Abstract

October 16, 2010” We teach our photography workshop students to look for saturated fall colors in the reflections of leaves on the water. I took my own advice on a pond along Pere Marquette Highway.

I had my first experience hunting at Legends Ranch in Bitely, Michigan tonight. Although I didn’t see a shooter for me, it was a wonderful experience. I left the ranch and drove the 40 minutes back to Custer to pick up the kids from the farm. By the time I got them home it was almost 9:30 PM. I had to decide quickly on what my photo was going to be so I could get them in bed.

A new Ford Mustang Cobra GT 500 was parked behind the gallery this morning. I couldn't resist photographing the iconic snake emblem and its reflection on the front grill of my dream car. F10.0 at 1/40, ISO 1250, 18-50 mm lens at 35 mm

We try to carve pumpkins every year. By having a longer exposure and zooming in and out during it, it gives the jack-o-lantern an extra eerie glow.

My Uncle Budde and Aunt Sheryl recently purchased this new sculpture for their side yard. I enjoyed watching the setting sun reflect and shine through the unique piece of art.

Sadly, Betsy’s parents both died a few years apart from sudden illnesses. Betsy and her brothers picked out a nice headstone for their parents with a cardinal on it. The headstone is in Lakeview Cemetery in Ludington. I decided to honor Don and Shari Verduin today by making this image at their gravesite.

By stopping down my telephoto lens to an aperture of F22, I was able to get great depth of focus for this scene along the shores of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Northern Michigan. Having such a small hole in my lens for light to pass through and shooting at a low ISO of 100 allowed me to have a longer shutter speed of 1/10 of a second. It is amazing how fast water can move in 1/10 of a second. F22 at 1/10, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

The American Flag at a local bank caught my eye as I drove past it this evening. I shot several test shots in order to capture the movement of the flag, but to keep the stars and flagpole sharp. In this shot, I loved how you could see the entire flag, yet it just showed movement at the right edge of the flag.

Much of the shoreline up by the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is covered with smooth, colorful rocks. I enjoy watching the crystal clear fresh water of Lake Michigan dance over the array of colors and shapes created by the rocks below the surface. F9 at 1/320, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 170mm

Patterns and photographs can be found anywhere. Even if it takes more looking. This design on Kasey’s bag has always intrigued me.

Today is shaping up to be a good day to see the unusual. This unexpected view greeted me at the south end of Torch Lake. I wonder if the boathouse doors were painted in place or painted and then erected. Either way, the paintings and their reflections look fascinating. F7.1 at 1/400, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 185mm

Today was a long day. With a lot of projects going on at work, my brain was tired. It was hard to pull my head together to pick up my camera.

My focus is on the clear message and the clear view of nature out the window of the Chapel in the Pines at Hartwick Pines State Park. After making this available light image, I used fill flash to light up the interior log wall and a carved plaque beneath the cross containing "Nature's Prayer." In the end, I preferred the simplicity of the darker naturally lit image that keeps the focus on the natural cross outside. F4.5 at 1/30, ISO 200, 24-70mm lens at 32mm

Tonight, after the sun had gone below the horizon, I put my camera and tripod away and got in my truck and waited for my dad to finish shooting. After making a few phone calls home to talk to my wife and kids, I looked back out over Lake Michigan and could not believe my eyes. The afterglow over the lake had become incredibly vibrant and colorful. I quickly got my camera and tripod out again to make this image. F8 at 1/6, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 120mm

I have envisioned this with a sunrise filling the sky and reflecting in the creek. I have many memories playing here. I woke the kids up early to get them ready for school. They stayed in the warmth of the van while I climbed down the steep embankment to Weldon Creek. While the sunrise didn’t show, I am pleased with this black-and-white, and we managed to make it back to the driveway before the bus came. That’s a win-win in my book.

Tonight was Joshua’s turn to sit with me. We donned our hunter’s orange clothing and headed across the railroad tracks to the field. We hunkered down in the corner, waiting for the big one. Hunting with a four-year-old, it might not be a surprise that no deer showed. We had lots of laughs though and he was excited to be part of the hunting experience. Once we arrived home, I played around with a green mason jar.

The kids and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with my mom and dad tomorrow. They will be at their dad’s for Thanksgiving Day. We cleaned and prepared food all day today in preparation for the feast. I didn’t even step outside I was working so hard. As I walked past Joshua’s puffer coat, I thought it could make for a cool photo.

Looking at first glance like an airplane flying high over water, this is actually a chrome ornament adorning the hood of a rusting 1955 Chevrolet station wagon. The hood ornament is the coolest feature of what was once a cool car. F4.0 at 1/60, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

The clouds over Lake Michigan were so pretty tonight that I decided to focus on just them. I love when clouds have the orange outline like this.

Work has been very busy this month. Thanksgiving week is always a juggling of kids, work, and planning and prepping for Thanksgiving dinner. My energy is running low. The kids will be leaving tomorrow for a long weekend at their dad’s. It is always difficult when they are gone, and especially difficult when it is over a holiday.