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Since August 2012, when I photographed this old McCormick-Deering tractor on Indian Hill Road for the Tuesdays project, I have been eager to come back and photograph it in the fall. Today the scene is even better than I could ever have imagined. My favorite part of this image is all the leaves stuck in the grass surrounding the tractor.

It was a magic moment. While photographing a farm surrounded by mustard grass near Fountain, I heard a noise in the opposite direction. I spotted a collie heading my way. Wheeling about, I instantly framed the dog in the viewfinder, panned with him, focused, and shot as he passed by toward the picturesque old farm that may have been his home. It was an unexpected incredible photographic experience.

On our way to an indoor water park in Frankenmuth, Michigan, this red barn and its silver metal roof glistened in the sunlight. I pulled off into the ditch and quickly made this image, so we weren’t late to the water park. Frankenmuth is definitely one of Michigan’s coolest towns!

I am unhappy I have not found a Valentine's Day picture yet when it dawns on me that this Kubota tractor looks happy as can be. Sometimes pictures appear when and where you least expect them; the smiling plow tractor works throughout the winter at Crosswinds, where our home is. F8.0 at 1/160, ISO 800, 80-200 mm lens at 185 mm

For some reason this photograph reminds me of The Wizard of Oz. This farm on the way to Grand Rapids looks like it has survived a few big storms over the years. Shortly after I made this image, a large thunderstorm struck.

This small section of woods by my late Aunt Mary and Bespop’s (grandpa) drive is always so captivating this time of year. The sun crosses its path in the best way.

The soft looking texture and repetitive pattern of a rolling field of asparagus appealed to me as I was photo hunting near the Mason Oceana County line on an October afternoon. It was that subtle kind of picture I like to call "wine shots" because they affect you slowly but they tend to grow on you with time.

Lambs grazing on a Carr Settlement farm were not quite sure of what to make of a photographer. They stayed positioned for a fast getaway while satisfying their curiosity about the stranger. Like wild animals, farm animals have instincts and mannerisms I have long enjoyed observing.

Days without my kids can be lonely. This weekend was especially hard. The willow tree in the backyard is one of our favorite trees on our Tiny Acres Farm. The blue light of night matched my emotions.

When I pass the long-abandoned farm home on Sugar Grove Road northeast of Scottville, I marvel at seeing the old Chrysler Imperial; it seems to belong in the yard of an abandoned farm home. Both car and brick home look like flamboyant works of art that have seen better days.

My stepmom's mother, Marjorie Brye Vyse, attended this old school house in her youth. The school sits vacant today on the corner of Hawley Road and Old US 31. I find it fascinating how Mother Earth is slowly reclaiming this building. F8.0 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

My stepmom's mother, Marjorie Brye Vyse, attended this old school house in her youth. The school sits vacant today on the corner of Hawley Road and Old US 31. I find it fascinating how Mother Earth is slowly reclaiming this building. F8.0 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

A mother watches over her newborn calf. Conrad Road, between Ludington and Scottville, is an area rich with pastoral scenes.

When I saw the clouds on this afternoon I went in search of a picture in the countryside. After driving up and down rural roads for a time, I remembered a farm northeast of Scottville I had photographed one winter's day. As it came into view, I knew I had found my picture. The scene reminded me of the "Wizard of Oz" before the tornado takes away Dorothy's home.

A fresh coat of snow was just what an old Sanders Meat Packing delivery truck needed to look its best. Long after serving the still thriving Custer business, the pickup stood at Patton's Junkyard as a reminder of the good old days.

Jim and Donna Shoup own and operate Weldon Creek Farms east of Custer, Michigan. They have raised 11 kids at the farm and now have 31 grandkids and two great grandkids who can often be found working hard and having fun there. Our assistant manager, Rachel Gaudette, is their youngest child. Their barn is an American classic and has stood the test of time.

I have driven past this barn on Fountain Road a thousand times and always wanted to make a good photograph of it, but was never inspired. Today, on another skiing venture to Crystal Mountain, the snow, sunlight and clouds were all I needed to get me out of my truck and shooting. F7.1 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

The morning after the biggest snowfall of the winter, my son Brad and I were out early looking for pictures. The wind usually whisks most of the snow off the trees before 10:00AM. After 20 miles of looking without any satisfying shooting, we found our shot. An abandoned farm home between Custer and Fountain on Custer Road I had photographed in other seasons looked its best painted in snow.

A faithful horse pulls a buggy load of Amish children through a heavy snowfall to get them to their school in Riverton Township, south of Scottville. The Amish have built sheds at the school to protect the horses while they wait for students to get out of classes.

I grew up with a chicken coop full of chickens. My kids were excited when we had a place to have some of our own. This rooster was looking rather regal tonight.