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While visiting the kids today at their mom’s, in Silver Lake, we took a drive to find something to photograph. Across the lake, we spotted a Mac Woods dune scooter as it headed down the steepest part of the ride. I parked my truck, got my camera and tripod out, and waited for the next Mac Woods dune scooter to go by.

The Lake Michigan house we are renting this week in Manistee is amazing! The dinner table has a runner made of beautiful lake stones. As the evening sun poured in the large picture windows, I noticed the light hitting the tops of the stones. I grabbed my camera and my macro lens in order to capture the moment. F2.8 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

One of our favorite ways to photograph Lake Michigan is by actually getting in the water a little way. This helps put the viewer of our work into the scene. People will be more likely to feel like they are really at the beach. Shoes and clothes will dry. Get in the water to shoot next time you are out photographing. You won’t regret it!

After I wait an hour for a break in the clouds, magic light falls upon the beach and beach house at Ludington State Park. Time to shoot! F22.0 at 1/6, ISO 200, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

After I wait an hour for a break in the clouds, magic light falls upon the beach and beach house at Ludington State Park. Time to shoot! F22.0 at 1/6, ISO 200, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

Today my dad and I and our associate Greg Dunn put on our first-ever workshop on Adobe Photoshop. For the evening session of the workshop, we all headed to Ludington State Park to photograph the sunset. The "magic light" was gorgeous, and as usual, very fleeting. F8.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

I could spend hours exploring the pedestrian area of the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, especially when I have a camera in my hand. The light and shadow this morning played nicely on the sand ripples and created a dramatic scene with this old stump.

Tonight, we took the Lake FX film crew by boat out to the Hamlin Lake Sand Dunes to shoot some footage on the documentary we are making about my dad and his 50 years of photographing Michigan. It was another glorious night with warm shadows and great light.

Today my wife Betsy and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary. I was in a hurry to find my photo of the day so I could get home and spend time with Betsy and the kids. I headed to Ludington State Park and climbed the dunes to the east of the First Curve along M-116. A few minutes later I had my photo of the day. F8.0 at 1/60, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

A wave bursts over one of the pilings left from a dock that once jutted out into Lake Michigan at Oval Beach in Saugatuck. I like the repetitive patterns of the worn pilings and the way the waves and light play on them at sunset on a June evening. F8 at 1/320, ISO 800, 24-70mm lens at 32mm

For over 10 years I have dreamed of making this photograph. It has been no secret that I love to make photographs while standing in the water, but I always had to be very careful to not get my camera too wet. Today, I no longer had to worry about my camera staying dry. A waterproof camera housing allowed me to get the immediacy that I have always dreamed about within the rolling breakers of Lake Michigan. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 11.5mm

A friend of mine is letting me borrow a professional underwater housing for my Nikon D7000 camera body. He also loaned me his 10-17mm lens that works well with the housing. Today was my first crack at using the new equipment and I loved every second of it. Lake Michigan was very refreshing today. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 11mm

For this photograph, my camera was completely underwater in Lake Michigan, safe inside a professional underwater housing. With today's bright sunshine and clear blue sky, I was able to capture good detail below the water line today. I am looking forward to shooting many more photos with this amazing piece of technology! F6.3 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

Of the five good shots I made today in Lake Michigan while using a waterproof housing for my camera, this is by far my favorite. I love making abstract art and I have always enjoyed getting my camera very close to the surface of the water, so it was a real treat to dunk my camera underwater in order to create a fresh abstract view. F6.3 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 13mm

The Ludington North Breakwater was underwater for a short time on April 13, 2018, at the height of one of the largest meteotsunamis ever observed on Lake Michigan in the Ludington area. I photographed the flooded pier (image top left) from the Ludington beach at Stearns Park moments after a fast-moving hail and rain storm swept ashore. Only nine minutes later, I captured the much lower than normal water level (image bottom left) as the flood waters washed back into Lake Michigan. Notice the shallowness of the water and the amount of boulders visible along the edge of the pier. According to NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), two separate meteotsunamis occurred within a short time. GLERL said the meteotsunamis were caused by “short, extreme bursts of wind and pressure.” The Weather Channel reported that thunderstorms trigger most meteotsunamis. Small meteotsunamis are not unusual but destructive ones like this one tend to happen only once every 10 years on average, according to Eric Anderson of the research laboratory

I love studying the work of other photographers around the world. One of my new favorite shooters is Clark Little. Clark lives in Hawaii and is famous for shooting breaking waves while floating in the water with a waterproof housing for his camera gear. With the help of a friend who loaned me his underwater housing for my Nikon D7000 camera body, I was able to shoot a photo today in Lake Michigan that is inspired by Clark Little's photographs. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 11.5mm

Tonight was my first ever visit to Saugatuck. My dad and I paid the six dollar parking fee at Oval Beach and spent an hour exploring the area before sunset. I put my tripod in the water tonight and made this image just before the sun disappeared below the horizon line. The warm sunshine was helping to fight the cool breeze coming off of Lake Michigan. F22 at 1/5, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

By previsualizing what I wanted in this scene, I did not have to shoot many photographs in order to capture this image. I knew I wanted an oval-shaped wave to come in below my feet. Because of the shape of the shoreline at this spot along Lake Michigan at Oval Beach, I knew if I waited long enough, an oval shaped wave would come along. Five minutes after setting up, I had my previsualized image in the bank. F8 at 1/60, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Lake Michigan looks beautiful and inviting for swimmers on yet another hot, humid summer 2010 day. I am tempted to put down the camera and jump in but I need to make a good picture first. F8.0 at 1/640, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

Julia wanted to go swimming tonight at the Hamlin Lake beach inside Ludington State Park so she and I loaded into my truck and headed that way. On the way, the sunlight broke out of the clouds over Lake Michigan and I pulled off the road near the second curve on M-116 and made this photograph. F9.0 at 1/800, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm