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Peace of Mind

This willow tree graces the Ludington beach near the entrance to Stearns Park. Often it frames picturesque views of Lake Michigan. On this night, the tree takes center stage, leaving an anchored freighter to play a supporting role.

It always amazes me how living things survive and even thrive in the toughest environments. I spotted this colorful lichen growing from a heart-shaped knot in a rotting log at Wilderness State Park north of Cross Village, Michigan, on a cold February day.

Butterfly

This scene greeted me on South Lakeshore Drive near my home upon my return from Georgia. It reminds me of the Bible story in Exodus of the burning bush Moses encountered. F8.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 135 mm

When my dad stumbled upon these tiny red flowers and fungi, it totally brightened my day. We had been photo hunting for over six hours without much success until we found this scene. Finally, our artistic souls were happy again. Never underestimate the power of flowers.

While on a hike on the Ridge Trail at the Ludington State Park with Betsy, Sean, and the kids, I noticed this graphic scene before me. We often remind our workshop students to remember to turn their cameras vertical and to not just see the world in horizontal photographs.

Looking like a corsage decorating a log, lichen abloom in February adds a burst of color to the winter landscape at Wilderness State Park.

I love how the color red on these tiny flowers rockets out and grabs your attention. I used my 105mm macro lens and tripod to isolate these flowers against the snow in the background. I love the mysterious world that macro photography helps our eyes to see.

Exploring Michigan

As I made my personal journey of photographing the Ludington State Park, I relished the opportunity to explore areas of the park that I had never seen before. It seemed that over every dune and behind every pine row there was a whole new world to discover and photograph. I knew when I found this section of dead trees that there was a great picture waiting to be made. I sat on the small sand mound for 10 minutes waiting for the light to hit the trees and give them life again.

Fall Tapestries

A mystic morning greets me. Fog bathes the Buttersville Peninsula outside our Crosswinds home. The scene looks subtly beautiful and makes waking up without our sidekick Beamer momentarily more bearable. Life without your lab is simply not as good. F5.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

Falling

A lone tree in a farm field stands out in any season, but especially during the heart of winter. Fields with lone trees are common throughout the Point to Point area. Besides adding beauty, many of them have provided shade for up to a century or more of both farmers and farm animals.

This view from high atop Big Point Sable Lighthouse shows the layers of dunes and forest between Lake Michigan and Hamlin Lake and reveals the vastness and beauty of the remote northern area of Ludington State Park. Brad and I climbed to the top of the lighthouse on an early November morning and sat in the dark, anxiously awaiting sunrise. The light and atmosphere that appeared was well worth the chilly wait.

This morning I photographed McLaren Lake near Hesperia at sunrise. I loved seeing the sunlight shining through the top of the trees and mixing with the fog.

Finding the Angles

Fresh Flowers

Fresh Flowers