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Who would expect to find an egret beside the Chicago area Tri-State Tollway? After visiting my wife's childhood home in Deerfield, we are on an entrance ramp to one the world's busiest roadways when Debbie spots two egrets in a pond beside the toll road. I pull well off onto the grass and sprint 100 yards to make a "Florida picture" in Chicago. F4.5 at 1/1600, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

A tired cygnet decides it needs a break from swimming on its own, using itsremaining energy to climb on its mother's back for a ride. The swan family was cruising across Lost Lake at Ludington State Park when they passed by our tiny anchored photo-shooting skiff. F11 at 1/500, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

You do not want to mess with a swan that has a nest or babies nearby. I have seen many unsuspecting spectators get too close to a swan and pay a hefty price. This swan slowly circled our boat and it was his friendly way of letting us know that we had gotten close enough to his family. We always try to keep a respectful distance from wildlife so as not to disrupt their lives. F5.6 at 1/5000, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 135mm

It is a beautiful evening to take three of our grandchildren

While photo hunting from our little 13-foot Boston Whaler on Hamlin Lake at the Ludington State Park, my dad spotted this great blue heron with his binoculars from a quarter mile away. We slowly made our way within 50 feet of the master angler. F5.6 at 1/800, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

Last year I had made a similar photograph to this and named it "Liquidity." It was probably my favorite picture I took in 2009. The lighting conditions tonight were very similar to the night I made Liquidity, so I set out to shoot a similar photograph for the 365 Project. I made this photograph at the 5th Avenue Beach in Manistee. F8.0 at 1/250, ISO 100, 70-200 mm lens at 116 mm

A great blue heron takes off from one of its fishing perches on Hamlin Lake. I look forward to seeing one of the big birds on most of my hikes and voyages at Ludington State Park. F5.6 at 1/1000, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

This has to be one the best summers ever for photography on the Lake Michigan waterfront. Besides being unusually warm, this summer has presented many amazing cloud formations and dramatic sunsets. Tonight I am shooting westward onto Lake Michigan by the Ludington South Pierhead Light near my home at Crosswinds. F8.0 at 0.5, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 12 mm

A brisk north wind on Hamlin Lake today is making it bouncy and wet on our 13-foot Boston Whaler, but the views are worth it. This is one of a pair of mature bald eagles circling high over the lake near Inspiration Point. People sing about being lifted up on eagle's wings; I can only imagine the feeling. F14 at 1/1000, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

Focused Flyer

Spirit Quest

Proud Eagle

Betsy and I are in the process of selling our home and buying a new one in Ludington. We had to drive home to Ludington today from our vacation in Manistee to meet with our realtor. On our morning drive back to Ludington, we passed a farm field with freshly rolled crops. The fog and rain made for a very atmospheric morning. F22.0 at 1/8, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Standing in the parking lot at Captain Chuck's Great Outdoors in Ludington, my six-year-old daughter Julia commented on how pretty the clouds were. The clouds were gorgeous in every direction. I grabbed my camera and looked for the prettiest cloud formation. Julia is getting so good at recognizing the beautiful world around her and for that I am grateful. F10 at 1/250, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 24mm

There she goes again! Like thousands of other families, ours loves watching the carferry Badger steaming in an out of Ludington harbor. Tonight my wife Debbie and I and daughter-in-law Stephanie have our boat in position to provide grandkids with a good view of the big ship cruising past the Ludington North Pierhead Light. F4.5 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 12-24 mm lens at 22 mm

This wild blue flag iris was spotted by my dad on Blueberry Island at the Ludington State Park today as we floated by on our little boat. We waited about 30 minutes for the sunlight to become less intense in the late afternoon before we beached our boat on the island so I could get out and make this photograph. With the aid of some cloud cover, we now had soft diffused light overhead, which helped make this iris glow. F8 at 1/500, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 170mm