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I hope everyone gets an opportunity someday to see Michigan farms and homesteads from above. The view today of this majestic farm in Eastern Mason County near the Pere Marquette River made me proud to be a Michigander. F9 at 1/400, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

If you have had the opportunity to see Michigan's Manistee National Forest from the air, you know how unbelievably dense the forest actually is. Today, I was drawn to the beautiful patterns created by the different shades of green on the trees below. F8 at 1/400, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

The fresh, clean waters of the Pere Marquette River snake their way through thick Michigan forests every day of the year. This view is from a section of the fly-only zone of the beautiful National Wild and Scenic River. F7.1 at 1/400, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 34mm

The shape of the Bass Lake Outlet changes every day. It has only been one week since we last visited the outlet but it has already taken on a straighter, more direct route into Lake Michigan. F9 at 1/1000, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

The carferry SS Badger is the last coal fired steamship in America. As she left Ludington this morning, I photographed her from the window of a small airplane piloted by Dave Johnson of Mason County Aviation. F9 at 1/1600, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 44mm

The SS Badger is a beautiful steamship from any angle. Today was the first time that I got to photograph her underway from an airplane. I was impressed by how elegantly the 410-foot carferry cut through the waters of Lake Michigan. F7.1 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

I doubt few people have gotten a view like this of the source of Hamlin Lake. Today, I went flying with Dave Johnson from Mason County Aviation to photograph fall color in Mason County. Dave got me into perfect position to shoot the area where the Sable River turns into Upper Hamlin Lake. I would love to live on the farm in the foreground of this photograph. F6.3 at 1/500, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 27mm

On July 10th of this year for Week 28 of the Tuesdays Project I shot a photo of Mike and Nancy Banninga's "boathouse" home on Upper Hamlin Lake and wrote about the great memories I have of spending time there as a kid. It was fun today seeing it from an airplane as it was surrounded by beautiful fall color. That house has a beautiful view every day of the year. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

For whatever reason the human brain reacts more strongly to the color red than most other colors. The little red home on the right edge of this photo sticks out like a sore thumb in this very colorful aerial photograph that features the "narrows" of Hamlin Lake. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 20mm

I enjoy making photographs that look like impressionistic paintings. This photo of peak fall color in Victory Township in the Northwest region of Mason County definitely looks impressionistic. Every time I look at it I get a craving for gumdrops. Some photos really need to be seen large to be fully appreciated and this is one of those pictures. F5 at 1/640, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

I enjoy making photographs that look like impressionistic paintings. This photo of peak fall color in Victory Township in the Northwest region of Mason County definitely looks impressionistic. Every time I look at it I get a craving for gumdrops. Some photos really need to be seen large to be fully appreciated and this is one of those pictures. F5 at 1/640, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

Hemlock Golf Course in Hamlin Township was rated one of the best new golf courses in America a few years ago. It is a beautiful course all year round, but it almost always looks the best during the second week of October. Hemlock is a very challenging golf course, but it is a "must play" in my book. F6.3 at 1/400, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 20mm

The 17th hole at Hemlock Golf Course just North of Ludington is surrounded by incredible fall color today as I fly over. My grandpa, Bill Marble, golfs on this course almost every day in the summer and fall. F4.5 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

Lincoln Hills Golf Club is a beautiful semi-private golf club located just north of the Lincoln River along the shores of Lake Michigan. It is the course that I learned to play golf on with my family. I am not a good golfer, but I really enjoy getting out once a year to swing my clubs. Someday, I hope to have more time to golf, especially during the fall in Michigan. F6.3 at 1/500, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 20mm

I have driven by this blueberry patch on Fisher Road near Jebavy Drive hundreds of times, but until today I had never seen it from the air. It was especially beautiful today because of the gorgeous fall color on the surrounding trees. F4.5 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 22mm

Today near Custer, Michigan, Dave Johnson and I flew over a giant pumpkin patch. What caught my eye were the two large stripes going through the pumpkin patch as well as the three small curving green stripes that crossed through the crop. The surrounding forests full of fall color really added to the beauty of the scene. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 38mm

To me, farming often seems like a romantic way to make a living. Just like photography or any other career, I am sure it has its up and downs. I bet if I were a farmer, my favorite time of the year would be the fall harvest. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 30mm

As Dave Johnson and I were flying above Mason County today trying to photograph the extraordinary fall color in our area, we both noticed a unique field near Scottville, Michigan. From the air, the field looked like tan water and the island of hard woods in the middle of it appeared to be floating. Dave circled the field and banked the plane so I could get in just the right position to capture the uniqueness of the area below. F6.3 at 1/2500, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

Scottville, Michigan is located in the center of Mason County and the downtown area of the small farming community is just north of the Pere Marquette River. Like many small towns in Michigan, Scottville has a friendly atmosphere and a welcoming spirit. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 30mm