MICHIGAN'S UPPER PENINSULA
26 SEPT-3 OCT, 2021
(7 DAYS/7 NIGHTS)
with Jeremy Woodhouse
Bond Falls in the Fall
Introduction
Having just cancelled back to back autumn tours to Bulgaria and Romania, I asked myself, "where would I like to be in the United States during this special time of year?"
The answer had to be the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, one of the best locations in the lower 48 to experience nature's autumn splendour. It has been said that the colours of the autumn foliage here are some of the most intense of anywhere in the United States.
Join me for a week of autumn landscape photography!
Itinerary
Pre-tour: Sept 26—Arrive in Marquette, MI
If you will not be driving to the UP, you will fly to the closest airport which is at Marquette, MI. On arrival, transfer to the hotel where we will meet in the evening to discuss the week ahead.
O/N Days Inn by Wyndham, Marquette
Day 1: Sept 27—Marquette - Silver City (172 miles)
Drive to Silver City on the western edge of the upper peninsula. This will be the longest drive of the trip but we will have plenty of opportunities to stop along the way to photograph the scenery.
Later in the day, we will visit Porcupine Mountain to photograph Lake of the Clouds, a stunningly blue lake nestled in thick woodland, said to be one of the most breathtaking views in the midwest.
Day 2: Sept 28—Silver City
After breakfast we will drive to Bond Falls and Agate Falls and spend the morning there, returning to Silver City in the early afternoon.
Day 3: Sept 29—Silver City
We will spend the day in the area photographing the vibrant fall colours. If you wish we may return to Bond Falls or Lake of the Clouds if you feel that you might like to make improvements on the previous day’s shoot.
Day 4: Sept 30—Silver City - Munising
Today we drive to the “saddle” of the UP where we will visit iconic spots such as Pictured Rocks, Miners Castle Point along with a series of lakes and waterfalls.
Day 5: Oct 1—Munising
In the morning at sunrise we go out to visit a series of lakes very close to one another; Thornton Lake, Moccasin Lake and Council Lake. In the evening we will gather to take photos of the sunset along Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Day 6: Oct 2—Munising
We will start the day with a visit to Au Train Bay and the Au Train Falls. For the rest of the morning we will visit a series of waterfalls including Munising Falls, Alger Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Scott Falls. We will "go with the flow". Sunset will be at Miners Castle Point.
If there is time, we will make the drive out to Tahquamenon Falls (85 miles), Michigan's largest waterfall. It remains the second largest waterfall east of the Mississippi, next to Niagara Falls.
Day 7: Oct 3—Munising - Marquette
After breakfast we will head back to the airport at Marquette to catch your flights home
END OF TOUR
Arrival, Departure
Weather
Daily high temperatures decrease by 12°F, from 61°F to 49°F, rarely falling below 38°F or exceeding 73°F.
Daily low temperatures decrease by 9°F, from 46°F to 36°F, rarely falling below 28°F or exceeding 56°F.
For reference, on July 25, the hottest day of the year, temperatures in Munising typically range from 58°F to 75°F, while on January 30, the coldest day of the year, they range from 12°F to 26°F.
3 SPOTS OPEN
TOUR COST: $2,350
7 DAYS/7 NIGHTS, TRANSPORT INCLUDED
DISCOUNT AVAILABLE IF YOU WILL BE USING YOUR OWN CAR
GROUP SIZE: ONLY 6
Tour Price Includes
- Ground Transportation during the trip
- Transfer to the airport at Marquette at the end of the tour on 3 Oct, 2021
- In-Field Photography Instruction
- Post-processing and Image Critique
Tour Price Excludes
- Flights to and from Marquette
- Entry Fees into National and State Parks
- Lodging
- Meals and snacks
- Beverages
Lodging
All lodging has been booked and a room will be assigned to you on registration. The cost of the lodging is NOT included in the workshop fee
On arrival on 26 Sept, 2021, we will meet at the Days Inn by Wyndham, Marquette
We will then spend 3 nights at the AmericInn at Silver City, followed by 3 nights at The Beach Inn Motel at Munising
Dress for the Weather
Personal Gear List
- Sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hat
- Layers for cooler mornings
- Waterproof Shell in case of rain
- Sturdy hiking shoes
- Rubber boots for accessing streams and the seashore
Photo Equipment Checklist
- Sturdy tripod and ballhead
- Digital SLR or Mirrorless Camera Body
- Wide angle lens in the 16-35mm range
- Mid-range zoom lens in the range of 24-100mm
- Long telephoto lenses in the 100-600mm range. You will want a lens that is longer than 200mm for some of the locations we visit! A 100-400mm
- Circular polarizer filters and ND filters for your lenses. If you like shooting with grads, bring them along. A 6 or 10-stop ND filter will be useful for creating very long exposures.
- Backpack to carry your gear
- Extra batteries, memory cards, and cleaning supplies
- Laptop if you wish to backup your photos or follow along during the post-processing instruction.
Covid-19 Precautions
- Instructors will wear masks while teaching at close range
- Clients are encouraged to wear masks whenever they are at close range
- Where possible, we will practice social distancing. Tripods 6ft apart.
- You are encouraged to wash hands frequently and use hand sanitiser.