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I have driven by this blueberry patch on Fisher Road near Jebavy Drive hundreds of times, but until today I had never seen it from the air. It was especially beautiful today because of the gorgeous fall color on the surrounding trees. F4.5 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 22mm

Today near Custer, Michigan, Dave Johnson and I flew over a giant pumpkin patch. What caught my eye were the two large stripes going through the pumpkin patch as well as the three small curving green stripes that crossed through the crop. The surrounding forests full of fall color really added to the beauty of the scene. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 38mm

To me, farming often seems like a romantic way to make a living. Just like photography or any other career, I am sure it has its up and downs. I bet if I were a farmer, my favorite time of the year would be the fall harvest. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 30mm

As Dave Johnson and I were flying above Mason County today trying to photograph the extraordinary fall color in our area, we both noticed a unique field near Scottville, Michigan. From the air, the field looked like tan water and the island of hard woods in the middle of it appeared to be floating. Dave circled the field and banked the plane so I could get in just the right position to capture the uniqueness of the area below. F6.3 at 1/2500, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

Scottville, Michigan is located in the center of Mason County and the downtown area of the small farming community is just north of the Pere Marquette River. Like many small towns in Michigan, Scottville has a friendly atmosphere and a welcoming spirit. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 30mm

One of my favorite West Michigan roadside fruit and vegetable stands is Kistlercrest Farms on Pere Marquette Highway between Ludington and Pentwater. While buying their homegrown apples and famous Kistlercrest maple syrup, I spot a large display of gourds that I find irresistibly photogenic. F32 at 1/6, ISO 100, 24-70mm lens at 26mm

One of the things I like to do most on my fall color tours is to get out of my vehicle and sit in the leaves along the right of way to immerse myself in the color. That is what I did on a drive down Conrad Road in Amber Township to experience leaves close-up while still taking in the country road and Polcin Farm with my wide-angle lens. F11 at 1/60, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

From day to day, or year to year, I love seeing the different looks of my most favorite tunnel of trees in the world. Today the tunnel of trees looks solid gold as a vehicle heads westward on Conrad Road toward Ludington. An image I made two autumns ago of this same tunnel is being displayed across the Midwest this fall on Pure Michigan billboards. F11 at 1/60, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

If this grand maple tree and old barn could talk, I wonder what stories they would tell about the history of farming and life along Conrad Road near Scottville, Michigan. The emerald green winter wheat surrounding the barn was planted by Pete Conrad. Pete rents the use of the land for farming from Tracy Thompson. F8 at 1/60, ISO 100, 24-70mm lens at 26mm

As I look up the trunk of this stout old maple tree in rural Mason County, it occurs to me how strong a maple tree has to be to hold up all of its branches and leaves. Then it occurs to me how life-like the tree looks. Knots look like eyes looking down at me. I can imagine it walking through the forest. Visually escaping reality can be very entertaining. F9 at 1/60, ISO 400, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

With a single lens reflex camera, the viewfinder shows the image at the largest aperture available to the lens in use. In this photo, I had my camera on full manual and set my aperture to F22, yet in the viewfinder I saw the photo at F2.8. I often use my depth of field preview button to see what the final photo will look like in terms of depth of field. F22 at 1/10, ISO 800, 105mm lens at 105mm

The wind caught a brilliant maple leaf and blew it into these beautiful little flowers. My friend, Jennifer Batts, pointed this photograph out to me. I put my macro lens on and captured the scene with my camera and tripod. F29 at 1/13, ISO 800, 105mm lens at 105mm

Ron and Donna Sanders live across the street from Betsy and me on Riverview Drive in Ludington. As I was pulling out of my driveway early this morning I noticed their yard light creating beams of light as it shone through one of their bushes. I could not resist making a photograph of the beautiful scene. F6.3 at 30 seconds, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

Driving along the US31 Expressway between Hart and Shelby, Michigan, I spot some of the most colorful sumac I have ever seen. I pull into the rest stop just beyond the sumac and am greeted by more of these colorful plants. The symmetry of these two neighboring sumacs catches my eye. F28 at 1/640, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

Colorful leaves of a bush along one of the trails at Van Buren State Park look to me like a butterfly. I feel compelled to make an image that makes the "butterfly" stand out by getting very close to the three leaves and minimizing depth of field (focus). F8 at 1/60, ISO 800, 105mm lens at 105mm

A Lake Michigan beach isn't where I expected to find fall color shots today, but dune grass along the shoreline at Van Buren State Park caught this transient leaf. I like the resulting colorful arrangement of angular and curving shapes. F3.2 at 1/250, ISO 100, 105mm lens at 105mm

The leaves on this oak tree near Bridgman, Michigan, on the way to Warren Dunes State Park, brought me from 60 miles per hour to zero in seconds. I already had spotted a beautiful backdrop in the form of the giant rolling hills. Now I have the perfect subject to place in front of the wooded hills. F32 at 1/25, ISO 800, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

The blue line around the outside edge of this leaf stood out to me as I was walking through a creek near the corner of Peterson and Fisher roads. Rainy days can be perfect for photographing fall color. F22 at 1.3 seconds, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm