Bass Lake/Outlet

On the Western shores of Bass Lake, near Pentwater, three large tree-covered hills grace the horizon. I have heard many names for these hills, but the local favorite is The Three Sisters.

Bass Lake mirrors its famous landmarks, the Three Sisters hills that separate this lake from Lake Michigan north of Pentwater. A pontoon boat lies motionless at its offshore mooring.

A good portion of the homes and cottages on Bass Lake between Ludington and Pentwater are seasonal. As I was capturing the beautiful sunrise this morning on the southwest corner of the lake, I imagined the people who own and rent these homes in the summer months can't stop thinking about Bass Lake all year long.

Snacking its way to Lake Michigan, water from Bass Lake catches sunlight on a September evening.

 

Bass Lake boats bathe in magic light on a September morning. I spotted this scene weeks before making the photograph. The lighting had been ordinary on several wild goose chases to the spot. It is rewarding to finally see the quality of light a particular picture needs. It makes up for the frustration I feel over countless pictures that are in my visual library, but remains only mental images, because the right conditions have not yet appeared in front of my camera lens.

My wife and I watched from a high dune vantage point. We waited, for over two hours, for the sunlight to come into line with the water that was winding its way to Lake Michigan from the Bass Lake Outlet. I liked the resulting picture but looked forward to photographing that S-curve with a sky filled with storm clouds. I returned on such a day only to find winds and waves had swept away the S-curve and left a straighter stream behind.

A fun group of friends were enjoying a warm morning ski on Bass Lake today. I tried to time it just right so that the boat and the skier lined up with the "three sisters" dunes in the background. F8 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 17mm

I love to catch those real moments when people are reacting to something around them. As a family emerged in their little boat from under the Bass Lake Channel Bridge, they were captivated by something they saw along the shore. For me, that moment reflects the essence of what is so great about family adventures in the Michigan outdoors. F6.3 at 1/400, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 92mm

Fritz at Bass Lake Outlet

August looked more like October when I crested a dune to find this view of the Bass Lake dam, the outlet, and Lake Michigan. Like so many small outlets along the Lake Michigan shoreline, the Bass Lake Outlet follows the path of least resistance to the big lake. That path shifts with changing winds and seas.

Bass Lake Outlet changes its course almost daily it seems. Every time I show up to photograph it, I am shocked at how different it looks. Today, it was full of drama. Before I made this image, I previsualized it as a black-and-white.

My seven-year-old son, Ethan named this photograph for me. I made this image at Bass Lake Outlet on Lake Michigan just north of Pentwater, Michigan. The wind was howling and it was only 12 degrees, but the few seconds of magic light warmed me to the core. I stood in the same place for over an hour and in that time, I only witnessed magic light two different moments for a total of about 15 seconds. To help pass the time and to keep myself warm, I did burpees on the sand dunes.

I was photographing Bass Lake and the famous Three Sisters landmark hills across the lake when two real sisters turned the shoreline into their stage. I kept shooting as Natalie and Tessa Reichel performed. I enjoyed the show and hoped my picture would show the grace of these free spirits.

Bass Lake Outlet North of Pentwater is a secluded place I look forward to coming back to, the next day or next season, with great anticipation. Wading in its shallow stream that meanders in everchanging routes toward Lake Michigan or taking up a spectacular vantage point to watch night fall, is a favorite pastime.

Water from Bas Lake, carving a path of least resistance, curves through the sand on its downhill flow to Lake Michigan.

My son Brad and I are always telling photographers that October is our favorite month for Michigan photography. On this mid-October evening, workshop students gathered at the Sable River Outlet are experiencing for themselves why we say that. It doesn't get much better than this!

Bass Lake Splendor

Bass Lake Chairs