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This morning our assistant manager Rachel Gaudette and I are back at my favorite spot on her family's farm along the banks of the Pere Marquette River near Walhalla, Michigan. To make this image I had to slide on my butt down a steep clay bank. I aimed for a large tree to stop me part way down so as not to slide into the river. Luckily for my camera gear, and me, the tree did the trick. F22 at 1/10, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

Fall color can be so fun to photograph in the fog. The vibrant colors of the leaves are muted by the fog, but still help define the lines in a photograph. I made this photograph of Epworth while standing on the Lincoln River bridge. F22 at 1/6, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

A pair of mute swans keeps its lone surviving cygnet close at hand as they float along the shoreline of Pere Marquette Lake just after sunrise. Mute swans have proliferated in Michigan to the point that efforts are being made to reduce their population. I, for one, never tire of seeing the graceful birds and watching for peak or unique views of them. F2.8 at 1/2000, ISO 1600, 80-200mm lens at 145mm

A great blue heron stands as motionless as a lawn ornament in the yard of a cottage on Bass Lake near Pentwater, Michigan. I have to look twice to make certain the bird is real rather than plastic. F3.5 at 1/2500, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 300mm

Our friend, Don Nelson, notified my dad and me about a wild ruffed grouse that had befriended him during the last two weeks. Wherever Don went around his yard, the gorgeous bird would follow. After a week, the bird would even climb onto Don's shoulder. Right after I made this photograph, Herkimer (the bird) climbed up onto my camera and posed for an iPhone photo. F2.8 at 1/320, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

This wild ruffed grouse befriended our friend, Don Nelson, last week and I couldn't wait to photograph the beautiful animal. After I made the photograph I had imagined of the bird in some brown ferns, I asked Don if he could get the bird to land on my 300mm telephoto lens. With surprising ease, Don had Herkimer posing on my lens in no time. F8 at 1/125, ISO 800, iPhone

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

It took over an hour for these cows to make their way over towards me. I mooed like a cow and crawled on all fours, but nothing worked to get the cows to come over and surround this old abandoned home. Finally, I got my iPhone out to play some music. Apparently, cows really enjoy Kelly Clarkson. F8 at 1/250, ISO 1600, 18-50mm lens at 22mm

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

Standing in creeks and swamps can be detrimental to your boots. As I was focusing on making this picture, I did not realize that both of my boots were slowly sinking into some stinky, thick black muck. Luckily my boots were tall and tied on very tightly so they didn't come off as I yanked them out of the mud. It was all worth it for this photograph. F22 at 1 second, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

This unexpected view of vines intertwined with the bark of a tree catches my eye along the entrance road to Warren Dunes State Park. I always try to remain alert for the surprise photographic discoveries that are often more fascinating than the expected ones. F22 at 2.5 seconds, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

During my first visit to Warren Dunes State Park one of the first things that catches my eye is this graceful old tree on the beach that somehow remains alive and standing despite much of the sand surrounding its base having been blown away by strong lake winds. F22 at 0.3, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

I am hoping to catch the sun setting over St. Joseph Lighthouse. Clouds change my plan. The sun peeks out beneath the clouds just in time for the Young Flight sculpture at St. Joseph beach to catch the light. I think the sculpture by Gail Mally-Mack and the backdrop by Mother Nature complement each other. F22 at 2.5 seconds, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

In the summertime, hundreds of people would be having fun at Warren Dunes State Park. On this rainy October Tuesday afternoon I am the only person in sight. I enjoy making still-life photographs when everything is so still. F22 at 1/100, ISO 1600, 14-24mm lens at 14mm