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I love going down to the beach on calm summer mornings in Ludington. As I was getting out of my truck to go for a run, I heard the Badger blow its horn, letting boaters know that it was about to leave the dock. I delayed going for a run and grabbed my camera and tripod instead. I climbed the small dune just west of the playground and waited for the Badger to get between the pier heads to capture this image.

Sail Away

Iconic Wave

A great horned owl eyes visitors to Ludington State Park. The owl was a star attraction during one of the many wildlife education programs put on at the park's Great Lakes Visitors Center. Wildlife Recovery Association had brought the beautiful bird and several other injured birds of prey to the nature center. Attending the park's interpretive programs helps thousands of visitors better understand, appreciate and respect the park and all its living things.

As I was making this photograph tonight near the north edge of Epworth Heights along Lake Michigan, I was curious to know the history of this tree stump. Where did it come from? Why did it die? How long ago did it make it to the Lake Michigan shoreline? Even after all the years of extreme shoreline weather, this stump still looked solid and strong.

My sister-in-law, Misty Reed, was born and raised in Pentwater, Michigan. The house she grew up in is just a block away from the beach and it is a family tradition to walk down and watch the 4th of July fireworks. Tonight, I was fortunate enough to join her and her family for some beautiful fireworks.

Boaters love to set course for Charlevoix, especially during the annual Venetian Festival. To capture the flavor of summer in Charlevoix I set out to photograph across Round Lake toward downtown during the blue light of dusk. Fortunately the night was so still that the sailboat moored in front of me was staying almost motionless, enabling me to use a long enough shutter speed to record the movement of two of the festival amusement rides.

Commercial fishing nets dry in the sun on a warm summer day in Fish Town at Leland, Michigan. I love that commercial fishing on Lake Michigan at Leland continues in much the same manner as a century and more ago. I used to love to photograph similar fishing nets at Ludington. Now I travel to Leland to be able to see and photograph a sight like this. F22 at 1/60, ISO 320, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

Ludington State Park Workshop

Floating Into Fall

Big Sable Hot Spot

Kinney Road Tree in Fog

Golden Harbor View

Longing for Change

My dad taught me as a young boy that if you see an excellent sunrise to the east in Michigan to make sure to turn around and look at the sky in the west. I was blessed with a great teacher! The Ludington North Breakwater Light was glowing this morning with a pink and blue backdrop.

The tops of these trees inside of Stearns Park have been intriguing me for weeks. I finally made an image of them today that I am happy with. The lines and patterns make me happy.

Werewolf Dreams

The Ludington lighthouse draws my eye whenever I am near it. So many times, it offers a spectacular picture but, too often, not quite splendid enough to trip the shutter. One foggy summer morning there was no doubt I should shoot.

I can’t imagine how many shots of songbirds I have taken in 50 years, but I can unequivocally say this is by far my favorite and most artistic. The moment this male cardinal, in all its glory, landed in this spot, I realized this was the perfect bird in the perfect position in the perfect place at the perfect time. The bright red bird rocketed out of the monochromatic background of the rocks and fresh snow. I couldn’t have designed or painted a better background. Click. Mission accomplished, not because making that image was my objective; it wasn’t. I got out early that morning because of the gorgeous blanket of snow that had fallen overnight. I drove to Ludington State Park and hiked across the foot bridge to the far side of the Sable River and found a spot to hide myself, my tripod, my Nikon camera and 500-millimeter telephoto lens amidst some young pine in hopes of catching some shots of a mink or two coming out of an opening in the rocks as I had observed on a previous hike. Just as I had anticipated, a mink soon emerged. I was all set to capture the moment the mink’s splendid coat would be framed against the snow. Photographers dream of what wildlife might do. As in this case, sometimes you can even visualize the finished picture on the wall. But of course it is up to the wildlife to decide for themselves where and how they present themselves and the course they will travel. We can’t pose them. For more than two hours I watched mink occasionally come out and go back in. Never did one of them set foot in the snow. I was getting more frustrated and colder by the minute. Suddenly a cardinal flew in. Fortunately, my camera was already trained and focused on the spot because cardinals almost never stay still for more than a few seconds. Because I chose to get off the couch, because I got out early to take advantage of the fresh snow, because I had paid my dues spending a lot of time at the park, because I had previously seen the mink along the river in that location, and because I overcame the great disappointment of the lack of cooperation from the mink, because I stayed, I made a completely unexpected but better image that will be most pleasing to me for the rest of my life. Many of my favorite images did not come easy. That makes them especially rewarding.