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A Mackinac Island taxi and the trusty team of horses that pulls it waits for passengers. I love the slower pace of life on Mackinac Island, where transportation is limited to horses, bicycles, and feet. F4 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

Bicycles are everywhere on Mackinac Island and cars are nowhere. It is easy to step back in time seeing all the parked bicycles instead of parked cars in front of the historic and historic-looking downtown businesses. F4 at 1/500, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 16mm

One of my favorite activities to do while visiting Mackinac Island is to rent bikes and ride around the seven-mile perimeter of the island. With motor vehicles being prohibited on Mackinac Island, the three options for getting around to sightsee are horse and buggy, bicycles, or good old fashioned walking. F9 at 1/200, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

I have always been impressed with Arch Rock on Mackinac Island. The giant limestone formation was discovered centuries ago by Native Americas who believed it had spiritual powers. F22 at 1/40, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Last summer I noticed what seemed like hundreds of stone sculptures built along the rocky shore of Mackinac Island by visitors. Today there seem to be only a few dozen, perhaps because the forces of nature toppled most of them during the fall and winter storms. This one along the west shore of the island stands out today. F9 at 1/250, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

The rocky shoreline of Mackinac Island is beautiful all year round. Today, the bright sunlight and high winds were creating bright white foam along the shoreline. The water and shoreline in this photograph look more like the ocean to me than the Great Lakes. The Mackinac Bridge in the distance however, screams Michigan. F11 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 46mm

Don't forget to turn your cameras vertical when composing photographs. Often, my dad and I will try to shoot the same scene vertically and horizontally. Vertical photos make great magazine covers and that can be a lucrative business deal. F11 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 46mm

I can't help but place myself back in time to the era of The Great Gatsby when I look at this marvelous classic building. The Windermere Hotel, built as a summer cottage in 1887, looks right at home at Mackinac Island; a place where a person can easily find one's self living at a slower and, in some ways, grander pace. F9 at 1/400, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

During a previous visit to Mackinac Island, I made a picture almost identical in composition to this one but it was a hazy summer day with poor light and washed out sky. Today I have great quality of light and a crisp, colorful sky. I previsualize a dramatic image with the same composition as last year but with a dynamic range of light that can make the crosses atop the church rocket out of the dark background. F22 at 1/500, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 20mm

Even a ship a thousand feet long is dwarfed by the several-mile-long Mackinac Bridge. The 1,000-footer, the Indiana Harbor, passes precisely through the center of the bridge's huge uprights, dwarfing the motor vehicles traveling across the bridge to and from Michigan's Upper Peninsula. F7.1 at 1/400, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 112mm

Even a ship a thousand feet long is dwarfed by the several-mile-long Mackinac Bridge. The 1,000-footer, the Indiana Harbor, passes precisely through the center of the bridge's huge uprights, dwarfing the motor vehicles traveling across the bridge to and from Michigan's Upper Peninsula. F7.1 at 1/400, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 112mm

A seaplane flies through the clouds above the Straits of Mackinac en route from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to the Lower Peninsula. F4.5 at 1/1250, ISO 100, 80-200mm at 200mm

The rocky lakeshore along US31 south of Petoskey is, I believe, one of Michigan's most picturesque shoreline drives. I cannot resist making an image combining the patterns of the rocky shoreline and the dramatic sky looming overhead.

For years our family has stopped on US31 near the Susan Creek Nature Preserve along Lake Michigan between Petoskey and Charlevoix to look for Petoskey stones. This vantage also provides a great view of the lake, and tonight I am witnessing one of the most cobalt blue skies I have ever seen. I am so glad that I have my camera, tripod, and waterproof shoes so I can capture the moment. F11 at 1.3 seconds, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

The rocks are what most intrigued me during a 2008 shoreline hike at Sleeping Bear Point. I love the color blue, so I was also therefore drawn to the blue look to the rocks in the shadowy twilight. It took me longer than it should have to understand that the natural world often looks richer in dimmer light than brighter light. With adequate exposure, magic often appears on film or sensors in very low light.

Photographing Michigan is for Brad and me as much about experiencing Michigan as it is about making images. We have stopped along one of our favorite stretches of rocky shoreline between Petoskey and Charlevoix to immerse ourselves in Michigan artwork. F10 at 1/60, ISO 400, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

What a way to start my day. It is 5:58 a.m. as I am eased awake by the soft glow of the moon as it sets over Lake Michigan at Buttersville Park between Ludington and Pentwater. This is one of those gentle "wine shots" that are great to savor with a cup of coffee while the tripod holds my camera. F16 at 2 seconds, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 23mm

Less than five minutes after photographing the moon setting in the western sky, I turn my attention to the eastern sky to watch the sunrise paint the clouds with light and color over the carferries SS Badger, at left, and SS Spartan. I am blessed to live within 500 yards of where my tripod is standing. Life is good on the Buttersville peninsula with Lake Michigan to the west and Ludington harbor to the east. F16 at 1/5, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 21mm

Pulled by one tug and trailed by another, the historic Lake Michigan cruise ship SS Keewatin passes by Ludington in tandem tow en route to its new home in Canada. The 105-year-old Keewatin was docked for many years in Douglas, Michigan, where it served as a maritime museum. F2.8 at 1/800, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

My plan was to shoot the Comet NEOWISE in Ludington tonight. I drove out through M-116 but that was packed with cars. I wasn’t in the mood to be around people, so I decided to shoot the farm. I got back here and set up just in time to create this time lapse above a couple of our barns.