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Sailboat and Moon

Upper Penninsula

Ludington's Queen of the Great Lakes

Goodbye moon

As steam rose from the still waters of Silver Lake, the sun peaked over the trees and illuminated the scene before me. I captured this image early in the morning before the daily barrage of boaters flock to their playground.

The persistent fishermen who troll Ludington harbor, day after day, in their tiny boats are reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. I marvel how they often catch fish when larger fishing vessels go empty-handed. I admire their simplistic approach to fishing as much as I do their patience, perseverance, and willingness to face the elements. Outdoor photographers could learn much from these fishermen.

There were many times at Coast Guard Station Ludington that the rescue boats were at rest. The crew was usually still busy carrying out the work and training of the Plan of the Day, but there was down time too when crew members could pause to take in a rainbow or other impressive waterfront view. There were also many times when “Always Ready” search and rescue boat crews scrambled to respond to a call for assistance, like fighting a fire at the carferry docks.

My dad and I are fortunate that our gallery customers give us hints that help us capture some of our best photographs at the Ludington State Park. Last fall, a traveling nurse from the Ludington hospital stopped in the gallery and told me about a flaming red and orange tree she had seen the day before on the Ridge Trail at the park. With her detailed directions, I was able to easily spot the tree and was lucky enough to walk away with a smile on my face.

I am between teaching classes at West Shore Community College walking across campus from the cafeteria to my classroom when I notice how the brisk wind is bending cattails along the pond. I don't mind getting snow in my hiking boots while trudging through it to get close enough to make the picture I envision. F3.2 at 1/100, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 86 mm

The Lake Michigan Carferry Badger passes by the Coast Guard buoy tender Hollyhock while departing Ludington harbor en route to Wisconsin. I love watching the lights of ships. This is a good night for ship watching. F4.0 at 1/15, ISO 1600, 12-24 mm lens at 18 mm

A group of friends who live downstate were enjoying a fabulous sunset at the Empire Bluffs this evening. They were gracious enough to let me photograph them. I worked hard to micro-compose this photograph so the boardwalk started on the bottom left corner and the arch of the shoreline with the town of Empire was on the right edge of the frame. I also liked how the magic sunlight was hitting the Sleeping Bear Dunes near Stocking Drive in the distance.

Sometimes the best way for me to describe a scene is that it is poetically perfect. That is what I was thinking and feeling as I made this image today on Portage Lake.

This willow tree in front of Emerson Lake Inn east of Walhalla, Michigan stands out any time of year, but on a rainy, foggy winter morning the grand old tree commands attention in a way I have never seen before.

Sleeping Bear Area

Crimson Light

Big Sable Light Jan 2007

Buckley Rollway

Gerlach Workshop in Munising

Blue Chrome