Fields

I have a deep connection with trees. Their unique shapes and purposes. I can visualize farmers using this shade tree on hot summer days, while working their fields.

Tonight my eight-year-old daughter, Julia, went on a photography adventure with me. She got to experience climbing on top of the roof of my truck to make an image and she also witnessed first hand what magic light is. As it was lightly raining and the setting sun broke through the clouds, Julia spotted this rainbow. I gave her the camera first. Once she was done making her art, I made this image of Julia's gold.

After five unsuccessful photo trips to the Schwass farm in Riverton Township, south of Scottville, I thought I was never going to take a good photograph of their winter squash. The challenge was to make a picture that would stir the viewer's emotions the way they had described the experience to me. On the sixth trip, a golden luminescence from the setting sun gave me the feeling they must have had. I was glad for the tips and my perseverance.

I stood on the tailgate of my truck along Custer Road to make this image. I loved all the layers in this scene and the rolling hills. All I needed to do was wait for the light. As I waited, I Facetimed with my mom, who lives in Germany.

Since August 2012, when I photographed this old McCormick-Deering tractor on Indian Hill Road for the Tuesdays project, I have been eager to come back and photograph it in the fall. Today the scene is even better than I could ever have imagined. My favorite part of this image is all the leaves stuck in the grass surrounding the tractor.

It was a magic moment. While photographing a farm surrounded by mustard grass near Fountain, I heard a noise in the opposite direction. I spotted a collie heading my way. Wheeling about, I instantly framed the dog in the viewfinder, panned with him, focused, and shot as he passed by toward the picturesque old farm that may have been his home. It was an unexpected incredible photographic experience.

It is no secret to my friends and family I loathe and despise spiders. This morning as I was photographing this grass in front of P.M. Steamers restaurant in Ludington, I noticed the grass looked like spider legs. Did I mention that I despise spiders?

The soft looking texture and repetitive pattern of a rolling field of asparagus appealed to me as I was photo hunting near the Mason Oceana County line on an October afternoon. It was that subtle kind of picture I like to call "wine shots" because they affect you slowly but they tend to grow on you with time.

A lone tree in a farm field stands out in any season, but especially during the heart of winter. Fields with lone trees are common throughout the Point to Point area. Besides adding beauty, many of them have provided shade for up to a century or more of both farmers and farm animals.

Nikon D810. F22 at 1/60, ISO 400. 60-600mm lens at 60mm. On a tripod without a flash. February 25, 2020 at 5:08pm.

My dad taught me a long time ago to look for repetitive patterns. On Tuesday when he and I were driving home from Petoskey, we both spotted this field at the same time. I love how the clouds in the background look like a mountain range. You have to see this photograph large to really appreciate it. F11.0 at 1/125, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

I was walking through a field south of Ludington en route to a blind to try to photograph some deer when it struck me that I was already in the presence of a good picture. I hunted for a few minutes for the best vantage point, set up the tripod, and shot.

Monton Farm

I have passed this pasture on Iris Road almost daily for 10 years. But it is not until today that I notice the beauty of this lone tree. Fog and melting snow make the tree stand out like never before. Still I wonder why I never noticed it. F4.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 17 mm

This willow tree frames our backyard view perfectly. The Ohse farm looks pretty tonight.

When the house across US-10 from our family’s front field came available, we knew it would be a great spot to raise the kids. A very short walk and we are on farmland and can walk all the way to my mom and dad’s farmhouse. In the summer months, we enjoy watching our cattle and their calves in this front field. Tonight, it is quiet but stunning.

Todd's Day 209 of 365

The maples are a favorite spot for my kids and their cousins. It is close enough to my parents’ house that they can venture out without supervision, yet the trees feel miles away. My mom enjoys sitting on their porch watching them play. They spend a lot of time exploring here under what I call “The Triple Trees”.

For a very short time, the fruit country south of Ludington blossoms into a fairyland. This evening view is from Hawley Road looking north. F5.0 at 1/200, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

Nikon D810. F22.0 at 1/60, ISO 100. 14.0mm lens at 14.0mm. May 8, 2020 at 4:10pm.