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Hamlin Lake is one of Michigan’s largest man-made lakes and is certainly one of the most popular. The lake is named after Hannibal Hamlin, who was Vice President of United States under Abraham Lincoln. He lived before the advent of human flight, so sadly, he never got to see this view of his namesake.

Distortion is not a bad thing in photography; you just need to be aware it is happening and compose strong images working with the distortion. My underwater camera housing is set up to use my old Nikon D7000 camera body along with a fisheye 10-17mm lens. I made this image at 11mm knowing it would be greatly distorted, but I really liked the end result. D7000, F8 at 1/1000, ISO 800, 10-17mm lens at 11mm

Watching from atop the Ridge Trail as this lone vessel sailed north on a September Lake Michigan cruise, I couldn’t help but think of the hundreds of times I had cruised the same waters aboard Coast Guard rescue boats. When not too busy focusing on a mission, I was always awe-struck by the natural beauty and remoteness of the dunes and forests these recreational voyagers were undoubtedly appreciating this day. It made me long for those Coast Guard boat rides, both the calm ones and the really rough ones. Big Point Sable is on average the windiest spot on Lake Michigan.

The State Park Sand Dunes

Stearns Beach Days - Panoramic

The light is blazing along the Lake Michigan shoreline tonight. I quickly line up some dune grass and the sun in a way that gives me the feeling that the sun is a big ball rolling down hill. F4.0 at 1/6400, ISO 800, 500 mm lens at 500 mm

Watching the sun rise over the Sleeping Bear Dunes is like watching a moving picture because the light and shadow change so quickly. With the camera on the tripod, I can savor the show and make an exposure whenever I am loving the moment I am witnessing. Fuji S2. F11 at 1/30, ISO 100. 12-24mm lens at 17mm. On a tripod without a flash. October 21, 2005 at 8:20am.

A Sailor's Morning - Panoramic

Peaceful Evening - Panoramic

M22 is always a beautiful drive no matter what time of year. On this gorgeous fall day, Rachel, Dustin, and I were on a shooting adventure. We couldn't resist stopping to photograph this iconic barn surrounded by brilliant fall color and stunning October clouds. Nikon D800. F22 at 1/40, ISO 100. 14-24mm lens at 14mm. On a tripod without a flash. October 27, 2016 at 1:20pm.

In photography and in life, getting close to someone or something brings out feelings you have never felt before. That’s the kind of strong feelings I seek when I am fortunate enough to be on the Lake Michigan shoreline with my camera on an evening like this.

During a two-boat, Coast Guard Auxiliary Safety Patrol from the Holland area to Muskegon, I wanted to make an image from the 44-foot patrol boat I am on of the 41-foot patrol boat passing by Coast Guard City USA, Grand Haven, Michigan. I am grateful to the Auxiliarists who have made this voyage possible for Brad and me.

Nobody is going to believe this is real. I can't believe what I am seeing. The clouds, the rain, the haze, the sun, the big waves, the Badger, and the color! Surreal. These were the thoughts running through my head the evening of August 20, 2009 as I was shooting this photograph during one of our weekday summer workshops. I was just glad our students were there to verify that this dream actually happened.

Rushing In - panoramic

Pure Ludington - Panoramic

Those who climb their way to the top of the Skyline Trail are rewarded with a birds-eye view of the southern portion of the park. If they time their hike to the schedule of the carferry S.S. Badger, and look through a good pair of binoculars or a large telephoto camera lens, they might also enjoy one of the best views they have ever seen of the big ship heading out of Ludington harbor.

June Has Arrived - Panoramic

Pentwater Morning - Panoramic

January 22, 2010” “He is risen!” That familiar Christian declaration of faith in Jesus as savior came to mind on January 22, 2010 as I lined up the sun with the cross marking the long-recognized death site of missionary explorer Pere Jacques Marquette. According to the Jesuits, Father Marquette died on May 18, 1675, near this hilly spot between Pere Marquette Lake and Lake Michigan. I had been trying to make a sunset image like this for years, regularly scouting the potential from across Pere Marquette Lake during evening drives home. On this day the cross, sun, clouds and color combined to create a view better than I had ever imagined. One glance told me this was the day! But the sun was not quite lined up. I quickly calculated that if I could get to the end of the Ludington Yacht Club peninsula in time, everything might align. I drove the two blocks quickly, jumped out of my truck with my camera, 500-millimeter lens and tripod and ran until I ran out of land. Still the sun did not line up with the cross. Fortunately, a cold spell had built up the ice on Pere Marquette Lake. I did not hesitate to keep sprinting onto the ice. Twenty yards of running without falling on the slick ice later, everything lined up. I mounted the camera on the tripod, fine-tuned the tripod position and fired. Then I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God for good ice. I lived a few blocks away from this cross for more than a dozen years. During all those years of passing by the monument, almost daily, I had made only a few images of the cross that pleased me. None of them held a candle to this one. This image is especially dear to my heart not only because of its Christian symbolism but also because I have always loved and valued history, including the history of Father Marquette’s Ludington connection. Ludington was recognized as the death site of Father Marquette by generations of local Native Americans and settlers. In fact, when the area was first settled, Ludington was named Pere Marquette in honor of Father Marquette. The town was years later renamed Ludington in 1864 at the request of the most powerful lumberman in Pere Marquette at the time, James Ludington. The Pere Marquette River, Pere Marquette Lake, a street, a township and much more remain named Pere Marquette. Many different crosses have marked this spot over the centuries. This cross was erected in the 1950s as a community project. In 2019 and 2020, a new base for the cross was built through another community effort, and the cross has been put back in place to tower over Pere Marquette Lake. A lot of people believe that cross belongs there; I am one of them.

Little things can make or break an image. Straight horizontal lines in a photograph can be extremely destructive to the flow of a composition. This photograph would not work if it were not for the three diagonal lines in the sky. The diagonal lines get the viewer's eyes moving around the photograph and lead one's attention to the lighthouse. D7000, F22 at 1/30, 100 ISO, 70-200mm lens at 185mm