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  • How to edit iPhone Photos for Instagram (Outdoors Version!)

    October 28, 2023

    How to edit iPhone Photos for Instagram (Outdoor Creator Version), tips on color grading, editing in Lightroom and success on Instagram

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  • a photographer chasing winter sunrises on Lake Superior's North Shore

    North Shore Winter Photography Bucket List

    October 29, 2021

    Winter on the North Shore of Lake Superior is incredible. Frozen waterfalls, icescapes, and snow make for picture perfect and Instagram-worthy moments! Here are 20 photo locations and ideas for winter photography on Minnesota’s North…

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  • image of a Yellow Sea kayak at the Pictured Rocks Cliffs on Lake Superior

    Seven Secrets for Stunning Kayak Photos

    September 23, 2021

    Want to learn how to take great kayak photos? From paddling technique, to locations, to composing the perfect paddling photos, here is a complete guide on how to take great photos from a canoe or…

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  • Best Photo Locations near Traverse City

    September 21, 2021

    Looking for the best photo locations near Traverse City, Michigan? From sand dunes to wild rivers, here are the best photography locations near Traverse City, Michigan.

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  • Fall Color on a backroad near Traverse City, in Northern Michigan

    7 Beautiful Fall Hiking Ideas in Northern Michigan

    September 3, 2021

    For the best fall hiking trails in northern michigan, hard hikes, easy hikes, and fall color, read on!

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  • Sea Smoke at the Grand Marais Lighthouse

    10 Best Photography Spots on the North Shore, MN

    July 8, 2021

    Looking for the best photography locations on Minnesota’s North Shore? Read this article to find the best waterfalls, overlooks, and sights for photographers!

    Read more
  • How to viral on IG reels

    How to go “Viral” on Instagram Reels

    May 14, 2021

    Instagram Reels is s great way to grow your account and expand your reach. With over one billion users on Instagram, Reels is a great way to expand your reach.

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  • Instagram Grid for Creators

    How to Use Instagram for Photographers & Creators

    May 5, 2021

    Instagram is an incredibly powerful tool. Here are 10 smart ways to use Instagram for photographers and creators including creating a community, and making sales.

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  • moose photo shot on a canon Rebel

    3 Best Affordable Cameras for Adventure Photography

    May 3, 2021

    Looking for the best affordable camera for adventure photography? Read this article for the best adventure photography cameras

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  • Canoeing on Whitefish Lake, Montana with Mountains in the distance

    How to Take Killer Adventure Pictures: Composition & Lighting

    February 20, 2021

    Whether you’re an aspiring photographer, explorer, adventurer writer, or just want to document your travels, the first thing you need to create stunning pictures is a solid understanding of composition and lighting. Composition and Lighting are…

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maddymarq

guide & writer exploring the midwest🏕
📍Wisconsin Northwoods
inquiries: hello@madelinemarquardt.com
↓ FREE exploring the Midwest eBooks ↓

Adventure is where you make it🤷🏼‍♀️ F Adventure is where you make it🤷🏼‍♀️

Footage from a trip with @visit_keweenaw !!
Sauna @takkasaunas 
Hiking & paddling guides for this area can be found on my page :)

📍Traditional homelands of the Lake Superior Anishinaabe
AD/ Lake Superior adventure notes☀️⤵️ I s AD/ Lake Superior adventure notes☀️⤵️

I strongly recommend booking a guided tour for this route with @keweenawadventure !

Lake Superior is cold, the weather patterns can be difficult to read, and waves often kick up with little warning. It’s really important to paddle a sea kayak, or a boat with bulkheads or sealed pockets of air in the front and back— this way if you capsize your boat won’t sink out from under you and with deep water self rescue skills, or a guide who can help you, you can get back in and paddle to safety. A sea kayak alone isn’t enough! You also need safety gear such as a bilge pump, paddle float, and knowledge of rescues and how to use that safety gear.

Check out @visit_keweenaw ’s Keweenaw Pasty Trail! 12 pasties, an epic route, and all the glory! Tragically I made it to pasty number four before I had to tap out🤣

After any hard day on the water or trail honestly nothing feels better than a sauna! @takkasaunas Superior location is right on the Lake and a perfect sunset spot!

@visit_keweenaw #michigan #adventure
AD/ solo trip with @visit_keweenaw Here’s what AD/ solo trip with @visit_keweenaw

Here’s what I’ve been up to…

1- paddled the gorgeous 12-mile route to Montreal Falls, which cascades directly into Lake Superior! This route has been on my list since my first summer working as a sea kayaking guide back in 2018. 

This is an exposed route on a Great Lake! Deep water self-rescue skills and a kayak with bulkheads is a MUST. Book a guided tour with @keweenawadventure

2- Lots of solo hiking! I love Mt. Baldy, a six-mile route from Eagle Harbor and O Kun-De-Kun Falls! Also recommend the new Cliff View Trail at @mountbohemia and the Berry Picker Trail on Brockway Mountain. Find more trail resources on the @visit_keweenaw website!

3- Last winter I visited @takkasaunas on the Portage Canal, and this week I headed up to their sauna on Lake Superior for a sunset session and WOW!! I got so lucky with the sunset and the feeling of solo swimming in the lake to this!?? Unbeatable

(Thanks to sauna guide Megan for being the coolest ever!!) 

4- Long walks on the beach :) 

The Great Sand Bay in the Keweenaw is one of my favorite places on earth
5- Solo dinner @lake_effect_barandgrill

In 2018 after my first year working as a sea kayak guide I did my first ever solo trip up here to the Keweenaw and had my first ever solo meal in a restaurant at this place. Now, seven years later it felt kind of serendipitous to come back and retrace my steps. 

6- I ate too many pasties 

My friends at @visit_keweenaw slipped me a brochure for the Keweenaw Pasty Trail and for a brief and shining moment I did consider trying to eat 12 pasties in four days. I didn’t make it that far, but my favorites were from Jen’s Kitchen in Calumet, Mohawk Superette in Mohawk and Krupp’s Mini Mart in Toivola. 

7- Did some shopping in Houghton! 

@down_wind_sports is one of my favorite outdoor shops/used gear spots, and I was actually on a mission to find new trail runners and ended up at @queencityrunningco_hgt ! From here, I grabbed a Great Lakes shipwreck book from @blackicecomics , new yarn from Sew Irresistible, and some @keweenawcoffee !

8- Mocktails at the new @smallcraftco in Houghton! 

#lakesuperior #keweenaw #solofemaletravel
do I smell like neoprene be honest do I smell like neoprene be honest
morning coffee somewhere special 🫶🏻☕️ 1 morning coffee somewhere special 🫶🏻☕️

1- Lummi Island
2- Bean & Bear Overlook
3- Copeland Islands
4- Stockton Island, guiding overnight trips with @lostcreekadventures 
5- @elycabincollective [hosted]
6- Canyonlands
7- the Porkies
8- Jones Island
9- BWCAW
10- Desolation Sound
11- Wyalusing State Park
12- @escapeinaframe [hosted]
13- Frankfort
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