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Some pictures just brighten your day; this one brightens mine every time I look at it. Red squirrel shots are easy to come by, but this little creature looked especially cute when he chose to frame himself perfectly between branches of a white pine tree along the Sable River in the sunshine of a September morning. I can't help but feel good and smile looking at this image.

Whispering Birch

River Birch trees

Sunrise on Lost Lake

A white egret slowly walks in the shallow waters of the Sable River while hunting for food on a warm fall evening at the Ludington State Park.

Sheep can be skittish but curious as well. This sheep chooses to check me out while other sheep continue to graze at a farm east of Hesperia. I am grateful my new acquaintance stands still long enough that I can microcompose my composition ensuring my camera's view of its eyes are not blocked by the fence. Thanks, pal!

You can find seagull feathers all along the Lake Michigan shoreline, especially in the windier months. On this blustery October morning, I couldn't resist getting my 105mm macro lens out and showing the world the intricate details of this beautiful seagull feather.

Tahquamenon Falls and White Fish Point

Waiting for the Light

WCF by Aunt Marys

Blaze orange shows up like nothing else in the Michigan outdoors. But this blaze orange bush at Croton appears to be on fire as the sun strikes it on the edge of an October rainstorm. We are always talking about the superior quality of "magic light" in our workshops. This light is most common in October. When magic light breaks out during or right after a storm, the sky becomes a dark backdrop for the intensely lit foreground subject, adding to the drama. Be ready to shoot on rainy days!

Western Lights - panoramic

The South Beach

Western Lights

Something about the way these wild turkeys blended with their environment compelled me to get out of my truck and make this image.

After photographing this owl up close, it flew about 40 yards away and landed in a tree. The close-up shot was unique, but I love this environmental portrait a lot more.

During most sunsets along the Lake Michigan shoreline, the sun appears to tranquilly disappear below the horizon. However, occasionally at dusk, the sun, clouds, water, and sand mold and blend to create a powerful mixture of molten beauty.

We had been trying unsuccessfully all morning to make strong still and video imagery of an eagle while shooting in 2007 for an upcoming book, Ludington State Park: Queen of the North. Some days are a bust; this started out being one of those. The eagles were not cooperating, and we had gotten wet and cold bouncing around choppy Hamlin Lake. In the Coast Guard, I learned that if Plan A does not work, always have a Plan B already in mind. So, despite being disappointed, cold and hungry, we turned our attention to photographing salmon making their annual return to the Sable River from Lake Michigan. It was the last week of October, and the fall color reflecting off the wind-rippled surface of the water made this salmon appear to be under stained glass. It was not the image I had set out to make, but it turned out to be one of my favorite images from a year of intensely photographing Ludington State Park. In years past I had made lesser photographs of salmon in the same spot, just under water on a spawning bed with fall color reflected on the surface. But on this day, Mother Nature blessed me with an extraordinary added ingredient. A brisk west wind made all the difference, agitating the surface of the water just enough to create a shower glass effect on the river. This faceted surface reflected various colors in various directions, turning my photograph into abstract art. I don’t like setting up an image. I love “found” pictures that are real-time moments in the Michigan outdoors. I am especially proud of this image because, while many people surmise it is not “real” and is somehow an electronic after-the-fact manipulation, it is as real, as purely Michigan at its genuine best as I have ever made. I love a lot of abstract art, but I don’t find myself drawn to setting out to make a lot of abstract images. But I do know a good abstract photo moment when I see one.

Spawning Salmon

My dad and I have found that the best way to photograph lightning is using the longest exposure possible for the given situation. This photograph is a 30-second exposure at F8 and an ISO of 100. It was shot on a sturdy tripod that could withstand the 30 miles-per-hour winds. This fierce thunderstorm headed north very quickly and it took out power in Manistee, Michigan.