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After getting bashed in the face by several powerful Lake Michigan breakers, I finally captured the photo I have dreamed of making for over 10 years. By using a friend's underwater housing for my Nikon D7000, I was able to stick my camera inside one the rolling beasts and get the perspective I had envisioned. I was glad I had my life jacket on and that my dad had tied a safety rope to me and attached it to one of the jetties along the shoreline. F7.1 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

A brisk wind snaps the POW-MIA Flag and American Flag to the attention of a passer-by this evening at Coast Guard Station Ludington. The POW-MIA flag salutes all present and past American POW-MIAs and reminds us of the price they and their families paid and are paying to help keep America free. F3.5 at 1/500, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 120 mm

The man-made colors of the fireworks on the Fourth of July are always fun to watch, but they can't compare to the nature-made colors of the "waterworks" that are created every day of the year on Lake Michigan. Everyone should try, at least one time in their life, to experience the rush of keeping your eyes open and studying the intense colors of the water of Lake Michigan just before the giant wave smashes into your face. It is totally worth it! F7.1 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

While shooting our book on Ludington State Park in 2007, my dad and I learned that when the light is way too bright or too flat to make strong images then that is the time to try photographing reflections on the water. Tonight the light was flat and dull so I photographed the clouds reflecting in the river from the Sable River Bridge. F2.8 at 1/80, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

One of my favorite things about my dad is that he likes to goof off and he enjoys making people laugh. This photograph proves my point! F9 at 1/800, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 11.5mm

The Gold Coast Festival, a Ludington art fair Brad and I have shown our artwork at for years, is today at City Park. Nearby I spot some of the most stunning maple leaves I have ever seen in the yard of our former neighbor, Stephanie Thomsen. A silver coating on the crimson leaves looks almost like chrome plating. F7.1 at 1/60, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

One of the most difficult aspects of the Tuesdays Project so far has been coming up with fresh and creative names for all of our photographs. While trying to name this photograph, I searched Thesaurus.com for synonyms for the word water and learned that "Adam's Ale" is what water is referred to a few times in the Old Testament. I thought that would make a unique name for this unusual photograph of Lake Michigan. F7.1 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

One of the concepts we teach in our workshops is to put triangles or pyramids in the base of your compositions. That is what I tried to do in this photograph. When you place a strong pyramid shape in the bottom of your image, the viewer is drawn into the photograph. F6.3 at 1/60, ISO 640, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

This is possibly the worst self-portrait that I have ever seen. Fish-eye lenses do not do any favors for people's faces. I am glad Hamlin Lake is so clean because I drank a lot of water while trying not to laugh under water. F9 at 1/800, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

Every time I look at this photo I think of the movie Terminator 2 and the bad guy who was in human form one minute and the next would liquefy into a mysterious silver puddle. The beautiful shapes, colors, and unique formations that rushing water can take on fascinates me. F7.1 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

The Lake Michigan Carferry, SS Badger passes by the Ludington North Breakwater Light upon reaching its homeport. The historic carferry can transport more than 500 passengers and dozens of vehicles on each of its crossings between Michigan and Wisconsin. F4 at 1/2000, ISO 800, 500mm lens at 750mm

It is a spectacular summer afternoon to be at Epworth Heights. Brian and Leah Roche of Columbus, Ohio walk along the North Beach sidewalk en route to meet some friends on the beach. F8.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 16 mm

The Lake Michigan Carferry, SS Badger passes by the Ludington North Breakwater Light upon reaching its homeport. The historic carferry can transport more than 500 passengers and dozens of vehicles on each of its crossings between Michigan and Wisconsin. F4 at 1/2000, ISO 800, 500mm lens at 750mm

The carferry Badger looks like a toy boat as it heads to Wisconsin tonight. I made this photo from First Curve at Ludington State Park with a large telephoto lens. F5.0 at 1/160, ISO 800, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

Dick and Patti Hale have seen thousands of sunsets from their Lake Michigan home at Little Sable point. "This is the best one I've ever seen, spectacular because of the variety of the color, depth of the color, variation of the cloud cover," Dick says. I too am overwhelmed by the intense color and amazing patterns as I shoot near the lighthouse. F4.0 at 1/13, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 12 mm

I never get bored or tired of photographing the SS Badger coming in or out of the Ludington harbor. Lake Michigan was as calm as I have ever witnessed today and that makes for smooth sailing on the carferry as it crosses to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. F8 at 1/400, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

Sometimes a photograph I knew at the time felt good, seemed like a home run, somehow, years later, still had not managed to find its way out of my vast storehouse of yet or never to be worked up digital files living only on my computer. I was pleased to discover and resurrect this image while searching through my old digital files for this book project. The photograph feels as good to me now as it did when I was making the shot on February 22, 2008, along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Just after my dad and I finished giving a photo talk to over 30 people at Little Sable Point Lighthouse tonight, the sun broke out below the thick cloud layer and lit up the sky and waters of Lake Michigan like the 4th of July fireworks. It was an impressive light show that lasted for several minutes. F22.0 at 1.0, ISO 100, 14 mm lens at 14 mm