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One Is Not Like The Other

I made this image last night at the Sable River Outlet in the Ludington State Park. It was a beautiful night. Not a ton of color, but the clouds and contrast from the storm light were amazing.

Oriole Pride

My great-grandma, Martha Delite Benson, had a passion for finding small treasures outdoors. She seemed to gravitate toward beautiful objects that most people would pass by. I believe her ability to "go deeper" into the scene and find the less obvious beauty in nature was passed down to my dad and me. As I photographed this delicate starflower at the Ludington State Park in June of 2006, I could not help but grin and think of my Great-Grandma Benson.

Purple Rain

The Jebavy bridge, over the Lincoln River, is not the safest place to photograph, but it sure is beautiful. Tonight, I shot the sunset from the bridge and got the clouds reflected in the river.

The Lake Michigan shoreline was glowing orange tonight and the dune grass looked like it was on fire. Using a telephoto lens, I could isolate a section of grass that was particularly beautiful.

Rainbows Over the Lincoln

This was the most colorful sunset I have ever had the pleasure of photographing at Big Sable Point Lighthouse. The afterglow just kept getting better and better. With all the craziness going on in the world right now, it felt amazing to be isolated at my favorite lighthouse photographing Mother Nature at her best!

We have three different deer in our backyard daily with white spots in random places on their bodies. This beauty has one between her eyes. Our deer are not afraid of humans which allows me to get very close to them with my camera.

Squeezing in for a better view and perhaps looking for a handout, curious calves check out a couple visitors on the other side of their fence line at the Walter Farm north of Marshall. I can drive rural Michigan roads "till the cows come home" searching for views and experiences like this.

Rolling Into Empire

The sand dunes at Big Point Sable were formed several thousand years ago. Wind and water have been changing them ever since. I took this aerial photograph more than 20 years ago, when rising Lake Michigan water levels were threatening to wash Big Point Sable Lighthouse away. Most of the ponds visible between dunes in this scene were dry when I last explored this region.

This little six-point buck acted as if he was the king of the forest tonight. He marched right up to me and responded to my fake grunts in our backyard. If you are looking to make a new photography equipment purchase, I highly recommend the Sigma 60-600mm lens. You can get it with different camera system mounts. Rachel and I love ours. I can handhold this lens in low light and get sharp photos, even at 600mm.

My daughter Julia pointed out these cloud reflections on the Sauble River to me this evening. She has a keen eye and I love her artistic talents. Someday soon I hope to do a book of her paintings, drawings, and photographs along with my dad’s and mine. Three generations of artists in one book.

John and Cheryl Larson own a beautiful home and piece of property on lower Hamlin Lake. They allow us to photograph their property and for that we are so thankful. This morning I enjoyed making images of several trumpeter swans with the famous Hamlin Lake dunes as a backdrop.

Most of us are savoring the sunshine this week. As a Michigander, I know the stretch of days where we can see the sun can't last much longer; so I savor the sun this morning as it rises dramatically through a cloud-streaked sky. F2.8 at 1/8000, ISO 100, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

Spring Dance

My Uncle Budde found this very uniquely colored piece of driftwood in front of his Lake Michigan home this morning. He called and told us about it and explained that when the wood gets wet, it turns a beautiful pink and red color. I had to see it with my own eyes to believe it.

Brad and I are both searching for flowers today. The unseasonably sunny weather is sure to have brought them out. He finds some right away. It takes me a couple hours. This tiny gem