Big Sable Point Lighthouse

One of the best parts of my job is that I am always meeting new people. My wife, Betsy, my dad and I trekked to the Big Point Sable Lighthouse on a long summer evening. Upon arrival, we were greeted by volunteer lighthouse keepers outside working on the grounds. They generously offered to turn on all of the interior and exterior lights. My dad climbed a dune to shoot from the south, while Betsy and I walked down the beach a few hundred yards to shoot from the north. To our surprise, we found a perfect reflection of the lighthouse in a storm pool. This shot would not have been possible without the help of the lighthouse keepers and for that I am very grateful.

Radiant - Panoramic

After spending several hours at Big Sable Point Lighthouse with my dad, my daughter Julia, and my girlfriend, Rachel, shooting photos of the Comet NEOWISE, we had all decided we were tired, and it was time to start walking back to the truck. After two minutes of walking on the utility road south of the lighthouse, I turned around to give Big Sable one more look goodbye. When I turned around, this is what I saw.

In 1994, my dad made one of his best-selling photographs of all time. "Storm Light" shows Little Point Sable Lighthouse bathed in the dramatic light of an October storm. Since that time, my dad and I have been working to make a photograph of Big Point Sable Lighthouse with the same quality of light. On the afternoon of November 5, 2007, radiant storm light appeared in front of my camera for less than three seconds as I stood on the blustery shores of Lake Michigan.

Big Sable Point Lighthouse stands guard on a massive point of land along the shores of Lake Michigan between Ludington and Manistee. The lighthouse was commissioned by Abraham Lincoln and is a beautiful piece of Michigan history. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 100mm

Lake Michigan waves splashing up on the erector­ set – looking framework of the foundation for the elevated foghorn building created this icy artwork at Big Sable Point Lighthouse on April 15, 2020. The rest of the story is the fall I took on the undetectable ice covering the sand en route to make the shot.

Big Sable Lighthouse

Over thousands of years, wind driven sand has polished smooth millions of stones along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The flat-sided stones are called ventifacts. I made this photograph near the Big Point Sable Lighthouse while on a hike to the northern boundary of the Ludington State Park.

The 112-foot-high Big Point Sable Lighthouse towers over the shoreline and forest in this November 4 view from the Ridge Trail. A giant white pine provides a counterpoint for the composition I had envisioned weeks earlier before the color peaked.

In the workshops my dad and I lead, we tell our students not to be afraid of turning their cameras vertically. Some of our favorite photographs we have ever made are vertical images. On this day I took a horizontal photograph and a vertical photograph about 10 seconds apart. The composition in the vertical photograph was the definite winner.

Northern Lights At Big Sable Point

Todd, Brad, Julia, and I set out on the hike tonight to Big Sable Point Lighthouse. Their main goal was to shoot the Comet NEOWISE over the lighthouse. My goal was to make my first image of the state park’s 112-foot, black-and-white centerpiece. After making the image I had envisioned for years, I sat back and enjoyed the experience of the comet with a night full of laughter and memories.

Upon discovering that, even in snowshoes, I was unable to walk over the five-foot snow drifts on the utility road to Big Sable Point Lighthouse, I had to figure out another way to get to the lighthouse. After using some good risk assessment, I decided my best course of action was to walk on the ice a few hundred yards off shore. After almost a mile and a half of treacherous walking and crawling, I made it to the lighthouse. Exhausted and hot, I made this image in seven degree weather, made chillier by 20 mile-per-hour winds. It was so worth the journey. D7000, F22 at 1/60, ISO 100, 10-20mm lens at 10mm

On those glorious winter mornings in Michigan when the air is crisp and the light is sharp, it is a joy to be outdoors. On this ice-cold morning I was especially blessed because upon arriving at Big Sable Point Lighthouse I discovered some of the most unique and beautiful ice formations along the Lake Michigan shoreline that I have ever witnessed. Many of the ice creations looked to me like crystal sculptures. It was an amazing sight on an amazing morning.

As darkness fell and the lights of Big Sable Lighthouse and the keeper's dwelling emerged, I was certain I was in the best spot to make the strongest picture possible of the famous landmark. I shot several dozen shots over a period of 45 minutes, when the cloud patterns added to the composition of the picture. But it was in the last few minutes of shooting that the electric lights and remaining light in the sky balanced the best. I packed up my gear, shouldered my tripod and strode excitedly down a big dune to meet up with my son Brad, whom I had lost sight of an hour ago. I showed him my "trophy" shot on my digital camera; then he showed me his. It was obvious that his was a Boone and Crocket "trophy" shot compared to mine. I was glad for his greater success but still exhilerated by my own visual experience and capture.

Capturing Memories

I stood 20 feet out in Lake Michigan on a stormy summer evening with waves crashing into me as I tried to steady my tripod for a long 30-second exposure. Like so many times before, I was awestruck by the glamorous beauty of Big Point Sable Lighthouse. The Sable Point Lighthouse Keepers Association has done a brilliant job of restoring the lighthouse and bringing back its incredible grandeur.

Two Towers