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What is there about watching a seagull soar into the sunset that makes us want to trade places, if only for a short flight? I had that feeling one warm, sunny evening while watching this gull fly over Lake Michigan. But I have witnessed the opposite extreme--seagulls hunkering down on ice formations against wind, snow and cold on subzero mornings. Life as a seagull probably is seldom romantic; often it is a fight for survival.

Tranquil summer evenings on the Lake Michigan waterfront lure boats and people like fish to water. This late July evening in Pentwater was no exception. As in so many other favorite locations along the Lake Michigan shoreline, people and their vessels are drawn back year after year like salmon to their birthplaces.

Like ghost ships, the twin carferries Badger and Spartan emerge from the fog while docked in Ludington harbor. For as long as I can remember, I have loved viewing the ships at their docks or underway. Perhaps, the most fascinating aspect is seeing how dramatically changing light and atmosphere can change the view.

Friends had told me about a white horse pastured along old U.S. 31 between Ludington and Pentwater. On several photo trips in that direction I never saw the horse. As my son Brad and I drove to Pentwater one evening to photograph some summer scenes, I spotted a white horse. Undoubtedly, this was the horse and the scene that had excited others. I was thankful for the tips and the opportunity to make the photograph.

In 1994, my dad made one of his best-selling photographs of all time. "Storm Light" shows Little Point Sable Lighthouse bathed in the dramatic light of an October storm. Since that time, my dad and I have been working to make a photograph of Big Point Sable Lighthouse with the same quality of light. On the afternoon of November 5, 2007, radiant storm light appeared in front of my camera for less than three seconds as I stood on the blustery shores of Lake Michigan.

My dad and stepmom Debbie were at the Brooks and Dunn concert tonight at the DTE Energy Music Theatre so I was flying solo while teaching our 20/20 Vision Summer Workshop that we hold every Thursday in Ludington. Just as I was pointing out the two red streaks in the water from the reflection of the clouds, a sailboat passed near by. F2.8 at 1/250, ISO 640, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Birds of a feather try to stay warm on a wire together along Iris Road. They remind me of tightrope walkers maintaining balance as their wire perch sways erratically with gusts of ice-cold wind. F2.8 at 1/800, ISO 400, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

My favorite tugboat, the John Henry, is back working in Ludington harbor. I get myself to the west shore of Pere Marquette Lake by 7:00 A.M., in time to compose the picture and wait five minutes for the sweetest light. F5.6 at 1/125, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 22 mm

We took our Heaven on Hamlin Weekend Workshop students on a pontoon boat ride to the southern edge of the Ludington State Park to try to photograph bald eagles. After a long search, we found this eagle perched near the nest. It appeared to be guarding the nest from other predators.

My aunt and uncle, Sue and Randy Marble, just purchased a large canvas of this photograph of the White Birch Forest. This incredible forest is about 16 miles west of Grand Marais on Alger County Road H-58. The first week of October is often a good time to visit the White Birch Forest to see the surrounding maple trees in peak fall color. D800, F2.8 at 1/320, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

I love black and white photography. Today's bright overcast light, along with the varying tones of the sand, ice, and snow make for stunning images. I love how this sand formation looks like it could be part of the Grand Canyon.

The planets Venus (brightest) and Jupiter pop out of a star-filled sky along with Little Sable Point Lighthouse. It is near the end of the twilight "blue hour" artists have long loved to paint and photograph. Tonight, with Venus and Jupiter so rarely close together, I am especially excited to photograph a blue sky. F2.8 at 58 seconds, ISO 1600, 14-24mm lens at 20mm

The lure of a Michigan salmon, steelhead, brown trout, or walleye is irresistible for many anglers, no matter the season. Here anglers pass Big Red Lighthouse in Holland en route to their favorite Lake Michigan fishing grounds. F6.3 at 1/400, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

Hamlin Lake is one of the largest manmade lakes in Michigan. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, lumber barons cut down thousands of trees in the area and then built a dam on the Sable River to create what is known today as Hamlin Lake. Many of the old stumps still remain on the lake bottom and they actually move around the lake because of the snow and ice. These two massive stumps near the Lost Lake Island move a few feet every winter. F5 at 1/400, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

Hamlin Lake is one of the largest manmade lakes in Michigan. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, lumber barons cut down thousands of trees in the area and then built a dam on the Sable River to create what is known today as Hamlin Lake. Many of the old stumps still remain on the lake bottom and they actually move around the lake because of the snow and ice. These two massive stumps near the Lost Lake Island move a few feet every winter. F5 at 1/400, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

By closing the aperture down on my camera lens to a tiny hole at F22, I knew I could create hundreds of little star shapes on the surface of Lake Michigan today while photographing at South Haven, Michigan. Because so little light was entering the tiny hole in my lens, I needed to bump up my ISO to 800 in order to get a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the motion of the rolling water. We teach all of our workshop students to operate their cameras in full manual exposure so that they can be in control of how their photographs look and feel. F22 at 1/2500, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

The SS Spartan has not operated since 1979. For several years it has been floating in the same spot behind the Badger. The Spartan has always been my favorite carferry. The word "Spartan" can mean simple or undaunted. I love how the Spartan lives up to its name in this photograph. F8 at 1/800, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 15mm

Big Sable Point Lighthouse stands guard on a massive point of land along the shores of Lake Michigan between Ludington and Manistee. The lighthouse was commissioned by Abraham Lincoln and is a beautiful piece of Michigan history. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 100mm

Dunes Are Calling

The Big Finish