Hamlin Lake

What a majestic fall day! The fall looked stunning, framed in nature's glory. It doesn't get any more Pure Michigan than this!

The sun sets over the sand dunes at Hamlin Lake in a view southwestward from the Narrows that connect the Upper and Lower sections of the lake. A duck hunting blind on this private property is one of my favorite spots to hunt for Hamlin Lake pictures. Sitting there, I wonder what amazing views hunters must have enjoyed from this spot over lifetimes of hunting. I am grateful for permission to hunt there with my camera.

The view from atop this massive sand dune in Ludington State Park is breathtaking. From here, you can see a large section of lower Hamlin Lake, a huge portion of the Ludington State Park, miles of Lake Michigan, and some of the tall buildings and landmarks in the town of Ludington. Access to this dune is along Piney Ridge Road.

The State Park Sand Dunes

The Equalizer

A bayou along the Seven Islands trail at Ludington State Park turns as blue as the sky on a September evening. The Seven Islands Trail is a treasure trove of beautiful settings. Magic light transforms the view into an extraordinary one.

Hamlin Lake

When I was working up this aerial photograph of Hamlin Lake on the computer, I noticed how three-dimensional this image was. The shadow on the north edge of the lake makes the trees and homes off of Nurnberg Road appear to be coming off the page. D800, F8 at 1/100, ISO 400, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

The red ice inside the channels of Tamarac Village on Hamlin Lake caught my eye as I drove down North Lakeshore Drive. After a closer inspection, I realized the red color was probably coming from the tannic acid in the leaves that were now on the channel bottom. F14.0 at 1/13, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 34 mm

Hamlin Ablaze

Brilliant Hamlin Sunrise

Mason's Jam

One day, while living on Hamlin Lake, I was looking for fall color pictures when I spotted this young boy on a neighboring dock. I could see the finished picture in my mind, and everything seemed to balance. I liked the setting and composition, but it was the boy who made the picture come together.

My dad and I study a lot of different photographers and their work. Jim Brandenburg is a photographer I admire. Jim's work has a unique "look and feel" that inspires me. While I was making this photograph on the Sable River, it seemed to me the image had a Brandenburg feel. The beauty of art is that the final image has a mix of my style as well as Jim's.

There is something about empty chairs on Lake Michigan waterfront that makes people want to be in them. These chairs, positioned at Pentwater Yacht Club, provide a view straight out of Pentwater harbor.

Moonlight bathes Hamlin Lake on one of those nights so tranquil not even a fish appeared to be stirring. The setting was the Middle Bayou, one of my favorite spots on Hamlin Lake. I once lived there and when I go back to get to see pictures past as well as present.

The island in front of the swimming area at the Ludington State Park has many different names. I know two different families who have named the island in honor of their dogs because it was their pets' favorite stomping grounds during family vacations. The most common unofficial name that I have heard for this glorious piece of God's creation is Blueberry Island.

Tuesday night usually finds my wife singing in the community choir at West Shore Community College. That means that on Tuesdays I get our daughter Julia all to myself. I often load Julia in the jogging stroller and we head off the beaten path looking for photographs. I believe Julia is my muse because every time we go picture hunting together I am able to see the world in photographs better than I can alone.

While my son, Tad, explored sand dunes farther inland, I took up position on top of a dune overlooking Hamlin Lake and composed a view across Lower Hamlin Lake through the Narrows leading to Upper Hamlin Lake. Then, I sat in the sand and savored the view while waiting for the exquisite light the evening graciously delivered.