Mystical Angels

Any mystical, forestry and or surreal places for a photo shoot in Michigan?

I am a photographer, and I recently received a client who is looking for a "surreal" feel. (I am doing fashion photography) She is interested in forests and surreal buildings. I am looking for some new locations to shoot for this. The shoot will be in Michigan, so any where in Michigan is okay. (: Thank you so much for your help! (: I could really use it!

Public Comments

1. The Henry Ford Estate in Dearborn, Michigan is where I take photos at. There's a woods, a mansion and a HUGE garden. That's about all I can think of. Maybe do some photomanipulation or play with the lighting and stuff? Part of the feel is in how the model is posed, though. :) Good luck~
2. Inside the (un-refurbished) buildings at the state hospital in Traverse City. I use the grounds for family portraits quite a bit, and some of the locations aren't that popular with families because of that 'surreal' feeling.
3. Michigan's eastern Upper Peninsula is pretty amazing. Once you get into the "woods", you are in a different world. I shot there just after a rain storm and the mist made things very mystical indeed
4. I'm sure there are old buildings and forests all over the place. But the surreal mood is up to you to create as the artist. I'm thinking underexpose the background and strobe her in the forest on a foggy morning.
5. Grand Traverse County is beautiful, especially the closer to fall you get. Empire is wonderful as well with the sleeping bear dunes. Google image search the sleeping bear dunes. Mackinaw island has some interesting structures, and it is also car free. No cars on the island. The people all get around with horse and carriage or bike. As for foresty there is a lot of woods in the northern lower penninsula. The torch lake area is pretty at sunset. Michigan also has many light houses that are pretty as well. Flint, Saginaw, Grand Rapids, and Detroit are probably far too populated for anything foresty. Castle rock might give you a type of sureal look and it is quite foresty. Google image search that as well. Hope this helps!
6. Michigan is a fairly large state, you may be best to look for caverns and craters, variables in elevations, so to find mountainous regions, or low lying areas with ponds and creeks, as for buildings, that may be rare or time era related, look for oldest pioneer locations, and some abandoned mines or factories, also seasons have impact, winter(whites), late spring (greens), and fall (oranges), if you've time to travel from south to north points, then you will find lots of hidden treasures along the way, many old villas and historic sites, Trail Tree on "Mount Arvon" http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=9d34e7d0-9b4b-40a2-bf8c-1a1ceaaf486a http://highpointers.org/archives/category/states/michigan Detroit Shipbuilding Company , Wyandotte, Michigan. http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_Dock_Engine_Works-Detroit_Dry_Dock_Company_Complex Mackinaw City, Michigan. http://www.mackinac-island-insider-tips.com/mackinaw-city-mi.html Ypsilanti, Michigan, Starkweather Chapel, http://www.greatrealtyusa.com/realtors/MI/Ypsilanti.htm Whitefish Dunes Cave Point County Park http://tangsphoto.photoshelter.com/image/I0000Ic0VbbQ_dk8 http://www.blogsmonroe.com/expatriate/2009/07/hike-report-whitefish-dunes-spcave-point-county-park-door-county/ Oscoda Springs http://www.greatgetaways.tv/gallery_oscoda_may08-03.html Canyon Falls http://gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/canyon.shtml Michigan National Forest http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Michigan++National+Forest&sll=43.139074,-83.599091&sspn=0.438913,0.64682&ie=UTF8&hq=National+Forest&hnear=Michigan&z=6 ..
7. You could try around the Detroit or Royal Oak area for interesing old-buildings and such. For Woods you could try U of M Dearborn. Remember the Biology class we took there on the forest-y trails? :) You could try Allen Park, near the railroad tracks, and there's a trail from Baker College to the tire. That trail might make for a good photo spot. It has a bridge and some other cool things. Other than that there's the Upper Peninsula with it's forests, woods, streams, rivers, and beautiful scenery. Lots of old mining towns and such that are very cool to take photos of. Besides that try on a foggy day, that would make it look surreal. :)