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I tend to prefer sharp light and haze-free skies at sunset. But I have learned that the softness and toned-down colors of a hazy sky sunset sometimes look and feel better.

As I was standing at the water's edge of Lake Michigan at the Ludington State Park with a workshop student, I saw one single leaf wash ashore. I quickly grabbed my camera and made this image. A moment later, a wave came and took the leaf back to sea. Nikon D800. F5.6 at 1/50, ISO 3200. 14-24mm lens at 24mm. Handheld without a flash. October 14, 2017 at 7:06pm.

I have always been drawn to the color blue, especially when it is mixed with shades of green. The tropical looking waters of Lake Michigan and the golden dune grass blended together perfectly through my large telephoto lens in order to create the warm, calm feeling I was looking for.

After nearly two hours of shooting stormy seas battering the Manistee pier, a little sunshine finally finds its way partially through the clouds, providing a wider range of tonal values for the black and white image I want to make of this lakeshore drama. Good light is worth waiting for. The added light also enables me to close my aperture by two more stops to render more of the scene in sharp focus while still stopping action. F11 at 1/800, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

The tug Undaunted pushes the fully loaded Pere Marquette 41 barge toward its homeport of Ludington after passing Big Sable Point. It is a delightful day to be a Lake Michigan sailor or a waterfront observer of this Great Lake and the big ships that ply its waters. F8 at 1/6400, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

Electric Beach

Gitche Gumee

New Salmon Fishing Statue at Boat Ramp

Legends Ranch Bucks at Stump Blind Black and White

Fall Color on US 41 Near Copper Harbor

Fall is a nice time of year to shoot sunrises because you don’t have to get out of bed as early to catch the first light of day. The best light to photograph a sunrise often appears 20 minutes before the sun actually appears on the horizon. I made this photograph at Lost Lake during one of our “Picture Perfect Weekend” Workshops. Several of our students made equally compelling photographs.

Lake Michigan waves splashing up on the erector­ set – looking framework of the foundation for the elevated foghorn building created this icy artwork at Big Sable Point Lighthouse on April 15, 2020. The rest of the story is the fall I took on the undetectable ice covering the sand en route to make the shot.

Funny Buck

Looking for Danger

Brads Buck

Cruising Lake Michigan

Silver Lake shortly after sunrise provided the backdrop for some stored boats on an autumn morning.

Looking more like a watercolor painting than a photographic image, the Island Trail at Ludington State Park has never looked more gorgeous to me than on this November evening.

I have studied this old oak tree in Pere Marquette Township for some time. A fresh overnight snowfall highlights the massive tree's beautiful shapes. F11.0 at 1/5, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 130 mm