Help with photo destinations about Lansing MI

[Oxleyroad]

Hello all,

I'm a Aussie APUGer that today was advised I would spend the next three weeks working in Lansing. I am looking for help in finding destinations that would be great for photo oportunities for me to seek out on the weekends and daylight permitting evenings. Having never been to Michigan before I have absolutly no idea where to go, or what there is out there. I will have transport.

I will have a 35mm SLR with me, a medium format and possibly a compact 16mm cine camera and or a Horizon Panoramic. Have not decided what, if not all as I still have 24hours to go before I depart. Film will be B&W as well as colour trannies.

Looking forward to the many suggestions.

 

[Dan Henderson]

There are many photography destinations in Michigan, depending on what you like to photograph. There are some nice art deco buildings in Lansing if you are into architectural photography. If you enjoy shooting urban ruins downtown Detroit or Gary, Indiana are the places to go. If beach and dunescapes are your forte, you can find no more beautiful place, in my opinion, than the Lake Michigan shoreline. Pastoral landscapes are all around you, especially south and west of Lansing. And for woodlands, northern Michigan is the place to go.

By the way, it stays light here until after 9PM this time of year, so evening shooting is very possible.

Tell me the subject areas you like to photograph and I will try to be more specific. I live in Holland, about 1 1/2 hours west of Lansing. If you would like to get together to shoot along the lakeshore, let me know.

Welcome to Michigan.
Dan

 

[scherbis]

West Michigan

Grand Rapids is about an hour west of Lansing. Not sure what you like to photograph, but there is the Fredrick Meijer Gardens, a sculpture gardens on the east side of town. Downtown GR is photogenic, with a outdoors blues concert put on every Wednesday by a local radio station.

There are two covered bridges in Lowell, just east of Grand Rapids.

There are several lighthouses on Lake Michigan, as well as great beaches. The west side of the state has the sandy beaches.

The area around Traverse City is very photogenic, though touristy this time of year. Sleeping Bear Dunes is a great area for photography.

Further north, there is the Mackinac area, including Mackinac Island. The island is somewhat of a tourist trap, but it can be fun. No cars are allowed on the island, except for official vehicles. Horses and bikes abound. The Grand Hotel on the island is great, but there is a fee to get on the grounds if you are not staying there.

There is a Michigan tourist web site called www.michigan.org that has a list of events and some more info about the state.

 

[bobwysiwyg]

Not much more to add to the suggestions but, just curious, how does an Aussie end up in Lansing, MI?

 

[LyleB]

Don't forget the close-by campus of Michigan State University, a very beautiful and photogenic campus. Particularly the East and West Circle Drive areas - the "old" campus. Also both the Beal Botanical Garden and Horticultural Gardens offer lots of opportunities. The Red Cedar river running right through campus is also quite beautiful. No visit to MSU would be complete without a shot or two of Beaumont Tower (check to see if they still have their Sunday afternoon Carillon concerts).

On the southeast side of Lansing, find Fenner Arboretum. Also Pottor Park Zoo may offer some opportunities for an evening.

A few miles east of East Lansing, the Rose Lake Biological Research Station offers informal trails, bogs, and a couple of small inland lakes to explore.

Plenty of others, but these have been some of my favorite places to visit - not just for photography.

 

[Oxleyroad]

Not much more to add to the suggestions but, just curious, how does an Aussie end up in Lansing, MI?

I work for the General... Taking pictures keeps me sane:confused: Or at least this is what I believe anyway.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

What? One day's notice to spend three weeks away. I thought you must be working for ASIO.

 

[jfdupuis]

I attended MSU for eight months as a visiting student and I confirm that the old part of campus is quite nice. Frat house on saturday and sunday morning are also interesting with all the beer cups trashed all over the place. The Lansing River trail offer some pictures possibilities, especially if you go by bike. The city is also interesting where the river is crossing Grand River Ave. If you are into nature photography, the Sleepy Hollow State Park few minutes north of Lansing is a nice place to go for a quick outdoor after work. Regarding the Michigan Lake shore, I enjoyed the Sleeping Bear Dune park for a week-end out camping. The other mentioned place are also nice, like Holland for instance.

 

[Oxleyroad]

Thanks for everyone's ideas.

Guess I should have been more specific as to what I like to photograph. Have had to think about this as being an engineer I have never thought of myself as an artist, I take pictures as I like the whole process of trying to capture the image of something that I have seen that is interesting, then processing the film and then generating the print. With my set up there is risk everywhere that I will do some damage somewhere during the process. On this trip I have the added unknown of what will happen with the film getting several whammys of the x-ray scanners at the airport, which then is compounded by my agricultural dark room.

So what do I like... Landscapes and streetscapes (as they have featured prominently in my images to date).

So if this helps anyone offer suggestions who have been silent please go for it and give me your thoughts, or even anyone who has been good enough to already give suggestions be more specific. I do think I already have more than enough ideas.

I have decided to take the F5 and a good assortment of lenses and flash, a trusty Voigtlander Bessa 6x9 with a slow (f6.3) lens, the Horizon Panoramic, and a TLR Yashica 6x6 and small flash. I am now thinking the 16mm will have to stay home.

Dan,
I might just take you up on the offer of lakeshore shooting. Will be in touch once I get on the ground.

Kevin,
No ASIO for me, and even if I did work for them I could not confirm or deny it Just some unexpected results, that has forced the hand of management to have someone travel to use better facilities in our organisation than we have here in Oz. I was the man standing in front of the line after my colleagues all took one step backwards. It does not pay to be the last one into a meeting and have a current passport:rolleyes:

 

[smieglitz]

There are a group of APUG photographers informally meeting around the Harbor Springs to Mackinaw Straits area between June 18-27. Most are visiting the second weekend of that interval. Check out (there was a url link here which no longer exists) for info. I'm sure you would be welcome. It would be about 3.5 hour trip from Lansing, but not too bad of a drive if your weekends are free. There might even be some APUG folks from the Lansing area or points south heading that way should you lack transportation.

jmxphoto has published some maps in that thread showing good photo locations in the general area.

 

[Oxleyroad]

There are a group of APUG photographers informally meeting around the Harbor Springs to Mackinaw Straits area between June 18-27. Most are visiting the second weekend of that interval. Check out (there was a url link here which no longer exists) for info. I'm sure you would be welcome. It would be about 3.5 hour trip from Lansing, but not too bad of a drive if your weekends are free. There might even be some APUG folks from the Lansing area or points south heading that way should you lack transportation.

I have sent a PM off to jmxphoto to see if there is room for a late commer as timing fits in pretty well with my weekends off.