Search

Nikon D810. F22.0 at 1/60, ISO 100. 24-70mm lens at 24mm. December 14, 2020 at 1:28pm.

I got up early this morning to be able to shoot a sunrise photo. I drove to the Ludington State Park in the dark and waited to see if the sunrise would be any good. Luckily for me, it was a gorgeous sunrise today.

The dramatic storm clouds in the distance and the brilliant sunlight combined to create an incredible light show for me today as I stood in Lake Michigan and photographed these monster breaking waves. This wave looked like a fine crystal sculpture, but had the power of a freight train. F7.1 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 10mm

During that golden hour before sunset, I am struck by the thousands of dimpled impressions left behind by hikers to the Lake Michigan shoreline observation area in the Nordhouse Dunes Federal Wilderness. Within a couple months, when the cold and snow arrives, footprints will be few and far between as fewer and fewer people will venture to this warm weather mecca. F13 at 1/60, ISO 400, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

The summer of 2012 is coming to a close. It has been a great summer for photographing the beauty of Michigan. I am generally not a fan of really hot summers, but the warm weather definitely heated up Lake Michigan and made it much more enjoyable for swimming and family fun. F22 at 1/8, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

The brilliant sunlight hitting the newly rebuilt walkway leading to the top of a tall sand dune at the Lake Michigan Campground became the focus of this image. If you and your family have not explored the beautiful Nordhouse Dunes Federal Wilderness Area between Ludington and Manistee, the Lake Michigan Campground is a great place to start. F8 at 1/60, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

This is the first good photograph of a Petoskey stone I have ever made in the Ludington area. This was in front of my Uncle Budde and Aunt Sheryl’s house on Lake Michigan, which is just north of Stearns Beach. I lay on my stomach in a puddle to make this image. I wanted the clouds and sky reflected in the thin layer of water that was on the sand.

The golden light of the setting sun is showcasing the zigzag pattern Porter Creek is taking this evening. I love the way this outlet changes shape and course as the water finds the path of least resistance to Lake Michigan. It is one of countless magical natural places in the Nordhouse Dunes Federal Wilderness. F8 at 1/640, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 135mm

Enjoying the End of Summer

It has been a while since I had my toes in the water. That didn’t quite happen tonight either, but I did have my boots in the water! With no snow, it doesn’t feel very much like winter here, more like a long fall.

Life is good in Ludington. Bring your family and friends here year round and you will find some of the most beautiful lakeshore in the entire country. On this mid-September day, I had the entire Ludington State Park to myself. Priceless! F11 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 35mm

Little did I know that as I was photographing this tree during an extraordinary sunset at my Uncle Budde and Aunt Sheryl’s house on Lake Michigan, Rachel was also photographing trees miles away at her family’s farm.

Dynamic angles make photographs more exciting and interesting. They also often create triangles. I photographed this mostly frozen tree along the Lake Michigan shoreline tonight and purposely tried to compose it in a way to show off the dynamic angles and the large triangle at the base of the photograph.

366 Days. Impossible. That is what I thought when Brad asked me to join him on this project. There were days I didn’t think I would make it. Couldn’t make it. I took solitude at the beach tonight, on New Year’s Eve. Reflecting on the past year. On our 366 Project, on COVID-19, on the goods and bads. At 5:05pm, I made my last and final image. I did it! 

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 amazing God beams were back tonight and even more defined. I waited for the sun to peek through a hole in the thick cloud layer. When the sun finally broke through, the light show was even better than I predicted it would be. F6.3 at 1/200, ISO 100, 70-200 mm lens at 70 mm

There is a lot of truth in the saying, "There is no place like home." As I was photographing this beautiful sunset at the First Curve in the Ludington State Park, I was feeling very fortunate to live in Ludington my entire life. Thousands of people visit here every year and dream about the day they can retire to Ludington. I hope to forever call Ludington my home. F6.3 at 1/40, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 44mm

I am hoping to catch the sun setting over St. Joseph Lighthouse. Clouds change my plan. The sun peeks out beneath the clouds just in time for the Young Flight sculpture at St. Joseph beach to catch the light. I think the sculpture by Gail Mally-Mack and the backdrop by Mother Nature complement each other. F22 at 2.5 seconds, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm