Search

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

If "clouds are your friends," as Brad and I teach our photography workshop students, then this one is one of my best friends of 2010. I am enjoying my evening watching this cloud at the Ludington city beach, one of the best beaches in the world for watching sunsets and clouds. F5.6 at 1/250, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 112 mm

Some out of town visitors to Ludington were celebrating their anniversary and enjoying watching the Badger go out at sunset while sitting on Stearns Beach. It was another gorgeous night in Ludington. F13.0 at 1/100, ISO 1000, 18-50 mm lens at 24 mm

I have spent very little time in salt water. Swimming in the Gulf of Mexico near Naples, Florida and in the Pacific Ocean near Maui a few times is the extent of my time spent in salt water. The fresh waters of the Great Lakes are one of the world's best-kept secrets. Everyday people come into our gallery in downtown Ludington, Michigan and are shocked to see photos of Lake Michigan with 20 foot breaking surf. Yes, Lake Michigan gets big waves, but you can swim with your mouth open and laugh and talk to your friends around you without getting a nasty taste of salt water. F7.1 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

One of the best gifts my dad has given me in photography is the ability to stand in one spot and survey an entire landscape, envisioning what a photograph would look like from different vantage points and with different lenses, without ever moving from one spot. It is nights like tonight that I really appreciate him teaching me to previsualize photos. F10.0 at 1/50, ISO 100, 70-200 mm lens at 135 mm

The look on my son Brad's face tells the story of his determination, intensity, and focus. I have seen that look for many years on the soccer field. That ability to focus and not be deterred is a trait that enables him as a photographer to achieve clear goals. F8 at 1/2500, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 145mm

Taking one for the team, Brad hangs in there as he and his camera are engulfed by a breaking wave. This is one of Brad's first Great Lakes wave adventures with an underwater camera housing for his Nikon D7000 camera loaned to us for the Tuesdays Project. F8 at 1/2500, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 145mm

Most grand scenic photographs need a strong foreground, middle ground and background. Sometimes it is difficult to have a strong foreground if there are no objects in your photograph that are close to the camera. One trick is to angle your lens down at a 45 degree angle and distort the foreground to make it look larger than it really is. F4.0 at 1/200, ISO 100, 70-200 mm lens at 90 mm

After getting bashed in the face by several powerful Lake Michigan breakers, I finally captured the photo I have dreamed of making for over 10 years. By using a friend's underwater housing for my Nikon D7000, I was able to stick my camera inside one the rolling beasts and get the perspective I had envisioned. I was glad I had my life jacket on and that my dad had tied a safety rope to me and attached it to one of the jetties along the shoreline. F7.1 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

The man-made colors of the fireworks on the Fourth of July are always fun to watch, but they can't compare to the nature-made colors of the "waterworks" that are created every day of the year on Lake Michigan. Everyone should try, at least one time in their life, to experience the rush of keeping your eyes open and studying the intense colors of the water of Lake Michigan just before the giant wave smashes into your face. It is totally worth it! F7.1 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

One of my favorite things about my dad is that he likes to goof off and he enjoys making people laugh. This photograph proves my point! F9 at 1/800, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 11.5mm