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Country Strong

My dad has taught me how to use my camera to convey different emotions within the same scene. To portray a peaceful summer evening mood, I stood in the puddle and positioned my camera and tripod inches above the water’s surface. The angle resulted in a mirror-like reflection of the sky and clouds. I also set my shutter speed to 15 seconds to make the water appear more like a painter's palette of colors than a cloudy storm pool.

The canopy that these maple trees drape over the roadway is one of the many reasons Conrad Road, between Ludington and Scottville, is one of my favorite stretches to drive. Photo hunting along area rural roads has been a favorite endeavor for decades. I have discovered countless unforgettable scenes and many memorable friendly people in my travels.

My son, Brad and I climbed for half an hour to arrive at this dune vantage point on Hamlin Lake. Our family made several summer trips to the dunes and was always rewarded with good pictures and great experiences.

Kingfishers are incredible in their ability to dive down and grab fish out of the water. The hunt appears effortless and amazingly graceful. I wonder if this kingfisher chuckled to see that a human angler obviously needed more practice with his or her casting skills, thus the fishing line stuck in the tree.

Having multiple camera lenses is a blessing and a curse. After a long snowy hike back from Big Point Sable Lighthouse, I spotted six bald eagles in a row of tall white pines about a quarter mile ahead. Of course, I had my wide-angle lens on my camera, and I scrambled for my telephoto as each bird took flight and soared overhead. Once I had the proper equipment ready, a seventh bird, an immature bald eagle, came into view.

Stop the TRUCK! This is what I heard right before four of our workshop participants shot out the passenger side of my truck with their camera gear in tow. I quickly gave chase and we all ended up on a large dune ridge facing a brilliant rainbow to the southeast. The entire expanse of dune turned a vibrant gold.

Mink live all along the Sable River at the Ludington State Park. This adult mink was busy finding food for its young. I watched this family of five hunt crayfish and chase each other for over an hour before making this photograph.

During most sunsets along the Lake Michigan shoreline, the sun appears to tranquilly disappear below the horizon. However, occasionally at dusk, the sun, clouds, water, and sand mold and blend to create a powerful mixture of molten beauty.

My dad and I have found that the best way to photograph lightning is using the longest exposure possible for the given situation. This photograph is a 30-second exposure at F8 and an ISO of 100. It was shot on a sturdy tripod that could withstand the 30 miles-per-hour winds. This fierce thunderstorm headed north very quickly and it took out power in Manistee, Michigan.

O.K. It’s really a Baltimore Oriole. But since it was residing in Ludington State Park, and since my three sons and I were Ludington Orioles during high school, I have taken some editorial license. The colorful songbird had probably recently returned from the south when I came upon him in mid-May on the Island Trail.

I spotted this loon on Hamlin Lake during a June hike in the Ludington State Park. Photographing it was a personal highlight in a photographic journey that spanned more than a year. I dreamed of reencountering the loon “twice as close” or “twice as close again.” But in six more months of hiking and boating in the park, I never saw a loon again. I am grateful for the opportunity to see this one.

Attention on deck! A family of Canada geese appears at full alert along the north bank of the Sable River on a summer afternoon. Perhaps they are watching for the fox that lives just around the bend, or perhaps they have already spotted the sly predator.

A three-day-old piping plover is dwarfed by dune grass near a pond in the dunes north of Big Point Sable Lighthouse. The tiny bird has no idea it is a rare endangered species. Michigan Department of Natural Resources piping plover steward Katrina Hernandez and I have spent a couple hours this morning finding the plover and rest of its family after they fled from the cage and fencing designed to keep people and predators away, yet not to restrict the birds from leaving.

Today my son Ethan and I headed to Muskegon to go to his favorite arcade restaurant. Along the way on US31 near Whitehall, I noticed how beautiful the clouds were looking. I told Ethan that we were going to make a little detour to the White Lake Lighthouse to shoot some photos. He loves going on adventures with his old man.

Today has been one of the most fun Tuesday adventures of the year so far. We started with a world-class sunrise, then went up in an airplane and photographed the Pere Marquette River. Next we went photo hunting by boat at the Ludington State Park for bald eagles and we followed that by photographing the Budweiser Clydesdales. To top the night off we end with a gorgeous sunset at Big Sable Point Lighthouse. How can you not love days like this in Michigan? F22 at 8 seconds, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Workshop at Ludington State Park

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Every summer, thousands of visitors frequent the Beach House, inside Ludington State Park. Weddings, family reunions, and eating ice cream are just a few of the uses for this grand structure.

I yearn for the dramatic light and the winds that come to the Lake Michigan shoreline in the fall. This perfect combination creates a world of beautifully lit patterns of grasses, waves and clouds. The carferry S.S. Badger, steaming back to Ludington from Wisconsin, provided an added ingredient to the scene on this October day.