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The moss-lined Ridge Trail in the Nordhouse Dunes Federal Wilderness beckons me forward to see what is around the next bend and over the next hill. This is one of the most pristine trails in the only federal wilderness area in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. F16 at 1 second, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

While many of the trees further upstream along the Pere Marquette River had already begun turning color, this green giant and another nearby still wore their summer colors. I liked the way they stood out on this late September Michigan morning.

I don't know if this tree fell victim to the record high water levels more than 15 years ago or was perhaps toppled by high winds like many others nearby in the Nordhouse Dunes Federal Wilderness. What I do know is that the tree is returning to the earth in beautiful fashion as it decays. F18 at 1/60, ISO 200, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

The boulevards on Ludington Avenue are lined with beautiful berry trees. I used my largest lens, got as close as I could, and lined up a contrasting background in order to make the red berries pop. I also used a slower shutter speed to show the movement of the snowflakes. F5.6 at 1/100, ISO 800, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 850 mm

Today feels like a Colorado day to me: cold and crisp, tons of sunshine, a brilliant blue sky, and white puffy clouds. Days like these make me want to sharpen my downhill skis and hit the slopes. F8.0 at 1/30, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

The high winds coming off Lake Michigan this afternoon mixed with the bright sunshine made the green dune grass dance. It looked like giant green waves of water flowing back and forth. My job was to wait until the clouds in the background mimicked the trees. After an enjoyable five minute wait, the clouds were just where I wanted them to be. F11 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

After a drizzly start to my hiking day at Kensington Metro Park, diffused sunlight creates a soft glow on leaves along one of the park's many miles of trails. I use a large telephoto lens and fast shutter speed to make only a cluster of maple leaves stand out sharply in the forest. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 3200, 300mm lens at 300mm

I took a Christmas Day drive to the southern region of Ludington State Park today to find my photo of the day. I feel this is a photo I would not have been able to make a year earlier because I didn't really see the world in photographs as well as I do now. The 365 Project has made me a much better photographer. F10.0 at 1/100, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

The golden light from the beautiful sunrise this morning turned the entire forest a vibrant golden-yellow color. Look at the detail on these berries. A few minutes earlier they were dull and shapeless looking. Minutes after making this photograph the light got too bright and all of the detail was washed away. Timing and chasing the light is everything in photography. F10 at 1/13, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

Brad called early this morning to report heavy frost a few miles inland from Lake Michigan. Sure enough, pine trees four miles east of Ludington are coated with frost. This is just what I was looking for. F8.0 at 1/100, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 185 mm

The Iris family barn was part of the Barns and Byways tour this past October. I have always loved photographing this unique piece of Mason County history. Today with heavy frost covering every tree in sight, the multi-colored barn stood out even more than usual. F5.6 at 1/80, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

I almost missed spotting this picture. After backing up my Suburban on a country road between Evart and Clare, Michigan, for a second look, I stared in awe at a tapestry of various colored leaves clinging to the curving branches of a grand old maple tree in a farm field. I selected a large telephoto lens to focus only on an especially attractive portion of the tree.

The experience of zooming through my favorite country road tunnel of golden maple leaves is hard to capture with a still-shot camera. I have made many beautiful images showing the beauty of this stretch of Conrad Road in Amber Township between Ludington and Scottville. But I think this October 2020 image which I made by zooming my telephoto lens during the exposure best captures the moving picture sensation of driving through the tunnel.

Picking out her pumpkin is a big task for 18-month-old Alice Stutzman. She checks some excellent prospects at Tice's Farm Market in Clare, Michigan. The pumpkin harvest is a traditional, colorful sign of the arrival of fall in Michigan. F11 at 1/125, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

For years I have been seeing photos on Facebook of fall color at the Lake of the Clouds inside the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Earlier this year my dad and I decided that we would head to the Lake of the Clouds during peak color for our Tuesdays Project. I am so glad we did. It is one of the most beautiful views in all of America. I shot this photo in total darkness an hour before sunrise. I love that digital cameras see in the dark. F4.5 at 179 seconds, ISO 200, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

As the warm magic light hits the escarpment of the lookout at the Lake of the Clouds inside the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, I quickly position my camera and tripod at a steep angle to capture the fog rising above the Big Carp River far below. F8 at 1/30, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

If this is not God’s world I don’t know what is. I waited in the dark along with my son Brad for more than an hour for the sun to peek over the mountains at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. I felt like a very small person as the sun began to light the big, beautiful world around me at Lake of the Clouds in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Imagine a 25-mile-long narrow road lined on both sides with trees that appear to be on fire with vibrant fall colors. Now imagine the forest floor covered in leaves and growth that is also flaming with fall colors. This is what South Boundary Road looks like today, at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. F5.6 at 1/40, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 27mm

This is the largest white birch tree I have ever seen. My dad and I spotted it while we were driving on South Boundary Road at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. I love how the trunk makes a slow s-curve and the bright colors from the surrounding trees make the birch tree stand out even more. F9 at 1/50, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 24mm