My 13 year old Schnauzer (Benny) and I had our first camping and photography adventure of the season a few weekends ago. We traveled to McClain State Park in our Scamp Camper for a Saturday and Sunday morning photo shoot at various historical sites. We started the 2.5 hour drive in solid rain until we arrived at the State Park. Rather abruptly, the rain quit and everything was dry by the time I set up the camper. Very good luck indeed!

Our first stop was Evergreen Cemetery in Eagle River, which holds graves back to 1843. The cemetery has a variety of wood and iron fences that encircle gravesites, all in various stages of decomposition.

The mosquitoes and black flies were more docile than is typical this time of the year, as it was cold and windy. After finishing in the graveyard, the next stop was a local abandoned church, where I photographed two doors that had been of interest for some time. Whenever I would want to photograph them during past excursions, either the light was poor or the snow was too deep. It is quite common to have more than five feet of snow on the ground in the Keweenaw for much of the winter.

Our next stop was the historic Osceola Copper Mine Rockhouse, which I have photographed many times with large format equipment in the past. This visit utilized the Mamiya 6 with 50mm lens and Kodak Portra 160. In addition to the Rockhouse, you will find a variety of old equipment, including outbuildings, rail cars, and large gears/parts from the mining operation. On September 7th, 1895, 30 men and boys lost their lives in a fire in Shaft #3-the largest mining disaster in Upper Peninsula history. The mine was in operation from 1873 until 1968.

Before returning to the campground to cook dinner, we stopped in Laurium to photograph the historic Laurium Manor. Wealthy mine owner, Thomas Hoatson, built this home for his wife in 1908. Today it remains a stately bed and breakfast with all the Victorian charm you would expect.

Returning to McLain State Park, I grilled Benny and I both a burger and we relaxed at the picnic table for a peaceful meal, followed by a long walk along the shores of Lake Superior, not far from the mouth of the shipping channel. It was a chilly night, down into the 30’s, so we made good use of the LP furnace in the Scamp, but kept a window above the bed open to hear the big lake and be lulled to sleep. We broke camp at 0530 and headed to Mason, for the last of the picture making. When you arrive in Mason, the first business on the right of the highway is owned by a collector of old cars, trucks, and gas station oddities from the past (Greg). I have photographed here often, as the inventory is always changing, as well as the seasons. After two rolls of T-Max 100 at the antique car lot, we headed back home to Rauhallinen Farm in Ironwood, as far west as you can go in the Upper Peninsula. Time to develop, scan, and post-process images.

The Mamiya 6 performed flawlessly and it has earned my respect as a fine travel camera. While the Hasselblad system remains my medium format camera of choice for fine art photography, it is nice to shoot informally, without a tripod, when on the move.