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Little Sable in Fall

Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat 47225 heads out the Grand Haven Channel for a "heavy weather" training exercise during Superstorm Sandy. At the helm is Senior Chief Kirk McKay, a Coast Guard Surfman highly trained in extremely heavy weather rescue boat operations. F4.5 at 1/2000, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 300mm

The 630-foot-long Great Lakes ore carrier Calumet gets two helping hands negotiating the Detroit River at Wyandotte from the Great Lakes Towing tugboats Idaho (in the lead) and Wyoming. The Calumet can carry nearly 20,000 tons of ore. F11 at 1/500, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 120mm

Grand Traverse Lighthouse

Northern Lights At Big Sable Point

Legends Ranch Island Blind

Long after it had outlived its usefulness as a boat, a rusting hulk remains in the water on tiny Fox Lake in eastern Mason County. I wonder about its history and the enjoyment it probably brought people in years past. Even though half rusted away, I find it beautiful as a still life subject.

Young maple trees and an old barn on Fisher Road caught my eye while en route to West Shore Community College to teach a photography class. I tried to persuade my students to always have their cameras with them and tell them that stopping to take a photograph is one of the few good excuses for being late to class. I tried to leave home early so I could make a picture and still get to class on time.

Did you know that the beautiful city of Port Huron, Michigan is the maritime capital of the Great Lakes? With seven miles of shoreline along the St. Clair River, hundreds of large transport ships pass by Port Huron every year. In this photograph the Algoma Transport is underway heading south as the Vega Desgagnes is docked at the Dow Chemical plant in Sarnia, Canada. F7.1 at 1/40, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 27mm

South Bayou of Hamlin Lake

Insane Sunrise

Ludington Lighthouse

The First Curve at the Ludington State Park is one of the most popular places in Ludington to watch the S.S. Badger carferry steam in and out of port. I used a 400-millimeter telephoto lens and a tripod to make this photograph from the water's edge at the First Curve on an October evening in 2007.

The porcupines of Ludington State Park had eluded our cameras for months. On this particular day, after scouting for a spot to set up a portable blind and shoot some wood ducks (with my camera), I made up my mind to spend the rest of the day on the trails looking up in the trees as much as possible. Several hours and one sore neck later, I spotted this porcupine. The porcupine wisely stood perfectly still and blended its body into the tree trunk and branch as well as it could. The telephoto lens revealed to me that the beautiful creature was aware of my presence. Its only body movement during the time it took to make a portrait was the occasional opening or closing of its eyes.

Maybe it is because I am short, but I have always liked big things. I like big trucks, big guns, and big horses. Being the fourth generation of a family that owns an Anheuser-Busch beer distributorship, I have always been partial to the Budweiser Clydesdales. When I photographed these two Friesian horses today south of Ludington, I was mesmerized by their size and grace.

Eye on Autumn

The First Curve at the Ludington State Park is one of the most popular places in Ludington to watch the S.S. Badger carferry steam in and out of port. I used a 400-millimeter telephoto lens and a tripod to make this photograph from the water’s edge at the First Curve on an October evening in 2007.

I love going down to the beach on calm summer mornings in Ludington. As I was getting out of my truck to go for a run, I heard the Badger blow its horn, letting boaters know that it was about to leave the dock. I delayed going for a run and grabbed my camera and tripod instead. I climbed the small dune just west of the playground and waited for the Badger to get between the pier heads to capture this image.

Sail Away