Tag Archives: beach
Indiana Photography: St. Joseph, Michigan Sunset
While nature photographer Corey Hilz was here, we (Grant and Corey) decided to drive north to St. Joseph, Michigan. We weren’t sure what we are going to see, but we thought it would be nice if we could catch a sunset. We did get some sunsets and other scenes, such as guys fishing, a beautiful light house, and some boats that seemed to play on the water the entire time we were there. In addition to what is included here, there are more of these photos posted at www.culverphotos.com. Ginny’s favorite are the ones with a pink sky. I like the lonely fishing pole. There didn’t appear to be a lot of fish coming in on those poles, but I thought they made for a good shot. I didn’t shoot them, but we also saw a lot of couples who came out to the pier just to see the sunset. I can honestly say that I know now why they do and I hope to take Ginny the next time I make that trip with a camera.
Indiana Photography: Indiana Dunes
Today, we (Grant and Corey Hilz) explored some of the many state parks located at the Indiana Dune’s waterfront. It was hot with a lot of hiking involved, but once the sun started to set, the shots were worth the sore feet I had when I got home. In several of the sunset shots, the skyline of Chicago can be seen on the right side of the photo. I couldn’t believe you could see that skyline from where we were. I was grateful to capture some of it.
I had to play around with a lot of settings, as it’s easier to blow out the sky on sunsets than it is to capture some color. I also find it more difficult than it would seem to capture foregrounds, such as the shoreline, while trying not to completely blow out a shot. You have to work rather quickly once the sun gets low in the horizon, as you lose the light quickly, but I enjoyed trying to get a few shots while there was enough light to adjust the settings until I found a shot I liked. Though we got home really late (after midnight), I enjoyed making that trip and hope to make it again next summer.
Culver Indiana Wedding Photographer: A Sunset Ceremony
Ginny and I were honored to shoot the wedding of Ty and Diana Fujimura. Ty is the son of Cheryl and Tom Fujimura. For those who went to Culver Academies in the 80s, you might know Mr. Fujimura as “Dean Fujimura.” For this wedding, we fought the rapidly descending sun, as the ceremony started around 7:30 p.m. We struggled with lighting issues all night, but we learned that you must work with what you get in this scenario, and sometimes, you get more than you hoped for. In some cases, the sun gives you warm, golden pictures that you couldn’t create superficially if you wanted to; in other cases, it created a romantic setting. In still other cases, it blew out shots and meant we had to adjust settings throughout the evening.
The bride and groom are fun people, beautiful to photograph, and showed great love and respect for their friends and family. We enjoyed catching some of the moments they shared on their special day.
Bahamas Vacation Photography: Cat Island
For Ginny’s birthday, I surprised her with a trip to Cat Island. She had no idea where we were going until we reached the airport. It was a lot of fun keeping that one a secret from her. We arrived in Nassau where we had honeymooned about 14 years earlier. We spent one night there, and then we took a small (and I mean small) airplane to Cat Island. Cat Island has literally no commercial development on it. It’s considered and “out” island, in that it’s out there in the Bahamas. 
We had the beach there to ourselves, and we had a chef who prepared our meals. Each afternoon after lunch, the chef would ask what we wanted for dinner. She’d tell us what fresh foods they had on hand, and then she’d prepare these incredibly wonderful meals. We had no television to speak of, so we laid by the beach and read books. In fact, I read photgraphy books while Ginny read fiction for the first time in years. (Ginny is an editor and reads all the time, but she doesn’t often have time to read fiction.) It was, as Ginny says, “The most relaxing time I’ve ever had.” We highly recommend a trip to this part of the world if you seek only the sounds of the ocean, the dogs running down the beach, and your spouse. It was the best vacation I’ve ever taken with Ginny. She claims the same, so I’m sure we’ll be going back. I hope the photos reflect the beauty and relaxation we found on this trip.
