Paradise--A Photographers Reflection
When the editors of Michigan Travel Ideas asked photographer Aaron Peterson what was his favorite assignment, he replied, anything outdoors and Upper Peninsula!
I generally work alone when doing shoots, but I decided to make this assignment a family event with my wife, Kristen, and year-old son, Josiah. For me, life begins above the Mackinac Bridge, he says. Seriously though, as a new father, I think my favorite Michigan experiences are still ahead of me seeing Lake Superior, the Porcupine Mountains and mountains of Mackinac Island fudge reflected in the eyes of our little boy over the coming years. I'm so thankful for this regions clean air and water, and the elbowroom to raise down-to-earth, outdoorsy kids. Thanks, Michigan!
Shooting Lake of the Clouds in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.
The dramatic view of Lake of the Clouds from the escarpment overlook is one of the most amazing in the Midwest, Aaron acknowledges. However, I chose to take the road less traveled and photograph the lake and surrounding mountains from the more intimate lake level rather than from above.
As a resident of the Upper Peninsula, I frequent the Porkies for both work and personal trips. On past outings my wife and I stayed at the Lake of the Clouds cabin, a state park rental cabin right on Lake of the Clouds about a mile hike from the popular overlook, and I knew that was the spot I wanted to be for this shoot. The cabin comes with a rowboat, and if paradise is going to be found, there's certain to be a cabin and a boat nearby!
The major challenge on this assignment was shooting a scene that has been photographed a lot and showing it in a new light. The awe-inspiring view of Lake of the Clouds from above is so tempting to shoot (and easily accessed) that its hard to pass it up and find a different perspective, Aaron says.
Shooting old-growth forest
To me, Paradise is a place where humankind respects and lives with nature, using what it needs and managing resources wisely and sustainably. Old growth forests are humbling. They have always helped remind me that we are small and relatively short lived. These trees were here before us and will remain long after us if we have the foresight to preserve them.
The canopy of an old-growth forest [like the ones in this region] blocks so much light that the normal magic light times of dawn and dusk don't always apply beneath the branches of these towering hemlocks. The trails along the Presque Isle River wind through an easily accessible old growth forest with lots of opportunities to photograph trees and waterfalls.
For more information on these attractions, contact the Upper Peninsula Travel & Recreation Association.
Freelance writer and photographer Aaron Peterson lives and works in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a land carved by the forces of the Great Lakes and warmed by the spirit of its unique and resilient people.