Abstract

You can find seagull feathers all along the Lake Michigan shoreline, especially in the windier months. On this blustery October morning, I couldn't resist getting my 105mm macro lens out and showing the world the intricate details of this beautiful seagull feather.

For several years now the incredibly large overturned stump on the northwest shores of Lost Lake inside the Ludington State Park has been a favorite place for photographers and hikers to explore and document. Today I decided to use my macro lens and show the beautiful wood grains and textures of the dying wood. The wind, rain, and sunlight have bleached the wood and turned it a gorgeous blond color.

Today the weather was spectacular in Ludington. Betsy and I dug out the double stroller and loaded up Ethan and Julia and we all went for a nice walk down to the beach. Just down the road from our house, I made this photo of a freshly cut tree stump. F9.0 at 1/125, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 20 mm

I have several of these solar lights along my porch railing. I was struck how much the metal framed the light in black on this dark night.

I am looking on the forest floor for one of those interesting details of nature when this hair from a deer that did not survive the winter catches my eye. I find this detail beautiful even though I am saddened about the deer. F18.0 at 1/60, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 185 mm

When I went to lift up my truck topper and put my camera away, I was awestruck by the beautiful pattern of small puddles reflecting in the sunlight. I climbed up and stood on my bumper and used my wide-angle lens to make this abstract image.

I love to look down on a hike along Lake Michigan to discover what Lake Michigan waves have deposited upon the shore. A seagull feather washed up along the shoreline near Pentwater, creating a natural still life scene I found to be attractive.

My dad and I often tell our workshop students to try to shoot reflections or water on bright sunny days. The water will render very chromatic and brilliant compared to the sky or other surroundings that are being washed out by the sunlight. F5.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 23 mm

Looking down from the porch of the Ludington State Park Beach House, I noticed the shadows cast by fencing erected to reduce the amount of drifting sand and snow. The fencing, bent by nature's forces, caused a curved shadow.

Spawning Salmon

We had been trying unsuccessfully all morning to make strong still and video imagery of an eagle while shooting in 2007 for an upcoming book, Ludington State Park: Queen of the North. Some days are a bust; this started out being one of those. The eagles were not cooperating, and we had gotten wet and cold bouncing around choppy Hamlin Lake. In the Coast Guard, I learned that if Plan A does not work, always have a Plan B already in mind. So, despite being disappointed, cold and hungry, we turned our attention to photographing salmon making their annual return to the Sable River from Lake Michigan. It was the last week of October, and the fall color reflecting off the wind-rippled surface of the water made this salmon appear to be under stained glass. It was not the image I had set out to make, but it turned out to be one of my favorite images from a year of intensely photographing Ludington State Park. In years past I had made lesser photographs of salmon in the same spot, just under water on a spawning bed with fall color reflected on the surface. But on this day, Mother Nature blessed me with an extraordinary added ingredient. A brisk west wind made all the difference, agitating the surface of the water just enough to create a shower glass effect on the river. This faceted surface reflected various colors in various directions, turning my photograph into abstract art. I don’t like setting up an image. I love “found” pictures that are real-time moments in the Michigan outdoors. I am especially proud of this image because, while many people surmise it is not “real” and is somehow an electronic after-the-fact manipulation, it is as real, as purely Michigan at its genuine best as I have ever made. I love a lot of abstract art, but I don’t find myself drawn to setting out to make a lot of abstract images. But I do know a good abstract photo moment when I see one.

I have used this piece of driftwood for a resting spot to spot for the quality of light to improve after hiking to Big Point Sable. On this spring night, magic light made the log stand out as a photo subject.

I am a very realistic person. In my photography though, I like to do things outside the box. This photo is one example of that.

White Fish Shoreline Tahquamenon Falls and White Fish Point

I photographed the same crocuses again today; they didn't look as perfect as yesterday and the light was not nearly as good. Now I am back home without a picture with which I am satisfied. Thank God for Lake Michigan sunsets. The sunset view from our deck looks unreal. F8.0 at 1/500, ISO 200, 500 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 700 mm

A first glance, this photo appears like it might have been shot at the Grand Island Ice Caves or some other large ice formation. However, it is actually only a few feet off the ice shoreline at Point Betsie Lighthouse. I lay down on my side and put my camera directly on the ice and by getting super close to the formation with a wide-angle lens, I could make it appear much larger than it was.

We are all so blessed in the United States to have millions of acres of federal and state land that is preserved and protected. At very little or no cost, we all have the freedom to explore this great country. To make this photograph at Au Train Falls near Munising, Michigan, I got in a cave behind the waterfall and shot at a shutter speed of 1/4000 of a second to freeze the falling water. F2.8 at 1/4000, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

Some say that when I am editing photos and weeding out the keepers, I have a heart of stone. When I found this rock on the beach along the shores of Lake Superior near the Hurricane River Outlet, it made me chuckle and it reminded me to be a little more sensitive to people's feelings when editing their work. I am ruthless to myself, which is fine, but I shouldn't have a heart of stone when editing other people's images. F9 at 1/250, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

Ansel Adams believed in having at least one small area in each of his prints that was pure white or without tone and at least one small area of pure black. I love the range of tones in this image of the sandstone shoreline near Munising, Michigan. F9 at 1/125, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

The shoreline near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior is diverse and varied in height, textures, and color. As I was walking along the shoreline the little rock that was trapped in this s-shaped cavern caught my eye. With the bright mid-day sunlight and the range of tones from very dark to bright, I knew this photo would look best in black and white. F9 at 1/40, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 38mm