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Chris Quick is an avid fisherman of the Pere Marquette River. This afternoon he was the picture-perfect subject for my photo of the day.

One day, while living on Hamlin Lake, I was looking for fall color pictures when I spotted this young boy on a neighboring dock. I could see the finished picture in my mind, and everything seemed to balance. I liked the setting and composition, but it was the boy who made the picture come together.

Number 7

I was photographing Bass Lake and the famous Three Sisters landmark hills across the lake when two real sisters turned the shoreline into their stage. I kept shooting as Natalie and Tessa Reichel performed. I enjoyed the show and hoped my picture would show the grace of these free spirits.

Diamond in the Rough

Highway to Lake Louise

Storm clouds loom over the Pere Marquette River on a summer morning. Storms usually bring the best clouds and the best light.

Rainbow Over Lake Louise

Ludington State Park

Pere Marquette Expeditions

Trekking to Lake Louise

My dad and I study a lot of different photographers and their work. Jim Brandenburg is a photographer I admire. Jim's work has a unique "look and feel" that inspires me. While I was making this photograph on the Sable River, it seemed to me the image had a Brandenburg feel. The beauty of art is that the final image has a mix of my style as well as Jim's.

There is something about empty chairs on Lake Michigan waterfront that makes people want to be in them. These chairs, positioned at Pentwater Yacht Club, provide a view straight out of Pentwater harbor.

Purple Rain

My son, Tad was the first to see that this empty dock ought to be included in night shots we were taking of Pentwater from the opposite side of Pentwater Lake. I learned long ago, from National Geographic photographer Sam Abell, that compositions with a triangular shape at the base of a picture tend to lead viewers strongly into the scene and provide a stronger sense of depth. Tad was operating more by instinct. He knew the picture felt good. Rules, tips, and guidelines are fine, but feelings are the most important ingredient in making decisions about the quality of a potential picture.

Rainbow Over the Dummy Bridge

Finding Your Center

Moonlight bathes Hamlin Lake on one of those nights so tranquil not even a fish appeared to be stirring. The setting was the Middle Bayou, one of my favorite spots on Hamlin Lake. I once lived there and when I go back to get to see pictures past as well as present.

Rainbows Over the Lincoln

Lake Louise at Rest