This image was captured a few days ago in Rudyard, Michigan late April 2011 snow storm and snow on trees.  It was a beautiful morning and the snow was gone by 2pm and we had nice hiking weather for the day.  Good bye to winter, hello Spring.

On the most eastern part of Mexico, where you can watch the sunrise before anyone else in Mexico, lies the island of Isla Mujeres and the location of Punta Sur.  Punta Sur has Mayan ruins that can be explored via paved paths along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico.  This location is easily accessible from Cancun, Mexico.  The iguanas run rampant in this location too.  Get there early and miss all of the crowds.  Check out this HDR image of a Mayan ruin at Punta Sur below and a few images from the Isla Mujeres cemetery in HDR Photography.

Morning shot of my fence in the yard after a cold night with high humidity and no winds.  The frost on the fence made it look like barbed wire.  The trees were all silver and the sky pink too.  It was a beautiful morning and day in the UP of Michigan.

Yesterday we took a hike on North Country Trail with the dogs and Julia in the backpack.  There was a good 6+ inches all over the trail with areas of deeper snow.  We had our MSR snowshoes and they worked great.  Here is one image from our day hike.

My wife had a biofeedback conference in Mill Valley at the Larkspur hotel just off of highway 101 North of San Francisco.    Biofeedback is the process of becoming aware of various physiological functions using instruments that provide information on the activity of those same systems, with a goal of being able to manipulate them at will.  Pretty interesting information.

While my wife studied I amused my daughter and did a lot of exploring the area.  We spent a lot of time in the Marin Headlands, Golden Gate Rec Area, Point Reyes, Muir Woods, and the surrounding towns.

My favorite was the overlook locations near the Golden Gate Bridge.

The coast guard was doing some type of search and rescue with the glowing flare in the image above.  The coast guard cutter and the helicopter were circling the smoking dot of the water.  What a peaceful point to watch San Francisco.  Just imagine the chaos going on during this rush hour period.

I spent some time in Sausalito, California along the coast.  We did a fair amount of dining in the area during the week too.  The food was all really good.  Here are some images from my times in Sausalito.

I would love to live in a floating house like these!  Have your boat attached to you deck.  What a life.

Another location I visited was Muir Woods.  Since I lived in Northern California for 3.5 years this was not as spectacular for me as a first timer, but it was really cool.  Here are some images from my time with my daughter at Muir Woods.

My baby just loves her ride in the baby bjorn.  What a view!

It rained for three of the days so I did a lot of car travel with my daughter.  One of the locations we checked out was Point Reyes.  Here are a few images from this beautiful location.  It was dark and damp while I was there but I would love to spend a week or so at Point Reyes.

Check out these bucks.  I loved the contrast on the skyline.

Point Bonito is another cool spot we checked out.  The lighthouse was closed but we walked the trail to the entrance and snapped some pretty shots.

I hope your enjoy these few images.  I captured a ton of images during our vacation.  I would love to capture Weddings in this area of the World.  If you have a Wedding please inquire about my Wedding Photography services.  It is just so beautiful and the options are endless.

Paul Retherford Wedding Photography

Kasey and Jordan are Married!  The beautiful couple were married at the family bar, Jack Pine Bar and Grill, in Kinross, Michigan.   We took some time to capture images on Lake Superior prior to the Wedding.  It was a rainy, overcast day with high winds and HUGE waves on Lake Superior.  Even the northerners were cold at times.

We had a lot of fun and kept moving to keep everyone warm.  Amazing that is was hot last week and, thanks to Earl, we had high winds, cool, and rainy.

The waves on Lake Superior were 6-8 feet and the surge pushed the water level almost all the way up to the Big Pine beach stairs which is at least 30 feet of shoreline.   It was crazy windy but I am SO glad that we made it out to Lake Superior.

A bunch of beautiful images of the bride and groom on the Lake Superior beach

Then a short Wedding at the Jack Pine Bar & Grill with a party following with wood-fire grilled ribs, chicken and a whole lot of other food.  The bar remained open to patrons and there were a bunch of people who joined the party throughout the night.

Upper Michigan Wedding Photographer Paul Retherford

Check out a nice Wedding slideshow with a selection of images from the day.  This group knows how to have a PARTY!

Kaelie and Chris tied the knot at the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse in Northeast lower Michigan on Lake Huron.  It was a small ceremony with a reception following at the groom’s parents house on Lake Huron.  Both beautiful locations, lots of sun, and plenty of fun.

The couple, family, and friends did all of the designing and flowers.  Everything looked like they hired Wedding Professionals.  I was especially impressed with the flower bouquets.

Judge Mack was the officiant for the Wedding Ceremony.

The cake was really cool and was designed by Millers Street Bakery.  They had a beach theme cake with graham cracker crumbs as sand.  It was REALLY tastey too!

Beautiful Wedding day with perfect weather.  Thank you to the Presque Isle Wooden boat show for finding us a boat to take a cruise, very fun!

Check out my Northern Michigan Destination Wedding Photography and the Wedding images and Wedding slideshow below:

michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0001 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0003 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0005 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0007 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0010 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0019 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0025 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0027 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0035 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0040 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0047 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0049 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0050 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0065 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0077 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0080 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0085 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0087 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0089 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0097 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0102 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0104 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0106 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0111 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0121 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0129 michigan_wedding_paul_retherford_photo__0133

Sunday we took a cruise to lower Michigan and checked out The Headlands and Wilderness State Park.  Both places I have never seen.  Both places are really cool.  The shoreline along the Northwest of lower Michigan is unique.

The Headlands | Wedding Location in Northern Michigan

If you are looking for a Wedding location in Northern Michigan and you would like a natural shoreline Wedding location that you can plan your own vendors check out the Destination Wedding location at The Headlands run by Emmet County.  This location is very nice and has indoor and outdoor locations for Weddings Ceremonies and Receptions.  There are a lot of areas around that you can get to the water and capture images with the Mackinac Bridge in the background and the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline.  The mix of trees and water makes for pleasing images on your Wedding day.  Contact Emmet County for Wedding rental information:

If you are looking for a Wedding Photographer at The Headlands check out Michigan Wedding Photography by Paul Retherford

A few images of the Lake Superior sunset on the north end of Lake Superior near Lake Superior Provincial Park.  These images were captured last weekend.  The Provincial Park was empty and it was beautiful up there.  Check out my Photography website at Paul Retherford Photography, LLC ~ http://www.PaulRetherford.com Here are the images:

Yesterday I took my blue Weimaraner and Vizsla for a run on a seasonal road.  There was a few inches of soft snow on top so I decided not to wear my snowshoes.  It was a tough walk in but not too bad.  The dogs were having fun running down the road and exploring into the woods a small amount.  They live for this!

I was capturing some images of them in their crazy fun mode and then I heard Asta, the Vizsla, barking.  Not a good sign.   She typically won’t bark unless she is alerting Sampson to something or wants to play.  I ran as fast as I could the 100 or so yards up to find Sampson digging and pawing at something under an uprooted tree.  I called him and he would’t come.  Then he looked and his face was covered with quills.

We were a good mile or more from the car and I knew that he would let me start pulling the quills so I turned and ran, and ran, and ran.  All the time calling to Sampson to get to the car and load up.  He would stop and pull quills out along the way.  I am sure he was in pain but never whined or anything.  He just tried to get them out of his mouth, nose, and lips.

We arrived at the car and I got Asta la Vizsla in the car and she immediately went to the front car floor and wouldn’t look at Sampson.  Sam jumped in the back seat and I took off fast.  I called the vet and I was about 20 minutes away  they said.  I really wasn’t sure how many quills he had in his throat so I was a bit worried.

On the way I was able to take a few images.  These are a bit graphic so be prepared, no blood.

The Sault Animal Hospital took good care of Sampson and they were able to get some of his shots done too and clip his nails all while he was taking a time out.  It took about 1.5 hours to get Sampson through the extractions.

He is doing great today and finding time to relax.  He doesn’t seem like he has any swelling or soreness in the face.  In fact, he is playing with his toys inside and out.

Lesson, hopefully, learned by the 6.5 year old guy.  This was his first encounter.

You are Engaged to be Married and looking of a beautiful Wedding location on Lake Michigan.  There are thousands of Wedding Photographers out there to choose BUT not all of them are the same.  My name is Paul Retherford and I am the owner of Paul Retherford Wedding Photography.  My business is built on fabulous creative and documentary images and stellar customer service.  All of my past 300+ past Wedding clients over seven plus years are my referrals.  I guarantee all of my work 100%, no questions asked.  I want you to refer me just like all of my past clients!

My Wedding Photography stemmed from my start as a Nature Photographer.  I learned composition and incorporated my knowledge of composition to fun, fabulous images of my brides and grooms.  I think you will agree that my images are filled with personality and good times on your Wedding day.   I document your Wedding day through your eyes, so each time you visit the images you will relive your day.  What more can you ask for since your Wedding day will pass quickly.

Listen to just a few of the kind testimonials from my past Wedding clients:

We received our album and it Beautiful! I am so happy with it. I can’t wait to show my sister (future bride of mine) ~ she is going to be so excited! We are very, very happy and love all of your suggestions. It turned out more than we dreamed of. Thank you for everything. ~Melissa and Erich

I have heard so many compliments about our pictures and how wonderful, easy and fun you were to work with. Thank you again! ~Lauren and Tommy

OMB Paul I absolutley LOVE these pictures! We had so much fun! You are such a wonderful photographer and so great to work with! Thank you so much again!:-) ~Kelli and Nate

Paul Retherford Wedding Photography | Lake Michigan Beach Weddings

Please visit the Lake Michigan Beach Wedding Photography slideshows below and contact me regarding your Wedding Photography!

Lake Michigan Beach Wedding Photographer Contact Form Here.

When I look back at Weddings past I am both humbled and energized by the ability of my images to bring out emotions.  Even when I show friends my images, and they don’t even know the people, the images can be very emotional.  This leads me to believe that the couples can really associate with my wedding images.

This is one of my main goals in my wedding photography ~ telling the story of the wedding day through the eyes of the bride and groom.  Each day is different and I feel that by being a great listener and observer I can collect enough information from the bride and groom, family, and friends in order to tell the story of the wedding day just as the bride and groom see it.

This winter I will be posting shows of my past images, and there will be some overlap, but I am both experimenting and educating myself and readers on techniques, ideas, and possible future projects.  When you observe the images in slideshow format it allows you to take in the composition and really analyze what was the idea of the image and the story  behind the image prior to the shutter release.

Northern Michigan Photography

I will also be sharing some of my nature images from recent times and all the way back to my high school, and earlier, years.  I have some fabulous images that are just burning to be exposed.  Make sure to visit my online images for sale at http://www.printsbypaul.com Here I will be uploading some groups of images for viewing and purchase.

Enjoy the show of a few of my summer weddings in northern michigan this year.

If you would like to contact me regarding your Wedding, Event, Party, or photography please visit Paul Retherford Photography Contact Page Have a wonderful day!

On Sunday Megan and I took a drive up to Grand Marais and into Pictured Rocks.  It was a beautiful 2 hour trip that included fabulous autumn colors and snow, yes snow.  We stopped to eat at Lake Superior Brewing Company in Grand Marais.  Be sure to check out their Paninis sometime, they are fantastic!  The beers is mighty fine too.  I loved the Dave’s Brew that had hints of pumpkin in it.

We hiked to Sable Lighthouse in Pictured Rock with the dogs and had a nice time.  There are a few shipwrecks washed up on the shoreline that you can check out.  A few people were doing a bit of fall camping there too.

Here are a few images from the day and a video.

Cheers!

A trip to the North End of Lake Superior near the Lake Superior Provincial Park is a good thing.  Not only is it beautiful and relaxing but we get the dogs out running on the beach and tire them out for days, sometimes weeks.

This particular trip I decided to use my dedicated Canon Infrared camera and convert most of the images to black and white infrared photography.  The results are unique and I love them!

The North end of Lake Superior reminds me of the Northern California coastline where I lived for over 2 years.  Very rugged terrain and sheer rock walls that jet out from the deep depths of Lake Superior.  Lake Superior is also a massive body of water that should be respected.

Lake Superior Provincial Park Shoreline

Lake Superior image slideshow below by Paul Retherford Photography, LLC

Good times once again in Canada on a weekend trip to Lake Superior.  Most of the images are in infrared black and white photography.

Enjoy!

infrared photography of lake superior and loons

floating tree 1/4 mile offshore in lake superior in canada

infrared black and white lake superior rocks in canada

Check out the Lake Superior Slide show below with lots of infrared black and white photography from my vacation to Canada

Visit Paul Retherford Photography, LLC and see more fabulous Photography

This past weekend I traveled down to the lower peninsula to fish with Dad and a group of guys from the Alcona area in the Harrisville Fishing Tournament.  The tournament is run every year for like the past 25 years by the Lions Club in Harrisville Michigan.

We had a great time fishing and caught a bundle of fish.  We caught 19 fish on Saturday and 14 fish on Sunday.  The weather was beautiful until after the tournament.

Trout Scout V was in first place after the first day, always a bad place to be unless you are WAY ahead.  We ended up just out of the money but had a nice time.

Check out a few images that I captured with my point and shoot camera in my waterproof case.

Fishing Lake Huron for Salmon, Trout, and Walleye Trout Scout V

lake huron sunrise before a day of fishing on trout scout fishing charters

a plane was taping the start at the harrisville salmon fishing tournament

view from the fly bridge leaving the harrisville harbor

prop wash viewed from the tower of trout scout charters

 Swing by my photographer website

Wedding Photography on Mackinac Island by Mackinac Island Photographer Paul Retherford Wedding Photography

inn at stonecliffe weddings on mackinac island by paul retherford wedding photography

Book your Mackinac Island Wedding Photographer today ~ Paul Retherford Wedding Photography!

[mbspremium slideshow = 1]

Just last week I was wondering if Spring and Summer would ever come to northern Michigan.  I was checking the weather and hoping for a day around 70 but it only seemed to get in the mid 50s.  The nights brought frost and temps in the 30s and 40s too.

Today the temps are getting around 70 degrees near me and there are a lot of signs of spring and summer coming.  The birds are out singing, the grass is green, and the trees are showing some leaves.  There is life budding in the UP.

With Spring comes, thankfully, less mud with the dogs.  It is a full time job giving dogs baths and wiping feet after letting them outside for a romp.  Now they will come in and look at you to get wiped off and they get the OK.  Life is good for them too.

dog with forget me not necklace

forget me nots ~ spring bloom in UP Michigan

It is easy to complain about the weather but the fact is that I love the change in seasons and the feeling of renewal every year.  I have lived in the South, West Coast, and East and the Midwest is still the most dinamic place to live, in my mind.  You just don’t get the obvious seasons anywhere else that I have seen.  Yah, winter may be 6 or 7 months long some years but when Spring comes it goes from grey and white to green and blazing flowers.  You really can’t beat it!

So, here we are almost into June and I am itching to get my boat out and see some new areas.  My friend joked yesterday saying that this weather is nothing for a professional captain (if you don’t know I have my 100 ton masters).  I responded, “that is why the boat is called a pleasure craft.”  Not much pleasure in 50 degree water in the face and 40-50 degree temperatures cruising in a boat.

Memorial Day is really the start of the boating, camping, and tourism season.  Hopefully everyone will find time to venture to the UP and see the beautiful lands up here.  Mackinac Island is a wonderful spot in the world too and it is a great day trip or a vacation location.  Don’t forget about the Les Cheneaux and Drummond Island where there are fantastic views and opportunities for kayaking, camping, boating, and more.

If you like hiking, the North Country Trail is fantastic!  You will get on a trail and, most likely, not see another soul.  How cool is that.  Talk about solitude and natural beauty.  The North Country Trail can be accessed from numerous locations along roads for easy on and offs for short hikes too.

Last but not least, try exploring the Great Lakes.  In the UP you can see Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron all in one day if you wish.  I live 30 minutes from each of them.  It is tough to pick a favorite because they all have their own special qualities.  Get out and explore the Upper Michigan Great Lakes and you may find yourself staying for the rest of your lives.

Come and visit my photography site at Paul Retherford Photography, LLC, www.paulretherford.com.