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A seagull feather catches my eye after the wind brought it to rest amidst dune grass in the natural area north of Oval Beach at Saugatuck. The Saugatuck Natural Area beach scene looks even better to me as I move in close with my macro lens, causing the foreground and background to become soft and dreamlike. F3.3 at 1/500, ISO 800, 105mm lens at 105mm

I headed to the Western Michigan Fairgrounds in Ludington tonight to find my photograph of the day for the 365 Project. I knew I wanted to take a long time exposure of one of the rides on the Midway, but I wasn't sure which one would work the best until I saw the Zipper. This is one of my favorite photographs of the 365 Project so far. F20.0 at 4.0, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

I stand atop a dune at Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan, looking northward into the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area. More than 170 acres of rolling, open dunes, wetland, and woods are now accessible to the public for non-motorized recreation as a result of a $19 million land acquisition made through grants and donations to the West Michigan Land Conservancy. F6.3 at 1/6, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

Clyde Butcher, famous for his black-and-white photographs of the Florida Everglades, often photographs huge cumulus clouds passing over the wetlands. Though I am standing in an overgrown asparagus field in Michigan, this scene on Conrad Road reminds me of some of Clyde's landscape images that often include a tree connecting land and sky. F13.0 at 1/80, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 14 mm

Hoary puccoon flowers stand out amidst the rolling dunes of the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area. These flowers are among the many natural gems waiting to be discovered here by hikers and photographers. The Natural Resources Trust Fund provided more than half the $19 million needed to purchase and preserve the 173 acres of prime real estate for the public. More than 900 families and individuals have pitched in to help make the land acquisition possible. F5.6 at 1/60, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

Today my wife Betsy and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary. I was in a hurry to find my photo of the day so I could get home and spend time with Betsy and the kids. I headed to Ludington State Park and climbed the dunes to the east of the First Curve along M-116. A few minutes later I had my photo of the day. F8.0 at 1/60, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

A wave bursts over one of the pilings left from a dock that once jutted out into Lake Michigan at Oval Beach in Saugatuck. I like the repetitive patterns of the worn pilings and the way the waves and light play on them at sunset on a June evening. F8 at 1/320, ISO 800, 24-70mm lens at 32mm

The roadside along Pere Marquette Highway at Kibby Creek looks like a garden this morning. I love watching to see what is going to grow next from spring to fall along Michigan roads. F4.0 at 1/400, ISO 200, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

For over 10 years I have dreamed of making this photograph. It has been no secret that I love to make photographs while standing in the water, but I always had to be very careful to not get my camera too wet. Today, I no longer had to worry about my camera staying dry. A waterproof camera housing allowed me to get the immediacy that I have always dreamed about within the rolling breakers of Lake Michigan. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 11.5mm

A friend of mine is letting me borrow a professional underwater housing for my Nikon D7000 camera body. He also loaned me his 10-17mm lens that works well with the housing. Today was my first crack at using the new equipment and I loved every second of it. Lake Michigan was very refreshing today. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 11mm

I have passed by this sign montage at Bass Lake many times this year but today the light falling on it and the surrounding forest is exquisite. Now is the time to make this arrangement of Bass Lake cottage-owner and home-owner names my picture of the day. F4.0 at 1/100, ISO 200, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

For this photograph, my camera was completely underwater in Lake Michigan, safe inside a professional underwater housing. With today's bright sunshine and clear blue sky, I was able to capture good detail below the water line today. I am looking forward to shooting many more photos with this amazing piece of technology! F6.3 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

My life-long friend Christine Warne was busy painting a bird on the face of Anna Stechschulte at Friday Night Live earlier tonight. Christine was volunteering her time and talents for the COVE (Communities Overcoming Violent Encounters) booth. F2.8 at 1/400, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Of the five good shots I made today in Lake Michigan while using a waterproof housing for my camera, this is by far my favorite. I love making abstract art and I have always enjoyed getting my camera very close to the surface of the water, so it was a real treat to dunk my camera underwater in order to create a fresh abstract view. F6.3 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 13mm

The Ludington North Breakwater was underwater for a short time on April 13, 2018, at the height of one of the largest meteotsunamis ever observed on Lake Michigan in the Ludington area. I photographed the flooded pier (image top left) from the Ludington beach at Stearns Park moments after a fast-moving hail and rain storm swept ashore. Only nine minutes later, I captured the much lower than normal water level (image bottom left) as the flood waters washed back into Lake Michigan. Notice the shallowness of the water and the amount of boulders visible along the edge of the pier. According to NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), two separate meteotsunamis occurred within a short time. GLERL said the meteotsunamis were caused by “short, extreme bursts of wind and pressure.” The Weather Channel reported that thunderstorms trigger most meteotsunamis. Small meteotsunamis are not unusual but destructive ones like this one tend to happen only once every 10 years on average, according to Eric Anderson of the research laboratory

Reflections of an umbrella on a dock, a dock box, and man walking on a dock look to my eye at this moment like a man sailing a tiny sailboat. The umbrella reflections caught my eye at Harbor View Marina in Ludington. The more I study the reflections as people walk by, the more I see the potential for a fresher view; I love this one. F4.0 at 1/400, ISO 640, 500 mm lens at 500 mm

I love studying the work of other photographers around the world. One of my new favorite shooters is Clark Little. Clark lives in Hawaii and is famous for shooting breaking waves while floating in the water with a waterproof housing for his camera gear. With the help of a friend who loaned me his underwater housing for my Nikon D7000 camera body, I was able to shoot a photo today in Lake Michigan that is inspired by Clark Little's photographs. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 11.5mm

Today the weather was less than desirable. It was rainy, windy, muggy, and depressing. However, that was perfect lighting for shooting close-up photographs of spider webs. I shot this photo in my front yard. The web was located on some unused landscaping pavers that were leaning up against my house. F6.3 at 1/100, ISO 800, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

I have always wanted to try skim boarding on the shores of Lake Michigan, but have never had the opportunity. Logan Hansen, a 17 year old from Battle Creek, Michigan, made skim boarding look easy today on the beach at South Haven. Logan practices as often as he can and has been skim boarding for four years. I think it would take most people a lifetime to reach his level of skill. F5.6 at 1/1000, ISO 400, 600mm lens at 600mm

The brilliance of these cardinal flowers rockets out from one of my favorite estuaries along South Lakeshore Drive near Bass Lake. The oriental-looking plants look even more sensational close-up than they did when I first spotted them during one of our favorite summer pastimes