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I love to meander through Michigan's orchard country. Today my friend David Hackert has given me the privilege of photographing one of his family's orchards south of Ludington. I am grateful.

After stopping in Walkerville to get some breakfast, I continued east on my journey to Legends Ranch in Bitely, Michigan. A few minutes outside of Walkerville, I drove into heavy fog. The fog got so thick that I had to slow down and drive less than 10 miles per hour. When I rounded a bend, I was awe struck to see the sun shining through the top of a huge tree. The intense sunlight and dense fog was a photographer's dream!

This maple tree along Michigan's west shore is a muse of mine. For years I have checked it out each fall. I don't think I have ever seen it more beautiful than on this October day.

Just to the northwest of Ruckel's Bridge at the Silver Lake State Park, I came upon this miniature looking forest. I loved how the dappled light was highlighting a few of these beautiful plants. F9 at 0.3, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 23mm

Winter Therapy

I have to laugh and smile looking at the face I see on the trunk of this birch tree. We take some pictures just for the fun of it. F11.0 at 1/60, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

Today the weather was spectacular in Ludington. Betsy and I dug out the double stroller and loaded up Ethan and Julia and we all went for a nice walk down to the beach. Just down the road from our house, I made this photo of a freshly cut tree stump. F9.0 at 1/125, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 20 mm

Rachel and I went for a hike together with our cameras today. The sunshine was a welcome treat as we explored the Ludington State Park.

Brad and I are winter persons. We love being outside in the snow, photographing, hiking, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing; you name it. But on a winter day as magical as this, we'd better be shooting pictures. We were, and I am glad we were. Following a deer trail through the pines south of the dam at Ludington State Park led me into a winter world of white.

There are so many beautiful orchards in Michigan to drive past; it would probably take the entire blossom season to see them all. This one within a few miles of Lake Michigan between Hart and Shelby, Michigan looks as picture-perfect on this May morning as any I have ever seen.

The students in my Photo 1 class at West Shore Community College have set out this morning to find images that will render well with color film. I enjoy watching them use their own vision to find images I might never see. We talk about looking close; I follow my own advice and find this frosted maple leaf. F20.0 at 1/15, ISO 100, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

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.

These grand old maple trees look particularly attractive to me wearing their maple syrup pails in the morning light. I am sure my friend from high school days, Stanley Peterson, won't mind me stopping in the front yard of his beautiful farm on Benedict Road to make this image. F22.0 at 0.3, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

365 Week

365 Week

Wednesday

Wednesday Epworth Fall Color

My dad and I are always photo hunting as we drive or ride in cars. This morning we passed a huge swamp that was full of dead trees. One of the dead trees was tilted at a 45-degree angle and it caught my eye as I was sitting in the passenger seat of my dad's Suburban. I had my dad pull over and turn around. I grabbed my camera and tripod and a few seconds later made this composition. F8 at 1/2000, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Of the thousands of plums growing at The Gary Crane Farm, this one stands out as ripe for picking to be the subject of one of my photographs today in the u-pick orchard at Fennville. To me, my selection looks beautiful and delectable.

Growing Old