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Ludington State Park Workshop

Aerial Photos of Ludington

Kinney Road Tree in Fog

A great horned owl eyes visitors to Ludington State Park. The owl was a star attraction during one of the many wildlife education programs put on at the park's Great Lakes Visitors Center. Wildlife Recovery Association had brought the beautiful bird and several other injured birds of prey to the nature center. Attending the park's interpretive programs helps thousands of visitors better understand, appreciate and respect the park and all its living things.

As I was making this photograph tonight near the north edge of Epworth Heights along Lake Michigan, I was curious to know the history of this tree stump. Where did it come from? Why did it die? How long ago did it make it to the Lake Michigan shoreline? Even after all the years of extreme shoreline weather, this stump still looked solid and strong.

My sister-in-law, Misty Reed, was born and raised in Pentwater, Michigan. The house she grew up in is just a block away from the beach and it is a family tradition to walk down and watch the 4th of July fireworks. Tonight, I was fortunate enough to join her and her family for some beautiful fireworks.

Boaters love to set course for Charlevoix, especially during the annual Venetian Festival. To capture the flavor of summer in Charlevoix I set out to photograph across Round Lake toward downtown during the blue light of dusk. Fortunately the night was so still that the sailboat moored in front of me was staying almost motionless, enabling me to use a long enough shutter speed to record the movement of two of the festival amusement rides.

Commercial fishing nets dry in the sun on a warm summer day in Fish Town at Leland, Michigan. I love that commercial fishing on Lake Michigan at Leland continues in much the same manner as a century and more ago. I used to love to photograph similar fishing nets at Ludington. Now I travel to Leland to be able to see and photograph a sight like this. F22 at 1/60, ISO 320, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

Ludington State Park Workshop

Big Sable Hot Spot

Kinney Road Tree in Fog

The Ludington lighthouse draws my eye whenever I am near it. So many times, it offers a spectacular picture but, too often, not quite splendid enough to trip the shutter. One foggy summer morning there was no doubt I should shoot.

Venturing deeper into wildlife photography has been a wonderful challenge. We invested a lot of money into a 500-millimeter Nikon F4 lens and a new carbon fiber tripod designed for heavy telephoto lenses. We quickly learned that even with the best equipment, great wildlife photographs depend most of all on the light and capturing the defining moment. After a year of searching for the bald eagle shot I had always pre-visualized at the Ludington State Park, my luck changed on July 25, 2007.

After shooting the sunset in Epworth tonight, I walked back to my truck, which was parked at the First Curve in Ludington State Park. The sunset was average at best, but the afterglow proved to be the real treasure. As I was making this image, I knew this was where I belonged. I believe everything happens for a reason and God put me into position to capture this image. Maybe someday I will know why, but for now I am enjoying the journey.

One of the greatest visual spectacles of the year along the Lake Michigan shoreline is the Fourth of July fireworks displays held in port communities. For this one in Ludington I planted my tripod in Lake Michigan so that my camera would be immersed in the fireworks reflections.

Looking downstream from the Leland River dam, it is easy to imagine what this fishing village looked like a century ago. The citizens of Leland have gone to great lengths to preserve the historic look of this still active commercial fishing port.

365 Week 15

Tall Ship and Ludington Light Vertical

August 28 2014 Isle Royal

Michigan's Pride