As the creator of visitors guide DevilsLakeWisconsin.com, Derrick A. Mayoleth is inside the gem of our state park system more days than he isn’t. And come fall, his audience has a singular focus: peak color.
He starts collecting and posting photos from the park’s foliage weekly in late September. (This shot of the famed Devil’s Doorway rock formation was captured in mid-October of a late-color year.)
All told, he’s shot more than 33,000 images of Wisconsin’s busiest state park – respectfully, he adds. “The downside of tourism and influencer marketing these days is that the park becomes an attraction to exploit, rather than a natural space to explore,” he says. “My goal is to not simply promote a space, but to connect people to the natural environment.”
The Big Picture is a monthly feature in Milwaukee Magazine that explores photography of Milwaukee and Wisconsin. If you have a photo you’d like to be considered, email Creative Director Chelsea Mamerow at cmamerow@milwaukeemag.com.
