s a must try for anyone traveling through Fish Creek. How could you pass up a dessert with a name like “Cherry Bomb Sundae,” or the “Snowball Inferno Sundae?”

Leaving Fish Creek, we worked our way south again, passing through Juddville and Egg Harbor before arriving at our next stop, Carlsville. Carlsville is home to another of our favorite stops, the “Door Peninsula Winery.” Besides being one of our favorite stops, it’s also the oddest. One would think that stopping at a winery would end up with a wine purchase. This is not the case. Their cheese spread is amazing. Door County Cherry Wine Cheese Spread to be exact. I sometimes think that this alone would be worth the two and one half hour drive.

In case you are wondering, this is where the diversity part comes in. From the winery, we cut across the door to the east side, and to our single favorite destination in Door County. Up to this point, we had spent the entire day on the bay side of the peninsula, where it was in the upper 70’s, sunny, humid, and just abnormally uncomfortable for Door County. Upon our arrival on the east side, it was almost cold, breezy, and cloudy. To give you some perspective, the county is roughly 7 miles wide at this point, give or take. In that short distance the weather had done a complete 180. Now you’re probably wondering what our favorite place is, aren’t you. Cave Point County Park is one of the most beautiful places I personally have ever seen. Unfortunately the weather was less than picturesque, but it still lent itself to some amazing pictures. Sea fog was rolling in off the lake, which proved to me once again that “inland sea” would be a better term used in describing our great lakes. It rolled like smoke, and condensed on the trees making a beauty all its own. The lake of color offered up a perfect opportunity for some black and white photography.

Upon leaving Cave Point, we headed for home. The drive back is always long, and sometimes depressing. It’s one of those places, for us anyway, that you want to go to and never leave. It’s really a small piece of heaven on earth if I’ve ever seen it. I’ve attached a couple of my favorite shots from Cave Point below.

Until next time…

FPh

Out of My Element.

Have you ever found yourself totally out of your element? I have, and I seem to find myself there more and more as time goes by. I spent the day today attempting some freelance work for a local riding stable, only to realize once again that I had no idea what was going on around me.

The energy that surrounds a horse show is far from electric, at least for me. For the participants however, these shows are the highlights of their summers. Hour upon hour are spent preparing their horse, much like a stock car driver prepares his car, if I may use that as a comparison. The rider, much like the driver, spends probably 90 percent of their time in the preparation, and only 10 percent in the show. Speaking for myself, the stock car makes more sense, but that is a whole different debate, and best saved for another time.

Back to the topic at hand. The terminology alone is like another language. And if one language weren’t enough, the terms differ from one riding style to the next. English to Western being a good example. I don’t know if the language is meant to alienate or confuse the rest of us, but only the equestrians truly understand it all. In case you’re wondering, an equestrian is basically a horse person. In fact, I will call them horse people from here on out.

Another area that is best left to the pros would be the tack or accessories as I consider them. We all know what a saddle is, and most probably understand where the stirrups are and what their function is. Now a bridal, at least I always thought, was the shower you threw for a bride to be. Again, totally out of my element here. Do they actually shower at those things? Anyway…

To truly understand it, you have to experience it firsthand. A few months ago I was lucky enough to take a trek to Oklahoma to see the NMHA World Finals. NMHA stands for National Morgan Horse Association. Which is not to be confused with the NHRA. But yet again, I digress. For the world finals, the barns and stalls are basically transformed into small towns. Each stable has its own colors and decor, which is impressive in itself. Then you notice the chandeliers, couches, and carpeted floors and your mind reels. Once the competition begins, you can almost feel a change in the air. For me to notice something like this is surreal considering that upon my arrival in Oklahoma City, I had no real interest in horses what-so-ever. My week down there changed all that…to a point. Let’s just say I get it now. I don’t quite follow the terms and tack, but I understand the competition. Even more than the competition, I understand the relationship that is created between the horse and rider. It’s something we should all be so lucky to have, with whatever we decide to have it with.

I’m not really sure where I went with this entry, but I got quite a bit out of my head and onto my screen here. Which is more than I can say for my day of freelance work. Poor lighting is now my sworn enemy, especially when using a flash is out of the question.

Until next time…

FPh

One of Those Moments.

As a photographer, I always find myself trying to “find the picture” in any given moment. I had another one of those moments tonight, and came to the realization that there was no way to truly “capture the moment.”

I was attending a 50th Wedding Anniversary, and the atmosphere was something not often experienced anymore. Everyone was talking, joking, and having fun. There was live music, dancing, and just overall happiness. What made this so different from most parties I’ve ever been to was the fact that all the fun was genuine. No drug or alcohol induced laughter to be found. That’s when I came to my realization. Sure, I could freeze frame the moments and create great memories, but the true feelings have passed. Capturing a smile on film, will always leave the laugh behind.

Now don’t get me wrong. This short blog entry isn’t meant to depress, but to impress. I realized something tonight that I’d forgotten. Live all the moments of your life to their fullest, before all the moments of your life pass you by.

Until next time…

FPh

Photography Phanatic.

Hello again,

As some of you may or may not have noticed, the year of 2009 has exposed a new passion in my life. I’ve never realized how much I truly love photography. When I look at a scene, be it in nature or otherwise, I always try to pick out the parts that would be nice for a post card or calendar. It’s always been that way. I can remember going for rides as a little kid, looking out the window and thinking, “I’ve seen neat stuff like that on a post card before!”

Up until this past Spring, photography had just been a hobby of sorts. Not a frequently enjoyed hobby, but one that was always there to enjoy when the opportunity presented itself. Then in January of 2009, I took a trip up to Duluth, MN to see the Winter Lay-up fleet. That seemed to be the spark that fueled the smoldering fire of photography. Ever since then my camera rarely leaves my side.

For the last two and a half years, I’ve been using a fairly nice Kodak point and shoot digital camera. It was a wedding gift from my parents and it has served me greatly. Ive gotten some awesome shots out of that camera, including a sunrise at the Menominee North Pier in Michigan, a unique view of the St. Louis Arch, some eerie shots in the fog from here in town, as well as countless photos of Great Lakes Shipping vessels. It has some miles on it as well. It’s been to Ocean City, Maryland twice. It’s gone with to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is about to make its second trip to Bloomington, MN to the Mall of America.

Based on the enjoyment I’ve gained from my new hobby, I started to look into schooling for photography and found a couple different options. After comparing my options I made the decision to take things further, and am now enrolled at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, pursuing my Bachelor of Science degree in Photography. The degree typically take four years to achieve, however AI is an “accelerated” school, which cuts a full semester making it only three and a half years. Unfortunately, it will take me quite a bit longer to reach my goal. Having to keep a full time job makes being a full time student next to impossible. Regardless of the time it takes to complete, it will be a great career change for me to look forward to.

That’s about all I’ve got for now. If anyone is interested in seeing my work with Great Lakes Vessels, check out http://www.flickr.com/coryprice8 I will be adding other pictures to the site soon.

Thanks for reading.

Cory