The winter season is hard to beat for photogenic opportunities, and it is certainly one of my favorite times to photograph. I live in the upper Midwest in the United States, and I always try to schedule at least one photo trip in Wisconsin, Michigan or Minnesota each winter. The exact timing of my trip and destination are determined by weather forecasts, as I want the winter conditions to be as optimal for photography as possible. I have discovered these optimal conditions can be tricky to predict more than a day or so in advance.
The Upper Peninsula in Michigan is a favorite, reasonably close to where I live and typically has long snowy winters. There are many photogenic places in the Upper Peninsula, but Bond Falls is usually a place that I always check out, as it has always been dependable for me to find images there. This series of rapids and waterfalls is one of the most popular and visited spots in the entire region and is very crowded almost anytime of the year, with the exception of winter when the deep snow, ice-covered trails and bitter cold temperatures keep most folks away.
I was here for sunrise on a minus 5 degree Fahrenheit morning and had the place all to myself. I slowly worked my way down alongside the series of rapids, making a few images. Still, this particular small waterfall was the star of the morning for me, and I was here just as the sunrise was shining for a very short time, directly down the river, lighting up the freezing fog on the river surface. I wish I could say I planned this timing, but no, I just arrived at the right time.
