Daisy Hayfield along Secor Road

This photo is taken from the edge of Secor Road along a private property. You can photograph this location from the street, but do not enter the property unless the owner grants permission. The easiest way to get here is by driving. Coming from Traverse City on Silver Lake Road, turn right onto Secor Road. In about 0.4 miles, the rolling field of daises will be on your right. There is a low spot very near the road where a car can park with good visibility. Park along the road and then hop out and shoot your image.

To capture the daises in full bloom along Secor Road, visit in June. Any earlier in the year and the field will be without flowers; later in the year and they will be cut for hay.

Sunrise and golden hour will illuminate the sky with a warm sun. In the evenings, the hill behind the field will shade much of the area. Midday will also be nice with bright blue skies, but the light won't be as inviting.

Be sure to stay on the edge of the field so that you don't trespass on this private property.

The combination of the wide-angle 15mm lens at f/22 provide much of emotion and depth in this image. Use of f/22 also creates the starburst effect for the sun.

Hunker down into the tall grasses and position some daisies near the lens. From this viewpoint the daises will appear larger compared to the rest of the composition.

A tripod will allow you to shoot the scene at lower ISO, but if it's breezy, consider raising the ISO and using a faster shutter speed.

This image breaks the rule of thirds — which works because of the shape of clouds in the sky reaching into the corners. It may be best under other circumstances to shoot more traditionally with the rule of thirds, but for this image, you can be more lenient.

I often admire this location while on the way to Lake Dubonnet State Forest Campground, which has a beautiful hiking/biking trail, as well as a horse trail. The lake is the perfect spot to kayak or stand-up paddle board on calm days. It's also great for fishing!

The original Moomer's Ice Cream shop is just 3.5 miles away from the daisy field and it's always a treat. If the line is too long, the market across the street carries many pints of Moomer's for you to try.