Antrim Creek Natural Area Pathway

This image was taken from a boardwalk along the trail at the Antrim Creek Natural Area, which is west of Atwood, MI. From US-31, take Rex Beach Road west 1.5 miles, toward Lake Michigan. The road will veer south at the Old Dixie Highway crossing (though signs indicate the entrance to the Natural Area). When you're in this area, drive very slowly. There is a sharp curve with a hill that makes seeing oncoming traffic difficult. Park in the lot on the left, which is not quite to the beach. Take the trail from the parking lot toward the woods. The boardwalk is a couple minutes in on the path. To get there, just follow the GPS coordinates.

The spring and early summer months (May, June & July) are the best to photograph the Antrim Creek Natural Area, as this is mostly an evergreen section of the forest. Although, there could be some shrubs that will look bare before May or if spring is late that year.

For the light to break through the dense foliage, the sun needs to be bright and directly overhead. Late-morning through the late-afternoon on a sunny, yet slightly foggy, day will provide the best likelihood of having similar lighting conditions.

I recommend shooting with a 70mm focal length (80mm-100mm would also work from a slightly different distance) to bring the boardwalk in closer while providing a narrower depth of field — which will draw the eye to the middle of the image.

Get low, but not all the way on the ground, for this shot. Make sure that the boardwalk is positioned in the lower third of your frame for a balanced composition.

Use the weather conditions to your advantage. The fog will already soften the scene, but additional haze can be appealing, too. In post, I added some vignette for a hazier look.

If it's open during your visit, I highly recommend stopping at Friske's Farm Market from some local produce and food. It's open from 7AM-8PM every day, except Sunday when it's closed.