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Little Sable Lit Up

Storm in Grand Haven

Ludington State Park

Kickin

Badger In The Mist

Hiking to Big Sable Point Lighthouse is always one of my favorite pastimes. My family and I enjoyed many laughs and stories on the hike to and from the iconic lighthouse today.

Brad and I put on another of our annual photography tips programs at Big Sable Lighthouse this evening and within a half-hour of its conclusion nearly everyone is gone. Brad and his daughter Julia head up to the top of the light to check out the view from the top while I stay below and wait for the sweet light. Here it is! F16.0 at 1/6, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

A few years ago, they took the catwalk down off the pier in Grand Haven. Tonight was my first time photographing the lighthouses without the catwalk being in place. I have heard that a private group is trying to raise enough money to pay to have the catwalk refurbished and then put back into place. I hope that happens soon!

Tonight I took our college intern, Brett Whitehead, out on the Ludington North Breakwater so he could shoot video of me as I photographed the SS Badger carferry going by from one of my favorite "hot spots." The fog was an added bonus. D800, F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 3200, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

I walked as far west of Big Sable Point Lighthouse on land as I could tonight to make this photograph of the historic structure. When you view a map of the state of Michigan, you can see why they named this lighthouse Big Sable Point. Both Big and Little Sable points stick farther out into Lake Michigan than any other points of land in the lower peninsula of Michigan. F18 at 1/20, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Old Mission Peninsula Cropped Vertical

My dad has taught me how to use my camera to convey different emotions within the same scene. To portray a peaceful summer evening mood, I stood in the puddle and positioned my camera and tripod inches above the water’s surface. The angle resulted in a mirror-like reflection of the sky and clouds. I also set my shutter speed to 15 seconds to make the water appear more like a painter's palette of colors than a cloudy storm pool.

Steaming westward toward Wisconsin, the carferry Badger departs Ludington Harbor on one of its daily Lake Michigan crossings. The big ship carries passengers and autos back and forth between Michigan and Wisconsin from spring to fall in almost any kind of weather.

Today my son Ethan and I headed to Muskegon to go to his favorite arcade restaurant. Along the way on US31 near Whitehall, I noticed how beautiful the clouds were looking. I told Ethan that we were going to make a little detour to the White Lake Lighthouse to shoot some photos. He loves going on adventures with his old man.

Today has been one of the most fun Tuesday adventures of the year so far. We started with a world-class sunrise, then went up in an airplane and photographed the Pere Marquette River. Next we went photo hunting by boat at the Ludington State Park for bald eagles and we followed that by photographing the Budweiser Clydesdales. To top the night off we end with a gorgeous sunset at Big Sable Point Lighthouse. How can you not love days like this in Michigan? F22 at 8 seconds, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Old Mission Peninsula

The fast moving clouds kept changing the landscape in front of my camera this afternoon atop a tall sand dune just south of the Beach House at the Ludington State Park. After studying the clouds and light for a few minutes, I realized that I could make my photograph of Big Sable Point Lighthouse look more three-dimensional if I shot from the shadows into the sunlight. F22 at 1/40, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 185mm

A Big Day

Ludington Light Cropped

Ludington Light