Abstract

We are feeling the Christmas letdown today. It was a day for rest and relaxation. As I was snuggling with the kids on the couch, I noticed that when the light hit our Christmas bulbs, it reminded me of a solar flare. I decided to try and capture it.

Photographing ice formations has always been one of my favorite things to do with my camera. The bright sunlight to the east this morning, combined with the dark clouds to the west, made for a glorious opportunity to create strong images along the channel inside Ludington Harbor. F22.0 at 1/10, ISO 100, 70-200 mm lens at 160 mm

We are so blessed to have the Ludington State Park in our backyard. People often ask us where our favorite to place to shoot photographs is. Without hesitation, I always say the Ludington State Park. These 5,300 acres are diverse, natural, and beautiful.

Sitting in my living room during a family Christmas gathering, I noticed how these icicles looked like a hand and fingers. I set the camera to a slower shutter speed to capture the dripping water coming off the pinky finger. F16.0 at 0.3, ISO 100, 70-200 mm lens at 200 mm

I love photographing small, intimate details of large objects and giving a fresh view of common objects. Today I moved in close with my telephoto macro lens on a small, but colorful section of Manido Falls on the Presque Isle River at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. I love how the reflections of the fall color on the surface of the water look like flowing flames. F4.5 at 1/640, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

My dad and I have several people every year ask us if they can paint one of our photographs and we always say yes, as long as they give us credit. We love when people make art out of our art. Today, that is what I did in downtown Ann Arbor with a beautiful bronze sculpture that was created by Herbert Dreiseitl. The sculpture catches rainwater and represents the water cycle on Earth. F10 at 1/80, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

The William W. Cook Legal Research Library on the campus of University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is a powerful looking structure. As I stood below the grand building and looked upward, I noticed the two faces made of stone. I zoomed my lens from 50mm to 18mm while I was making a 1/5 second exposure. F22 at 1/5, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

In 1978, the University of Michigan Law School decided that the existing law library was not large enough. They needed to expand the library, but did not want to disturb the look and feel of the existing historic building so they built the addition underground. In August 1981, the Allan and Alene Smith Law Library addition opened to students. The subterranean glass walls of the new building are a perfect complement to the original building. F9 at 1/160, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 24mm

The soft glow of light following a light rainfall makes a wet rock shine and catch my eye along the Lake Michigan shoreline at Van Buren State Park. Closer investigation reveals this to be a very colorful rock. After getting my camera and tripod set up, I try for 15 minutes to catch a wave just right. Finally, I have what I was looking for. F6.3 at 1/80, ISO 200, 105mm lens at 105mm

Everybody needs a space they can retreat to for some peace and quiet. On a small canal in a busy residential area near Brest Bay on Lake Erie, my dad and I stumbled upon these colorful chairs and table. I felt that eliminating the "junk" in the scene by showing only the reflections would make the best photograph. This photograph makes me want to sit back, crack open a cold one, and relax for a bit. F2.8 at 1/160, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 185mm

It wasn't until a few days after I took this photograph that I learned the graffiti art made of hundreds of handprints represented here is called the Circle-A. The Circle-A symbolizes the phrase "Anarchy is the Mother of Order." Regardless of what the symbol means, I was captivated by how beautiful and graphic the many small handprints looked against the rusty seawall in Monroe, Michigan. F22 at 10 seconds, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 27mm

Art is all around us; we just have to be open to seeing it in unexpected places. The top ridge of a seawall in Monroe, Michigan has rusted and much of the paint has peeled off over the years. As I was walking on the beach below the wall, I noticed a face that appeared to be looking at me in the peeled paint. I also noticed that the face seemed to be surrounded by flames. With my camera on a tripod, I made this six-second exposure of the fiery face. F22 at 6 seconds, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 105mm

As I was composing this photograph I noticed that the repetitive patterns created by this seawall in Monroe, Michigan looked like the teeth of a saw. It was at that moment that I decided I should name this photograph "Sea Saw." F22 at 3 seconds, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 105mm

Looking down from atop one of the highest spots in the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, I see S-curves of sand across the dunescape below. My mind starts playing tricks on me. I know it is only a mirage, but I imagine these patterns looking like tracks my sons and I have made in powder snow while downhill skiing on mountain slopes. F10 at 1/200, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 86mm

It never ceases to amaze me how the wind can shape sand dunes into the most impressive works of art. I have hiked up and down the Silver Lake Sand Dunes for a couple hours before finding this spot. I immediately know that all that effort was more than worth the reward of this visual treat. F18 at 1/80, ISO 100, 24-70mm lens at 31mm

The '55 Chevy this hood ornament is attached to ceased flying down Michigan roadways years ago. The plane and the rest of the classic car remain grounded in a wooded area of our property. F22 at 0.6, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

Some kind of insect has made hundreds of holes in this downed tree that lies near of the edge of the Pere Marquette River. The subtle colors and patterns in the bark, along with the tiny holes in the wood, grabbed my attention as I walked by. F10 at 1/125, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

Just as darkness is setting in on the woods near our cabin along the Pere Marquette River, the sun appears to have set some trees on fire. I love sitting in the woods and watching day turn to night. I love daylight but I love nightfall as well. F3.2 at 1/500, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 300mm

I have always wanted to make a photograph of the train bridge in Freesoil, Michigan, but was too lazy. This morning for Week 48 of the Tuesdays Project, it was our first destination. Shake off the dust and get out there with your cameras. Once you are there, don't be afraid to experiment. I zoomed my lens while making this exposure with my camera on the tripod. F22 at 0.8, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm