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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

I was on top of a large sand dune tonight at the Ludington State Park and was in position to shoot a colorful sunset when I noticed this large lower laker passing by offshore. I decided to not shoot the setting sun, and instead focused on this moment.

A puddle left by an overnight rainstorm mirrors the tugboat Edward E. Gillen. Perhaps it is because of my nautical background, but tugboats tend to attract my photo eye. Maybe it is simply that so many of them seem to have such character.

As the sun rises above Hamlin Lake and the birds start singing, a new world is awakening, a world that is begging to be discovered. Whether exploring her by land or by sea, Ludington State Park: Queen of the North will not disappoint.

This looks like a picture from the Great Lakes' past. The Madeline, modeled after historic lumber schooners, sails into Pentwater harbor. Aboard on this Lake Michigan voyage are the ship's crew and Pentwater Yacht Club sailing students. The original Madeline sailed the waters of Lake Michigan more than 150 years ago. F4.0 at 1/800, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 12 mm

Cruising Lake Michigan

Silver Lake shortly after sunrise provided the backdrop for some stored boats on an autumn morning.

I haven't spent much time on sailboats, especially on Lake Michigan, but every time I see one catching the wind I think it looks like something I would really enjoy. From my aerial view, I could see the different wind currents on the surface of Lake Michigan. F9 at 1/2500, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

Old Mission

A fast-response Coast Guard rigid-hull-inflatable boat flies over the water on Lake Michigan off Ludington.

The SS Arthur M. Anderson steams through the Straits of Mackinac after passing under the Mackinac Bridge. The classic Great Lakes freighter is well known as the sturdy ship that survived the storm that sank the nearby SS Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975 on Lake Superior in one of the worst ever Great Lakes storms. F10 at 1/1250, ISO 800, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

The graphic view in front of me at the entrance to St. Joseph Harbor reminds me of those perspective drawings we learned to make in grade school. Everything appears smaller as it recedes into the scene. Shooting the sailboat at just this spot in its voyage makes all the lines and imaginary lines line up in triangular fashion. F10 at 1/400, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 130mm

Dream Voyage - Panoramic

Like a tank on the water, Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat 44345 pounds through breaking surf. The self-righting rescue boat and her crews aided mariners in distress between Big and Little Sable Points for more than 35 years.

I have always liked photographs that give a feeling of scale of how big the world we live in is. I call these "little object in the big world" pictures. This is one of my favorites. With storm clouds on the horizons, a small sailboat had just left safe harbor at Ludington, sailing seaward. I felt concern for the safety of the boaters yet exhilarated by the contrast portrayed.

A fisherman slowly paddles to one of his favorite fishing holes on Lincoln Lake near Cartier Park. Mount Epworth is aglow behind him as the clouds make beautiful reflections on the calm water. F2.8 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 20 mm

The ice breaking tugboat Manitou was called into Ludington's port this week to attempt opening a path so other vessels could get back out onto Lake Michigan. I watched this small tug work for over an hour to get about a thousand feet. To my surprise, the mighty little ship made it out to open water.

Four Carferries

My large telephoto lens exaggerated the mirage I was seeing as I watched a lower laker pass by Ludington today from Stearns Beach. This ship appears to be hovering in the sky just above the water line. Cameras do lie!

I have been known to do crazy things to get a photograph. On this occasion, I was frustrated because I could not position myself to capture this sailboat and its reflection, yet omit the other boats from the scene. I had two options; climb a tree along side of the road, or stand on the roof of my car. My car still has a large dent in the roof.