A Lake Michigan Inspired Cookbook - Editorial / Book Photo Assignment

There is so much to love about Michigan, so when Storey Publishing contacted me early this Spring to photograph a Lake Michigan inspired cookbook, I was all in.  The assignment: photograph local farms and businesses, beautiful places, farm to table food, and the lake.  Yes, please.  

First up, Northern Michigan: the Traverse City / Leelanau Peninsula region including Leland, Fishtown, Sutton's Bay, and Pt. Betsie.  

Northern Michigan's unique and varied landscape is beyond beautiful from the vineyards to turquoise blue waters everywhere you turn.  Its people are authentic and passionate, overflowing with talent and committed deeply to local sustainable business practices.  It will go down in my record book as one of my favorite shoot days.. ever. 

Thanks to the following local Traverse City businesses for being a part of this project (in order of appearance):

The Cook's House, Leelanau Cheese, Carlson's Fishery, and Riverside Inn.

Traveling south, we arrive to the Fennville region with South Haven, Saugatuck, and Douglas towns and beaches a short distance away.

The land is vast and peaceful and its people are artisans, each in their own way, wisely using the bountiful land and pouring passion into their soul's work.  

Fennville is rustic and real.

When I was shooting at Virtue Cider, a man happened to be sitting at the bar with a glass of cider.  He pointed to his farm out the window and proudly exclaimed that he grows the cherries for Virtue's cherry ciders right over there.  

At Salt of the Earth, I observed Chef Matt make fresh pasta by hand with great care.  Their rustic food is entirely made from scratch with ingredients sourced within a 50 mile radius, which results in a unique menu that changes seasonally, if not daily.  Fennville is a true farm to table region built on passion, tireless work, and community.

Thanks to the following local Fennville businesses for being a part of this project (in order of appearance):

Salt of the Earth, Virtue Cider, Kismet Farm Bakery, Seedling Farm, and Evergreen Lane Farm and Creamery.

And traveling further south yet, we stumble upon the New Buffalo region in Southwest Michigan, including Lakeside, Berrien Springs, and Three Oaks.

Simply put, this region struck me as genuine and kind.  Southwest Michigan is abundant and diverse in its local businesses offering everything from fresh fish and local pastured meats to eclectic and inventive jarred goods.  

I found the business owners to be incredibly skilled in their craft, deeply caring about quality and sustainability, and so genuinely kind to their patrons.  Customers seemed like old friends and that was a pretty wonderful thing to witness.

Thanks to the following local New Buffalo businesses for being a part of this project (in order of appearance):

Froehlich's, LOCAL, Flagship, New Buffalo Bill's, and Free Run Cellars.

I knew going in this would be a meaningful assignment, but I wasn't quite expecting just how much my appreciation for Michigan would grow. Keep an eye out for The Lake Michigan Cottage Cookbook written by Amelia Levin: Spring 2018. 

All images Copyright 2017 Teri Genovese Photography and exclusively licensed to Storey Publishing.  Images may not be used in any way for any reason whatsoever.

Best Northern Michigan Vacation Destinations / Published Photograph

If you are anything like me, there's probably a healthy dose of denial wrapped up into realizing we are in mid-late August with September around the corner.  This summer with its mild temps flew by much too fast.  It pains me to admit that I haven't even dipped into Lake Michigan above the knees.  Yet.

I am banking on an Indian Summer and some beach days still to come.  If you are hoping to soak up some last bits of summer, here's 11 Northern Michigan getaways that will make you want to grab your flip flops and hop in the car!

My photograph below was published in the July issue of Traverse Magazine as the full spread feature opener of the article - proud Michigan girl, right here.

pondering this wild and precious life..

This quote stopped me in my tracks while reading Cheryl Strayed's book, Wild, a few months back. I've been pondering the question ever since.

where the platte river meets lake michigan..

As I sit here basking in the first warm breezes of the season, I am daydreaming of the long summer days to come. Last year was our first summer in west Michigan after living in Los Angeles for nearly 5 years. To say that my first long winter back tested my patience is an understatement. Of course, I could have refrained from checking LA’s daily weather report (as if it was still relevant) and imagining how I would have spent all of those warm, sunny January days… a hike at Runyon Canyon, gelato with friends on Sunset Blvd, a nap by the pool. Ahh.. my memories of California are sweet, but life soon became sweeter.

My daydreams were interrupted at once when summer arrived and I was swept off my feet! I have to say, it was the best summer of our lives. Nearly every weekend was spent on Lake Michigan, from lazy rivers at Ludington State Park to care-free drives around the Leelanau Peninsula to afternoon hikes and beach days at Saugatuck Dunes State Park. I can assure you, we did not allow one second of summer to slip away.

On a particularly beautiful September day, as we drove back to Grand Rapids from Sleeping Bear Dunes, we spontaneously took a turn and followed signs to the Platte River. With my camera in hand, my jaw dropped at this incredible view of blue upon blue. Are we really in Michigan? I gazed along the pristine coastal dunes and dreamed upon the delicate sliver of sand where the Platte River meets Lake Michigan. I imagined that next time we’ll be much more prepared, like this family, with stand up paddleboards and a picnic for the quiet sandy shores.

And then it hit me. I was in love with the state I grew up in. This place I left behind 10 years ago is speckled with hidden gems to explore. And now I know for sure that the summertime is oh, so much sweeter when you have those few chilly winter days to endure.

by the way, if you'd like to schedule a fine art family photography session at this beautiful beach this summer, where the Platte River meets Lake Michigan, the travel fee is waived! picture your family having an incredibly relaxing beach day.. i'll just happen to be there documenting the moments!

the pictured rocks + a friendly reminder to print your digital photos :)

If you’ve ever wondered what the northern coast of Michigan’s UP (Upper Peninsula) looks like, these images are for you! We celebrated our 6 year anniversary last August with a road trip to the Pictured Rocks overlooking Lake Superior. The water really is that vibrantly turquoise, crystal clear, and incredibly cold. You can ask my husband who had to make sure. His purple lips and uncontrollable convulsions shivering for a good hour was proof enough for me to stay on the shore. . . .

Why the untimely post from... LAST SUMMER? Last year, when I wrote THIS POST, I vowed I would take my own advice and keep up with printing my personal digital photos on a monthly basis. Whoops! Cobbler’s son syndrome, I guess. So, it became my winter goal once again to finally catch up with printing and sharing last year’s personal snapshots. I'm up to 317 prints and counting and it feels SO good to catch up :)

To be honest, I miss the simpler days of shooting film, but I am determined to keep printing and archiving my personal digital photos. When we’re 80, this hard drive and my plethora of digital files and DVD back-ups (like the floppy discs of yesteryear, remember those?) will mean nothing. It’s the prints that will matter. It’s the tangible prints that I file in boxes and design into photo books & albums that will last through the years and bring back memories.

Have you backed up your digital photos and made prints lately? If you need a little help (or a kick in the pants!) to get started, I've compiled some simple tips here.

Pictured Rocks Boat Tour - Black and White Photograph by Teri Genovese

Pictured Rocks Photographs by Teri Genovese

Pictured Rocks Photograph by Teri Genovese

Pictured Rocks Photos by Teri Genovese

Pictured Rocks Photos by Teri Genovese

Pictured Rocks Photographs by Teri Genovese

Pictured Rocks Photographs by Teri Genovese

iPhone-Pictured-Rocks-Photos

and some iPhone photo goodness from our 10 mile hike, thanks to the always handy Hipstamatic!