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The shrill sound of coyotes howling on the opposite side of the river breaks the silence as my oldest son Tad and I appreciate the winter beauty of the Pere Marquette River in the twilight. This view of the meandering river is our reward for trekking by foot and ski to our family cabin, "Daylight In The Swamp," to enjoy a winter getaway. F6.3 at 30.0, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

The Ada Covered Bridge was built in 1867 and has stood the test of time. Next to the bridge is an impressive railroad bridge that is still in use. I was fortunate today to have a Mid Michigan Railroad train go rumbling by just as I got into position to make this image. I wanted good depth of field in this photograph so I set my aperture at F8. In order to have a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the speeding train and shaking earth, I needed to rob the ISO bank. I set my ISO to 800 and was able to get the look and feel I wanted in this photograph.

A pair of trumpeter swans graces the Sable River at Ludington State Park. The threatened native Michigan species has been getting some help in launching a comeback. The band on one of these birds marks it as one introduced to the area by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. The "11K" on the band helps naturalists keep track of its whereabouts.

Fusion

Ludington Light Cropped

Ludington Light

Gerlach Workshop in Munising

I was at complete peace being the only human out at Big Sable Point Lighthouse tonight to shoot the last sunset of 2020. It has been a challenging year for most people around the world, but it has also proven to be an incredibly beautiful and wonderful year. I ended the year at my favorite place on Earth. I always feel at home at Big Sable.

The dune grass natural area at the north end of the Ludington city beach looked super real bathed in magic light but the storm clouds over Lake Michigan approaching from the northwest looked mysteriously unreal. The unusual juxtaposition between a view so real and yet unreal intrigued me on an August afternoon. I love catching weather fronts just before they get to my camera position.

The sun sets over the sand dunes at Hamlin Lake in a view southwestward from the Narrows that connect the Upper and Lower sections of the lake. A duck hunting blind on this private property is one of my favorite spots to hunt for Hamlin Lake pictures. Sitting there, I wonder what amazing views hunters must have enjoyed from this spot over lifetimes of hunting. I am grateful for permission to hunt there with my camera.

This morning my dad and I drove to the middle of the state on US10 so we could photograph Dow Gardens in Midland. As the sun was rising we found this tree between Reed City and Evart. The fog mixed with intense sunlight created a beautiful scene in front of us. I stopped my lens down to F22 in order to make the rays of sunlight show up more distinctly.

A rare trumpeter swan fans out its wings on a sunny afternoon at Ludington State Park. With a wingspan that reaches six to seven feet, the impressive trumpeters are the world's largest species of waterfowl.

365 Week 11

Barn on Tuttle Road

UP Crisp Point Taquamenon

Some sunsets are truly out of this world. This cloud looked like a giant UFO with crazy neon orange lights shooting out from the top of it. It reminded me of the last scene in E.T. It was an exhilarating few minutes watching this light show at Stearns Beach in downtown Ludington.

Shore Breeze

When I am not working at one of our galleries or taking photographs, I can often be found at the soccer field. As my cousin Ryan and I pulled into the Sterns Park beach in Ludington for a cool-down swim after a few hours of soccer, I noticed a vibrant orange streak of light dancing on the water. Knowing how fast light can change, I did not risk taking time to remove my shin guards and soccer cleats. I ran down to the waters edge and captured the reflections just in time. Needless to say, I got a lot of strange looks as I was photographing that evening.

Many times I passed this old house on the road from Shelby to Silver Lake but one autumn afternoon the setting screamed out at me to stop. Sumac blared out from the yard like a police car's siren. I love road hunting with my camera. I have driven tens of thousands of miles, down highways and byways, looking for new pictures or fresh views of pictures previously taken. Some days I never find a good picture. On other days they just seem to keep appearing. This was one of those days.