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For years, I have enjoyed observing sailboats swinging from their mooring buoys with the wind in the harbors along the Lake Michigan shoreline. This summer night in Ludington harbor I watched the water and sky around a sailboat on the hook on Pere Marquette Lake transform from electric orange at sunset to shocking pink minutes later.

Winter painted a still life of the tugboat Kurt. R Luedtke and carferry City of Midland. I enjoy looking at ships, especially in winter. Ice and snow are among a photographer's best allies.

Those who climb their way to the top of the Skyline Trail are rewarded with a birds-eye view of the southern portion of the park. If they time their hike to the schedule of the carferry S.S. Badger, and look through a good pair of binoculars or a large telephoto camera lens, they might also enjoy one of the best views they have ever seen of the big ship heading out of Ludington harbor.

My high school math teacher, Mr. Bud, told his students many funny stories of his days working as a park ranger at the Ludington State Park. Mr. Bud also taught us to KISS: Keep It Simple, Silly! I often try to apply KISS to my photographic compositions. Simple compositions can become great art.

My wife Betsy and I were on our way to Crystal Mountain to go skiing when the sun popped out and created a layer of fog. I knew where a good photo could be made; I just needed to drive there before the light disappeared. This tree is near the corner of Fountain and Stiles Road. F10.0 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

An integrated tug and barge steams past Ludington South Breakwater Light while northbound on Lake Michigan. I wish the ship's crew smooth sailing and arrival at their home port before Christmas. F4.0 at 1/400, ISO 100, 500 mm lens at 500 mm

Thousands of people pack around downtown Ludington's main intersection for the second annual New Year's Eve ball drop. This is without a doubt the most incredible manmade event I have ever witnessed in our great community. F4.0 at 0.3, ISO 1600, 12-24 mm lens at 12 mm

I have been traveling since well before dawn today in search of magic Michigan moments. I have found several book-quality images but as I pull into the lakeshore parking lot at the end of Frankfort's main street, I am certain I am looking at another.

When photographing people outside, the color of their clothing and their placement in the scene are vitally important. My dad's bright blue coat is the only vibrant color in the entire scene so your eye is naturally drawn to it. I also used the rule of thirds and put my dad in the upper left third of the composition.

A Coast Guard helicopter flies right over me as I am photographing stormy seas on the Lake Michigan shoreline. I make the shot of these aerial lifesavers after having only seconds to change camera shutter speed and aperture in order to render the helicopter sharp but its rotor blades blurred to show their motion. F8 at 1/640, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

I honestly believe this fly-fishing-only section of the Pere Marquette River to be one of Michigan's crown jewels of natural beauty. I am mesmerized watching the water flowing over the stony river bottom as Orvis-endorsed fishing guide, Uber Raines, deftly fishes for brown trout. F 2.8 at 1/500, ISO 800, 14-24mm lens at 21mm

Charlevoix Magic

Badger in Fog

Pure Ludington - Panoramic

Ancient Caves

The Ludington State Park, in my hometown of Ludington, Michigan, is an excellent place to photograph the power and beauty of Lake Michigan. The clean, cold fresh water was kicking today.

Those who climb their way to the top of the Skyline Trail are rewarded with a birds-eye view of the southern portion of the park. If they time their hike to the schedule of the carferry S.S. Badger, and look through a good pair of binoculars or a large telephoto camera lens, they might also enjoy one of the best views they have ever seen of the big ship heading out of Ludington harbor.

Manistee’s 5th Street Beach looked like a scene from a science fiction movie today. The sand was frozen into random-shaped sheets that were layered on top of each other. The high winds today also created big waves on Lake Michigan. The best part of all was the magic light that appeared as we pulled into the beach to shoot.