Photography | Change Is Hard

July 28, 2025
by dawnkinster 35 Comments

Magical

Almost a week ago now we had clear skies, no moon, and moderate temperatures. It was all perfect for a Milky Way photo shoot. So a photographer friend and I along with her daughter took a run up to the thumb of Michigan to find somewhere to spend the night under the stars.

There’s a special barn up there, and I’ve always thought it might make a good Milky Way foreground.

We checked it out, both sides. The owner of the barn must have a sense of humor.

But physically it wasn’t really faced in the correct direction for a Milky Way shoot that night. Maybe earlier in the season when the Milky Way will be further to the east. I’m keeping it in mind So we headed up toward Port Austin, near the point of Michigan’s thumb. We found a little roadside park with a small sandy beach.

*The last light illuminates the log resting on the beach.*

We decided to watch the sunset from there and then decide what to do. While we were watching the sun a small flock of cedar waxwings showed up, sitting in the dead tree near us and then flying out to catch bugs. The light was low and they moved so fast it was hard to get a good image.

*A cedar waxwing keeps watch for a tasty bug.*

But they sure made me smile.

There seemed to be an unlimited source of very thin rocks, perfect for stone skipping. So my friend and her daughter skipped stones and I took pictures.

It was so much fun.

Meanwhile the sun began to set. And, though we didn’t get a great sunset it was pretty enough for us.

We went back to the car to get our real cameras and when we came out to the beach hundeds of lightening bugs rose from the beach grass. I tried so hard to get a picture of them, but it was hard.

*See the yellow fireflies? Now multiply that by 100s.*

Just imagine standing there with all these glowing lights flitting around you. It was magical.

And then it began to get dark and my friend told me there was an aurora alert and we should take a test shot to the north and see if anything was happening. And guess what.

*A pink dome, supported by a green base with a couple pillars in for good measure*.

There was!

So we spent a lot of time shooting the aurora. It wasn’t a spectacular show, but there was plenty of pink and green and light pillars.

Then we turned our cameras south to see if the dark horse was leaving the protection of the trees yet.

It was still, unfortunately, partially behind the hill. We weren’t in a prime location for Milky Way, looking to the south it was behind the trees for much of the night. But the aurora made the site worthwhile.

*The aurora was moving out further into the bay.*

Across the way you can see retangles of golden light. I think, after studying a map, that must be Tawas, a large town on the other side of Saginaw Bay. I also wondered if there’s a bank of foggy mist out there.

We looked back to the south. The dark horse in the Milky Way was moving further out from behind the trees.

So that’s how the night went. Shoot a little to the north, shoot a little to the south. There was something spectacular no matter where we looked.

*It was hard to believe we’d gotten so lucky!*

The whole night was so wonderful. Fireflies, aurora, Milky Way, stars, a slight breeze, warm temperatures, the lapping of a quiet lake. You can’t beat it. And I felt lucky that we were there.

We left the beach a little after 1 a.m. as the mist from the bay started to move over the Milky Way and the aurora had fadded.

*Notice all the light pollution from Caseville.*

We had a 2.5 hour drive back home. I smiled the whole way.

*Nothing but stars and the tail end of the Milky Way overhead.*

July 24, 2025
by dawnkinster 32 Comments

Backyard shenanigans

A long time ago I promised to show you the shenanigans going on in my backyard. Or should I call it backyardigans?

These are self explanatory, but if the participants had anything to say I’ll add that as comentary under the offender’s image.

*My morning abdominal workout might be offset by my morning snacking.*

You will note there is one pictured here that is not like the others. She knows who she is.

*I have to ask the help to fill this feeder every single day.*

Sometimes I wonder how I get anything done in the house, given all the entertainment just outside my window.

*I emptied out that birdfeeder, now my tummy doesn’t feel so good.*

Oh wait. I really don’t get much done inside. Please don’t look at the dust covering everything or the dog fur rolling across the floor.

*Somebody come help me with these two hooligans!*

But I ask you. Which would you rather do?

*I’m just going to sit here and watch the crazy in real time.*

I thought so.

*Not me, I’m eating while I can. A mom gets so little time to herself around here!*

*You are so right! Eat while you can I always say!*

*I see you lady with the camera! Could you please leave us more peanuts?*

*She always puts the peanuts at the bottom. Good thing I have short legs.*

*Seriously, I’m going to go crazy in .2 seconds.*

July 23, 2025
by dawnkinster 27 Comments

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

July 16, 2025 by dawnkinster 26 Comments

July 11, 2025
by dawnkinster 21 Comments

But what about the pretty stuff up in Northport?

I know. It all seems quite a long time ago when I traveled over to the western side of the state to camp and watch for stars.

You all know the star thing didn’t work out. And that it rained a lot. And that my last day there I drove up to Northport to meet with friends about a new book.

*One of my favorites, I park up the road on a side street and walk back down busy M-22.*

But on the drive back to camp I did wander a bit, looking at pretty stuff. Of course.

*On a random backroad that I took to turn around for another barn..*

Because why be up there at all if you’re not enjoying all the pretty stuff!

Many of these barns you’ve seen before, but I’d have to say it was a long time ago.

*I hope to get the Milky Way over this barn someday.*

And some of you are newcomers so this will be your first glimpse of the beautiful rural landscape that sits along Lake Michigan in the upper part of our lower peninsula.

*I parked over by the house in a bike path access parking lot and walked the bike path to get this image.*

I feel like I’m jabbering too much. Maybe I should just show you a few of the pretties and let you decide for yourself if they were worth me stopping to grab the image.

*This is a famous barn on M 22. Lots of people have shot the Milky Way over it. Maybe someday I will too.*

I kind of think you’ll be in agreement with me that it was worth turning around and even driving around a really big block to capture some of these.

*Near the bike path parking lot. I liked the vintage car, the vintage house and the famous barn all together.*

Enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday – waiting for feeder to be filled.

July 9, 2025 by dawnkinster 23 Comments

July 3, 2025
by dawnkinster 24 Comments

Searching for the stars. Again.

This time last week I was in northern Michigan at one of my favorite places (You may have noticed I have quite a few favorite places in northern Michigan) intent, once again, on getting the perfect Milky Way image.

I had a walk-in site at Platt River Campground, reserved weeks ago, and high hopes that at least one of the three nights would be clear.

The site was beautiful. I knew it would be because I’d camped there once before a few years ago. It’s at the end of a trail, about 1/4 mile into the woods. Along the way are three other campsites, but mine was the last one.

*This was my first camping trip of the season. It took me forever to get this tent up.*

The good thing about a walk-in site is that there are no RVs near you running their air conditioning all night. (Though I wouldn’t have minded having air, it was 98 F inside my tent most of the first night.) The bad thing about a walk-in site is that you have to carry everything in. So I stayed pretty minimal.

Anyway. I had high hopes for Monday night, thinking it should be clear. And it was hot and sunny when I first arrived.

Before I even went to the campsite to set up the tent I drove the Pierce Stocking drive that provides a number of opportunities to stop and explore.

*It’s almost mandatory that you take this image while you’re there.*

But gradually, by late afternoon, clouds had moved in and that evening there were no stars to be seen. It even rained late Monday night, which brought the temperatures down. I was conflicted, grateful for the temperature relief but disappointed that I wasn’t out under the stars with my camera.

*Looking toward Sleeping Bear dunes from Empire Beach on Tuesday.*

Tuesday I explored a few beaches looking for possible places to shoot the Milky Way, if the sky ever cleared. But it didn’t clear that day.

*Not very promising for star photography.*

So I did the next best thing. I hiked a loop through the woods where there was the possibility of lots of birds. You know how I love taking photographs of birds. I had high hopes again of capturing something special.

Because I was covered in bug spray this was a fun hike.

About 2.5 miles, the trail was supposed to be filled with song birds, particularly warblers.

*I took a close up picture of the map with my phone, and I’m glad I did. The trail wasn’t always obvious.*

I heard lots of birds, none of them identified by my Merlin app as warblers, but I only saw one bird for a slight second, hidden in the trees, and I have no idea what it was.

*I don’t suppose any of you know what this brownish bird is, hiding behind leaves and out of focus.*

Tuesday night it rained again. I don’t mind a little rain on the tent, but it meant there was no star shooting that night either.

Wednesday was predicted to be overcast as well, so I made plans to drive about an hour north and meet a couple friends in Northport, another of my happy places. It was time to spend a little bit of time in civilization.

*Scenic route through Pierce Stocking park.*

That was definitely fun and had a lower mosquito to human ratio, but it deserves it’s own post, so stay tuned.

*Taken Monday night, while standing in the rain.*

Wordless Wednesday

July 2, 2025 by dawnkinster 17 Comments

June 28, 2025
by dawnkinster 24 Comments

The drive home

Well it’s been a minute since I last posted, leaving you wondering what I saw on my drive home from Alabama a month ago. That’s because I took a few days this week to camp in northern Michigan, so I’ve been away again.

*I came across these three trees that called to me.*

Of course that means I have MORE photos to sort through. But let me finish up my trip south first.

There’s this farm that I’ve noticed on several previous trips down and back, a stately home and a couple barns, very near the freeway. But I usually see it out of the corner of my eye just after the freeway exit and I’ve never tried to find it before.

*While trying to get back to the farm I saw this field of soy beans. I liked the lines of it.*

Until this last trip north.

It’s a stunning home, and I took several images from a couple different locations on the road. If I had to guess I’d say it was built in the late 1800’s? Or early 1900’s. What do you think?

*As you can see it was a dark and stormy day*.

Then, trying to find my way back to the freeway I did a big country block and came across a home that looks to be from the same era. I actually had to drive further, find somewhere to turn around and go back for it.

I couldn’t leave without it!

Back on the road it wasn’t long before I saw the perfect barn and once again had to get off the freeway and find a service drive that led me back to it.

It was the only real ‘barn’ image I took on the trip north. I figured it was time to get home and one barn was enough. I should really stop dilly-dallying. After all how many barn pictures does one photographer need?

*I always want to see what’s around the next curve.*

But, then again, is any number ever truly enough?

June 22, 2025
by dawnkinster 33 Comments

Favorite Alabama images

It’s been two, maybe three weeks since I was in Alabama. And you know that I took a few photos while I was there.

Maybe you’d want to see a few of my favorites?

*Every morning I’d take a picture of the lake. Most of the time it was so quiet.*

Of course who really defines the term “few?”

*That red soil is a dead giveaway you’re in the South.*

As it turns out most of the images I took this time revolved around birds. Why do you think that is? And are the birds much different in Alabama than they are in Michigan?

*Maybe a king bird, maybe something else. Was sitting at the top of a young oak tree on an island in the lake.*

But we weren’t always birders, we also took a couple boat rides on my brother’s lake. One in the middle of the day where we saw the bird above and one to see the sunset.

And on our boat rides we did, of course, see birds. This was a big bird. This is the Osprey that builds a nest every year in the very tall power towers on my brother’s lake.