Search

I wish everyone could experience the rush my dad and I feel when we are photographing an approaching Lake Michigan storm front. The power, drama, and beauty that is created when the sun is shining and a storm is approaching from the west is what I dream about photographing all year long. F9 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

The view between swipes of the windshield wipers becomes beautifully distorted as I stop momentarily to appreciate the springtime view of a Buttersville hillside near the Pere Marquette Cross. F4.0 at 1/200, ISO 800, 12-24 mm lens at 22 mm

The ripples in the water, combined with the reflections of the sky and clouds make this photograph of Hamlin Lake look like blue and silver grains of wood. I never tire of making compositions like this one. Someday I hope to do an entire book on ripples and reflections on water. F2.8 at 1/400, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

Fog is a photographer’s friend. This tree is in a residential part of Ludington and has several houses and a factory nearby. But with the dense fog this morning, the tree looks like it could be all alone in a huge field.

While sitting in my truck in the rain, I envisioned this photograph. I quickly drove a few miles to the parking lot next to the carferry Spartan and drove back and forth with my head out my truck window looking at the puddles. I was certain if I found the correct spot, I could get both the Spartan and its reflection in the same photograph. F16.0 at 1/5, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

The peach colored sky with the pink, purple, and light green rays in this photograph is one of the most unique light shows I have experienced on Lake Michigan. I stood a few feet into Lake Michigan to get a sense of immediacy in this photograph so the viewers can feel like they are in the water with me. F4 at 1/100, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 20mm

One of the grandest beech trees I have ever seen graces an Amber Road farm just north of US 10. This afternoon, with the atmosphere provided by a light rain shower, the tree stands out even more than usual. F2.8 at 1/320, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 135 mm

With the warm sun hitting my face and the cool Lake Michigan breeze blowing through my hair, I feel like I am having a conversation with God as I watch the colorful rays of light dance through the clouds and on the water. This is my sanctuary. I am at peace in my hometown of Ludington. F11 at 1/80, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

It is nice when you get more than three distinct layers in one photograph. I count four layers in this scene. The quality of the light is what made this image possible. The great clouds were an added bonus as well.

I love bright, bold colors. These hand made chairs in front of The Red Door Gallery leapt out at me as I was driving down Ludington Avenue on my way home from work tonight. The dreary rain and overcast skies actually made this photo possible. On a bright sunny day, the colors would not pop like they do in this photograph. F16.0 at 0.6, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

One of the coolest aspects of the Ludington North Breakwater Light is how you can see the sunset through the portholes, especially when you photograph it from the Loomis Street boat ramp. Someday I hope to make a photograph from inside the lighthouse by shooting through one of the many portholes. F2.8 at 1/640, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

You can count on it snowing in April in Michigan, no matter how nice the weather has been in previous weeks. I picked the dark siding of the old commercial fishing building at the Lake Michigan Carferry docks as a backdrop for the snow. Our business manager, Sarah Genson, says the fish reminds her of Dory in the movie Finding Nemo. F5.6 at 1/250, ISO 400, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

Spring is in the air early this year. I hope we have a very warm spring and summer because that will really help our local economy, and it just puts people in a good mood. The sun is a powerful drug! F4.5 at 1/125, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

I think I have discovered who has been stealing all the bird feed from my shed. This fat little guy was too cute to not photograph tonight in my backyard.

Spring came very early this year in West Michigan and it was unseasonably warm and beautiful for most of the month of March. I loved the humor in this photograph that I made of the carved bears on one of Mary Schierholt's rental homes along Loomis Street in Ludington. If you look closely, you can see the snowflakes starting to fly. F8.0 at 1/100, ISO 1000, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

With the spring thaw in progress, a white deer stands out in a West Michigan forest on an April morning. Brad and I have spent hours hunting for albino and piebald white deer in a secret location we cannot divulge for the sake of the rare animals. Brad spotted this all-white piebald whitetail. The rare deer lacks the pink nose and eyes of a full albino but the dark eyes and nose made it look to me more like a polar bear. Photographing a polar bear in the wild remains on my bucket list.

My friends, Mike and Kerrie Cooper, live on a small farm south of Ludington that is surrounded by fruit trees. I used their dark red barn as a backdrop in order to make the blossoms on this tree stand out. F4 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 600mm lens at 600mm

The dog days of spring are here! This grand-looking creature checks me out at a stoplight from the back of its master's pickup truck. I roll down my passenger window and try to capture its beauty. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 800, 80-200 mm lens at 155 mm

As I behold the beauty of just a portion of one branch of a sweet cherry tree on Lister Road south of Ludington, I cannot imagine a more beautiful work of art than what nature and the growers at Hackert Orchards have created. F8 at 1/250, ISO 400, 500mm lens at 500mm

We went on another family hike today. This time we explored the pedestrian section of the Silver Lake Sand Dunes. It was a windy day at the top of the dunes, but that made for great designs in the sand. I lay on my stomach to make this image.