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The soft looking texture and repetitive pattern of a rolling field of asparagus appealed to me as I was photo hunting near the Mason Oceana County line on an October afternoon. It was that subtle kind of picture I like to call "wine shots" because they affect you slowly but they tend to grow on you with time.

Male whitetail deer in the fall will do the dumbest things when they are looking for love. I was able to crawl on my hands and knees within 30 yards of this small four-point buck. I just acted like another invading buck. I stomped the ground, grunted, and lifted my head up and down as I slowly made my approach. Just before I made this photograph, a female whitetail deer came down from the ridge and got this guy's attention.

What the heck is that?!?! That would be my mom's hairless cat Grub. Isn't he cute? F6.3 at 1/125, ISO 640, 18-50 mm lens at 38 mm

It is no secret to my friends and family I loathe and despise spiders. This morning as I was photographing this grass in front of P.M. Steamers restaurant in Ludington, I noticed the grass looked like spider legs. Did I mention that I despise spiders?

With our minds on the new photography book that my dad and I are working on that will cover West Michigan, I decided to head north to Frankfort and my dad headed south to Muskegon to photograph the solar eclipse. In this area of Michigan, we witnessed about 75 percent coverage. We also had clouds to battle, but as we often say, clouds are your friend.

Lambs grazing on a Carr Settlement farm were not quite sure of what to make of a photographer. They stayed positioned for a fast getaway while satisfying their curiosity about the stranger. Like wild animals, farm animals have instincts and mannerisms I have long enjoyed observing.

I spot turkeys almost daily along Iris Road south of Ludington but this morning they look more splendid than ever. Hold that pose while I grab that camera off the car seat. Thank you, turkeys! F8.0 at 1/60, ISO 800, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

I have so much respect for the men and women who have served or are serving in the United States military. We will never forget!

People traveled for hundreds or even thousands of miles to experience the total lunar eclipse on August 21, 2017. I chose to travel 65 miles to the Muskegon South Breakwater Lighthouse so I could experience a partial version of the eclipse along Michigan's west shore. It remained relatively bright out but with a short exposure I was able to make the sliver of moon not eclipsed at the peak stand out.

One of the most famous fish markets on the Great Lakes is in historic Fishtown in the tiny village of Leland, Michigan. For five generations, the Carlson family has been catching and selling fresh Lake Michigan fish to customers all over the Midwest. It is worth a visit to Leland just to experience this incredible Michigan business.

Edges of Light

Workshop at Ludington State Park

Days without my kids can be lonely. This weekend was especially hard. The willow tree in the backyard is one of our favorite trees on our Tiny Acres Farm. The blue light of night matched my emotions.

Watching from our “Crow’s Nest” front porch vantage on the Ludington waterfront, I could see a major thunderstorm approaching from the southwest. If it continued on its northeast course, the lightning would soon be upon us and in line with the carferry Badger, moored dockside in its home port. All I had to do was set up the tripod and camera, adjust the settings, compose the picture, wait for the lightning to show up, and have the shutter tripped at just the right moment. Experience and lengthy exposures of at least 10 seconds increased my odds. I love playing the lightning photography game. Bingo!

When I pass the long-abandoned farm home on Sugar Grove Road northeast of Scottville, I marvel at seeing the old Chrysler Imperial; it seems to belong in the yard of an abandoned farm home. Both car and brick home look like flamboyant works of art that have seen better days.

Radiant orange flowers growing on the side of a large dead stump near the north end of the Hamlin Dunes caught my eye as we were passing by in our small boat. I hopped out and floated with my life jacket on, using my tripod as a paddle while trying to keep my camera dry above my head. When I got close to the flowers I was able to stand up and I found the real hidden treasure I was seeking.

The Rieth-Riley asphalt company in Ludington always has large piles of crushed up material behind their headquarters. I have always thought they would make an interesting photograph, but never took the time to do it. Today the giant pile of black asphalt looked strikingly beautiful against an all-white sky. F11.0 at 0.3, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

This is the first photograph I have ever made of a Michigan coyote. Photographing a coyote has been near the top of my bucket list for several years. This wily coyote was circling around in long grass to get closer to a herd of deer. I shot this photo with a 600mm telephoto lens from about a 800 yards away near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Leelanau County. Hopefully next time I will be able to get closer, but I still really like this environmental portrait of the large coyote.