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Workshop at Ludington State Park

Radiant orange flowers growing on the side of a large dead stump near the north end of the Hamlin Dunes caught my eye as we were passing by in our small boat. I hopped out and floated with my life jacket on, using my tripod as a paddle while trying to keep my camera dry above my head. When I got close to the flowers I was able to stand up and I found the real hidden treasure I was seeking.

This is the first photograph I have ever made of a Michigan coyote. Photographing a coyote has been near the top of my bucket list for several years. This wily coyote was circling around in long grass to get closer to a herd of deer. I shot this photo with a 600mm telephoto lens from about a 800 yards away near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Leelanau County. Hopefully next time I will be able to get closer, but I still really like this environmental portrait of the large coyote.

Snowy Owl

Deep within the forest in the northern part of Ludington State Park lies a pond that my son Brad and I have discovered to be a delightful place. We watched this male wood duck and several others for more than an hour on a late September morning. We waited patiently for them to come closer and then looked for those magic moments when the splendid ducks fit in perfectly with their marshy home.

This alpha doe was protecting her family from a hungry wounded coyote near the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Leelanau County. To get a little closer to this scene, I used a 1.4 extender on my 600mm lens. That made my lens 840mm and with my cropped sensor my lens became 1260mm at F5.6.

Snowy Owl Vertical

Cardinals have always been my mom’s and my favorite. After my brother, Kevin, passed away, they are a welcome sight. I made this image to show my mom that he was visiting us this day.

A Hidden Treasure

Mama Goat

Almost Summer

Amber Elk Ranch

Yes, Ligers do exist. Being face to face with this largest of all cats makes me an instant believer. The hybrid cat is a cross between a male lion and a female tiger. This one grabs your attention when you visit Wild Animal Safari at Pine Mountain, Georgia. F2.8 at 1/640, ISO 100, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

Butterfly

A salmon leaps halfway up a wall of cascading water at the Hamlin Dam. Thousands of salmon return to the Sable River each fall to spawn and to die. I love watching the powerful fish try in vain to leap to the top of the dam, which holds back the fish that work their way upstream on one side and holds back the waters of Hamlin Lake on the other.

Cherry Point Farm

Having multiple camera lenses is a blessing and a curse. After a long snowy hike back from Big Point Sable Lighthouse, I spotted six bald eagles in a row of tall white pines about a quarter mile ahead. Of course, I had my wide-angle lens on my camera, and I scrambled for my telephoto as each bird took flight and soared overhead. Once I had the proper equipment ready, a seventh bird, an immature bald eagle, came into view.

Today is one of the worst days ever. I am trying to make a portrait of our beloved lab Beamer, knowing our loyal, loving companion for the past 12 years is living the last day of his life. Cancer is cruel to animals as well as people. F8.0 at 1/640, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 120 mm