Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Questions about trails and campsites on the island.

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rose.white
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Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by rose.white »

We are flying into Rock Harbor late August and Flying out the same mid September. I am wondering what your favorite trails/areas are for photography. We want to set our itinerary based on photographic opportunities. Thanks in advance!
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booyah
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Re: Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by booyah »

Moskey is high on my list, a wonderful little area.

Moose show up in the bog area by the trail, and are failry easy to photograph.
Hidden lake by tobin harbor is another one where you will often see moose, and is well regarded as a gem of a photo spot.
Lane cove and belle isle (if you have a boat) are genearlly said to be wonderful spots but I dont speak from first hand experience on these, I havent been to either myself (yet)
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Re: Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by Ingo »

Moskey Basin is known for it's sunrises. Three Mile and Daisy Farm too, pretty much anywhere along Rock Harbor. Have always thought I should hike out to Scoville Pt in the dark to get sunrise pics, but haven't done it.
For sunsets, Todd and Little Todd campgrounds, as well as Huginnin Cove.
Mt Franklin and Lookout Louise have great views of the NE side of the island and across to Canada.
Mt Ojibway has a tower you can climb (top deck is locked though) to get panoramic island views. Similarly the Feldtmann tower on the west end. The ridge a couple miles west of W Chickenbone also has great open views.
For night views, most of the Lake Superior campgrounds have docks and at least mostly open views of the sky.
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Re: Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by chief54 »

I just did a 10 day photo-centric trip in June. I carried around 60lbs of photo gear, 2 canon DSLR's, Nikon waterproof, GoPro and a infrared motion sensing camera along with 6 different lens from a 90mm macro up to a 150mm-600mm telephoto. Also along were a tripod, ball head, panoramic head numerous filters and all the other misc. gear. I used Voyaguer and water taxis to base camp at various campgrounds, too much gear to carry. For Astro anywhere on south side is perfect because Galatic Center of M/W will be in southwest sky for around 2 hours between 11pm and 1am. New moon is Aug 18 and Sep 17 so thats when I would plan my trip if M/W is important. I prefer Daisy and Rock HBR and Stoll Trail for Astro and great sunrises. Daisy also provides great landscape shots from Ojibway fire tower and birds in flight which are my favorite.Got some great BIF at Tobin Harbor and Hidden Lake and the outlook.But really anywhere on island for wildlife and landscape. do not forgot all the wild flowers in spring esp. the orchids.With all my gear I was limited to where I could go but Igot over 5000 stills and 200 videos, see some of my shots in the Picture section of forum or at these two sites:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/182279347 ... 9367636276
https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nelson-decker
any questions you can PM me Good Shooting
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Re: Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by booyah »

@chief54,
suddenly i feel better about lugging my 15lbs of m43 mirroless, lenses from 28mm-600mm, action camera, manfroto pixie evo, solar charger and batteries on my kayak :-)
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Re: Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by bobcat »

Laughing here, after reading Ingo’s comment about dawn at Scoville Point. While on The Island this August, I met a couple canoers who were very proud that they had a “backcountry” permit and could thus camp “anywhere”. They were arriving into Snug Harbor very early one morning from an odd direction, and I asked them where they had been camping, because the nearest camping from that direction is Merrit Lane and it was just barely dawn. Turns out they had camped on the cobble beach right there at Scoville Point. They were completely unfamiliar with backcountry zones and oblivious to the fact that what they had done was not permitted. They were raving about how beautiful and peaceful it was. I just let it go........
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Re: Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by chief54 »

Bobcat1, your a bigger man than me, even though I have mellowed with age I probably would have torn into them.
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Re: Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by bobcat »

They were a harmless-looking 60-something couple, I assume husband and wife, who did not know the rules about backcountry camping. I do not know whether they actually had a cross-country permit (in which case they should have known about the “red zone” for the entire Rock Harbor area) or whether they were arrogantly flaunting the rules. Whatever. I was pretty annoyed, but the whole thing was history by that point.
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Re: Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by Midwest Ed »

Rather than suggesting where to go, I'll try to describe what to expect in broad brush strokes. There are photographic subjects almost everywhere you look. There's also a multitude of opportunities presented by the Island's flora and geology. Most of the rocks are some of the oldest surface formations in the world.

It sounds like you have more than 2 weeks available, enough time to reach anywhere on the Island but your planning and not spending too much time trying to go everywhere is a good idea you are considering.

Study a map that shows the trails and topography. The Island consists of several ridge lines and valleys separating them that all run along parallel lines from one end to the other. On the northeast end there is the main and highest Greenstone Ridge and its trail. From many places on the Greenstone Ridge (especially on the northeast end) you will observe great panoramic views that profile the geology that creates steep bluffs and cliffs to the north.

The other trail (Rock Harbor Trail) follows a secondary shorter ridge that has been eroded since it was a prehistoric beach. The shorter trails that generally cross from one side to the other or connect these 2 longer trails will take you up and down a few times through the valleys which often are lakes and swamps with many beaver ponds and dams. The vegetation varies quite bit between the ridges and the valleys. Due to the very cold influence of Lake Superior, much of the Island is classified as a Boreal forest with very dense Spruce and Balsam and also some Birch and Aspen and even hardwoods on the southwest end. This is typically not seen until you get much further north into Canada.

The Greenstone Ridge and Trail continues all the way to the opposite end and a second ridge trail (called the Minong) parallels it to the north. On this end, most of the Greenstone goes through the hardwoods. The trail walking is easier and panoramas are generally missing. The Minong on the other hand offers the panoramas but it is considered the most rugged section of trails on the Island where you will find yourself walking across beaver dams.

I've seen many moose and other wildlife by sometimes waiting for them to approach me, as long as you are not upwind and you are quiet. If I had to pick a favorite trail for views, it would be a tie between the Stoll Trail (Rock Harbor Channel side) to Scoville Point and the Greenstone Ridge Trail between Mt. Ojibway and Mt. Franklin.
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Re: Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by chief54 »

Bobcat1 wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2019 3:45 pm They were a harmless-looking 60-something couple, I assume husband and wife, who did not know the rules about backcountry camping. I do not know whether they actually had a cross-country permit (in which case they should have known about the “red zone” for the entire Rock Harbor area) or whether they were arrogantly flaunting the rules. Whatever. I was pretty annoyed, but the whole thing was history by that point.
Understand completely, what annoys me is that you just don't stumble into IR you plan, sometimes for years so you would think you would read everything you can and understand the rules/regs, in and outs.
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Re: Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by rich »

Rainbow Cove, which is about 1 mile west of Feldtmann Lake campground, is beautiful.
2018: Feldtmann Lake, Siskiwit Bay, Windigo
2019: Chippewa Harbor, Moskey Basin, West Chickenbone, Rock Harbor
2022: Moskey Basin, Lane Cove
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Re: Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by rose.white »

booyah wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2019 6:50 am Moskey is high on my list, a wonderful little area.

Moose show up in the bog area by the trail, and are failry easy to photograph.
Hidden lake by tobin harbor is another one where you will often see moose, and is well regarded as a gem of a photo spot.
Lane cove and belle isle (if you have a boat) are genearlly said to be wonderful spots but I dont speak from first hand experience on these, I havent been to either myself (yet)
Thank you so very much for the reply!
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rose.white
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Re: Most photographic areas for Astro/Landscape/Wildlife Photography

Post by rose.white »

I have not quite figured out how to reply properly to this forum but thank you all for the replies, they were each very helpful.
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