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the Grounds at Legends Deer Ranch

Ludington State Park

May

I have a deep connection with trees. Their unique shapes and purposes. I can visualize farmers using this shade tree on hot summer days, while working their fields.

The night took my breath away, not from trying to breathe the below zero air but from viewing the icy splendor before me on Lake Michigan at Ludington.

Thoughts of a refreshing Lake Michigan swim surface while watching waves splash amidst some rocks on a late September morning. A reality check tells me the water temperature is probably barely above 50 degrees Farenheit. I decide to stick with making a picture of the fresh water.

Sometimes you just get lucky when you are making photographs. Initially what caught my eye in this scene were the two stumps and their reflections. As I was hustling to set up my tripod, two starlings appeared and had a face-off over before me, possibly over a potential mate. I quickly snapped the shutter just before the birds flew off, chasing each other all the way.

Portrait photographers often use this old building near the corner of James and Melendy in Ludington as a backdrop for senior photos. The brickwork, windows, and varying textures lend themselves well to photography. F8.0 at 0.3, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 35 mm

Tonight my eight-year-old daughter, Julia, went on a photography adventure with me. She got to experience climbing on top of the roof of my truck to make an image and she also witnessed first hand what magic light is. As it was lightly raining and the setting sun broke through the clouds, Julia spotted this rainbow. I gave her the camera first. Once she was done making her art, I made this image of Julia's gold.

Lately, I have been looking at a lot of old black and white photographs of my great grandparents and other ancestors. I often imagine what their world was like living in Michigan in the late 1800's and early 1900's. For some reason, I always imagine that world in black and white. When I was making this image today on Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City,

My dad and I always like to have strong immediacy in our photographs. With my wide-angle lens, I got very close to this frozen fruit tree and then made the barn a much smaller part of the composition. The final photograph is an environmental portrait of Cherry Basket Farm near Omena, Michigan in Leelanau County.

Weekend Workshop

Ludingtons Best Show

Tuesdays With Todd and Brad Reed

Morning Boat

Rock Solid View

You never know what you will find in the Meijer parking lot. This great blue heron was hanging out in the drainage ditch on the west end of the Meijer parking lot. Luckily, I always have my camera and big lens with me. What makes this image pop is the incredible morning light hitting the majestic bird.