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For years I have heard from friends that the fireworks at the Western Michigan Fair are as good or better than the Fourth of July fireworks at the Ludington city beach. After experiencing both shows this year, my vote is for the Western Michigan Fair. I love music and it was cool that the fireworks display was timed perfectly to the music being played through the grandstand at the fair grounds. F8 at 2 seconds, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

I have photographed my way westward across Michigan today. Clouds have been an important ingredient in several of my shots. Now my hunch that the supersized marshmallow clouds in the western sky are going to help create one of the most spectacular sunset light shows of the year is paying off. I have reached the Grand Haven shoreline just in time to see the sky on fire. F5.6 at 1/1000, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 130mm

The maple leaves are so bright that this birch trunk looks like it is on fire in the White Birch Forest along Lake Superior in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore near Grand Marais. F22 at 1/200, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

My son Brad has always loved trains so when I spotted this retired Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad train lit up by magic light I had to stop and try to make a good shot. I put my lens right against a chain link fence protecting the train to keep the fence from showing up in the picture. This locomotive transported ore to the giant ore dock hoppers used to load ships with ore pellets on Lake Superior at Marquette. F2.8 at 1/60, ISO 100, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

Art is all around us; we just have to be open to seeing it in unexpected places. The top ridge of a seawall in Monroe, Michigan has rusted and much of the paint has peeled off over the years. As I was walking on the beach below the wall, I noticed a face that appeared to be looking at me in the peeled paint. I also noticed that the face seemed to be surrounded by flames. With my camera on a tripod, I made this six-second exposure of the fiery face. F22 at 6 seconds, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 105mm