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I have driven by this blueberry patch on Fisher Road near Jebavy Drive hundreds of times, but until today I had never seen it from the air. It was especially beautiful today because of the gorgeous fall color on the surrounding trees. F4.5 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 22mm

Today near Custer, Michigan, Dave Johnson and I flew over a giant pumpkin patch. What caught my eye were the two large stripes going through the pumpkin patch as well as the three small curving green stripes that crossed through the crop. The surrounding forests full of fall color really added to the beauty of the scene. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 38mm

To me, farming often seems like a romantic way to make a living. Just like photography or any other career, I am sure it has its up and downs. I bet if I were a farmer, my favorite time of the year would be the fall harvest. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 30mm

As Dave Johnson and I were flying above Mason County today trying to photograph the extraordinary fall color in our area, we both noticed a unique field near Scottville, Michigan. From the air, the field looked like tan water and the island of hard woods in the middle of it appeared to be floating. Dave circled the field and banked the plane so I could get in just the right position to capture the uniqueness of the area below. F6.3 at 1/2500, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

Scottville, Michigan is located in the center of Mason County and the downtown area of the small farming community is just north of the Pere Marquette River. Like many small towns in Michigan, Scottville has a friendly atmosphere and a welcoming spirit. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 30mm

October sunrises in Michigan are hard to beat. You often get a mix of fog and intense color on October mornings. This shot was made from the bridge on Jebavy Drive over the Lincoln River. F10 at 0.3, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

For well over a half-century the carferry SS Badger has graced the waterfront of her homeport of Ludington, Michigan. I never tire of seeing the lights of the ship and the city as the vessel and city landscape begin to be visible against the dawn sky. F11 at 4 seconds, ISO 1600, 24-70mm lens at 46mm

On the final leg of her cross-lake journey, the carferry SS Badger finishes a turn to port as the captain and wheelsman line the big ship up to steam between the pier heads of her home port. Passengers line the bow to get a first-hand look at Ludington harbor. F4 at 1/1250, ISO 1600, 500mm lens at 500mm

I love the color complements and contrasts provided by overgrown asparagus plants and the green barn at the Green Farm north of Hart, Michigan. I decide to focus on the red seeds and use the rest of the scene as the backdrop. Bob Green, a former Michigan State University research microbiologist, explains to me that only the male plants sprout these colorful red seeds. The Greens have farmed in the Hart area since 1989. F5.6 at 1/125, ISO 200, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

There are many larger, grander churches in Michigan, but I think probably none fit into the autumn landscape more beautifully than St. James Church in Pentwater, Michigan. I love this church in all seasons. F6.3 at 1/320, ISO 200, 24-70mm lens at 29mm

I am not sure whether this skeleton is welcoming me or signaling me not to enter this spooktacularly decorated Victorian mansion. I knock on the door of Barry and Andrea Zierbarth's Pentwater home on Park Street anyway and live to tell about it. I love seeing grand old homes decorated for the holidays; it really brings them to life! F11 at 1/60, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

One of my favorite West Michigan roadside fruit and vegetable stands is Kistlercrest Farms on Pere Marquette Highway between Ludington and Pentwater. While buying their homegrown apples and famous Kistlercrest maple syrup, I spot a large display of gourds that I find irresistibly photogenic. F32 at 1/6, ISO 100, 24-70mm lens at 26mm

One of the things I like to do most on my fall color tours is to get out of my vehicle and sit in the leaves along the right of way to immerse myself in the color. That is what I did on a drive down Conrad Road in Amber Township to experience leaves close-up while still taking in the country road and Polcin Farm with my wide-angle lens. F11 at 1/60, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

From day to day, or year to year, I love seeing the different looks of my most favorite tunnel of trees in the world. Today the tunnel of trees looks solid gold as a vehicle heads westward on Conrad Road toward Ludington. An image I made two autumns ago of this same tunnel is being displayed across the Midwest this fall on Pure Michigan billboards. F11 at 1/60, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

If this grand maple tree and old barn could talk, I wonder what stories they would tell about the history of farming and life along Conrad Road near Scottville, Michigan. The emerald green winter wheat surrounding the barn was planted by Pete Conrad. Pete rents the use of the land for farming from Tracy Thompson. F8 at 1/60, ISO 100, 24-70mm lens at 26mm

As I look up the trunk of this stout old maple tree in rural Mason County, it occurs to me how strong a maple tree has to be to hold up all of its branches and leaves. Then it occurs to me how life-like the tree looks. Knots look like eyes looking down at me. I can imagine it walking through the forest. Visually escaping reality can be very entertaining. F9 at 1/60, ISO 400, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

While walking past the Dahlmann Campus Inn in downtown Ann Arbor today, we noticed a cool sculpture and fountain. Upon further investigation we found Colonel Mustard playing in the rain. The fanciful sculpture looked even better when the magic light shone down on him from above. F9 at 1/80, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 38mm

Zingerman's Delicatessen has made 422 Detroit Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan one of the most famous and adored locations in Michigan. Day-in and day-out people from all over the Midwest flock to this cultural icon to experience the top shelf customer service and quality food on which Zingerman's has built its success. F10 at 1/100, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 26mm

My dad and I have several people every year ask us if they can paint one of our photographs and we always say yes, as long as they give us credit. We love when people make art out of our art. Today, that is what I did in downtown Ann Arbor with a beautiful bronze sculpture that was created by Herbert Dreiseitl. The sculpture catches rainwater and represents the water cycle on Earth. F10 at 1/80, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

The American Institute of Architects has voted the William W. Cook Legal Research Library on the campus of University of Michigan in Ann Arbor among the top 150 most admired architectural works in the country. The gothic style building was constructed in 1931 and is covered in red and green ivy. F9 at 1/40, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm