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While I was making a sunrise photograph this morning along the Pere Marquette River, my uncle, Rod Marble, called to tell me he was looking at the largest double rainbow he had ever seen. I stood up, turned around, and almost fainted. I instantly knew where I needed to head. My destination was Cherry Hill Farm on Conrad Road. F4.5 at 1/250, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

Roger and Marcia Hansen own two donkeys at their family farm on Conrad Road. These donkeys keep me entertained all year long every time I drive by. I used my widest angled lens and got extremely close to this white donkey in order to make his head look twice the size it should. This photograph will always remind me of "Donkey" from Shrek. F14 at 1/250, ISO 400, 14mm lens at 14mm

After a drizzly start to my hiking day at Kensington Metro Park, diffused sunlight creates a soft glow on leaves along one of the park's many miles of trails. I use a large telephoto lens and fast shutter speed to make only a cluster of maple leaves stand out sharply in the forest. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 3200, 300mm lens at 300mm

A sandhill crane pops up out of the grass for a look while playing hide-and-seek with me at Kensington Metro Park. I took many photographs of sandhill cranes today, some showing an entire bird or birds, but I find this tighter shot riveting and much less expected. F4.5 at 1/1250, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

A mourning dove catches my eye as I hike near the Kensington Metro Park Nature Center. I think quickly but move slowly to frame the bird cleanly against a backdrop of trees beginning to turn color. The subtly beautiful creature stays still long enough for me to finish making a picture that feels good. F9 at 1/500, ISO 3200, 300mm lens at 300mm

Wild turkeys file down a trail at the Kensington Metro Park nature preserve. They seem unbothered by my intrusion into their habitat. I am impressed by how wild it is at Kensington even though the southeast Michigan park borders one of Michigan's busiest freeways and is within a short distance of big cities. F9 at 1/500, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 300mm

A great blue heron stands motionless, waiting for lunch to swim his way on a pond at Kensington Metro Park between Brighton and Milford, Michigan. I love the elegant posture, self-control, and patience of these keen hunters. F22 at 1/500, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 300mm

I liked the delicate look of the patterns made by these grasses, lily pads, and reflections on a pond at Kensington Metro Park. I composed the image to feature only those elements that I found exciting.

It looks to me like this windmill is spinning clouds today. The windmill towers over the animal farm that is one of the added attractions of the Kensington Metro Park Farm Center. I guess in this case KFC does not stand for Kentucky Fried Chicken. F11 at 1/250, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

Heading westward across Michigan via highways and byways, I come upon this scene near Fowlerville. The quality of light playing on the goldenrod, grasses, trees and barns makes this look like a textured country tapestry. F11 at 1/250, ISO 400, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

Big-time farming is a big and impressive business in Michigan. Today is a corn harvest day for Jorgensen Farms in Williamston, Michigan. Two giant John Deere combines load a Jorgensen Farms semi before harvesting more corn. F11 at 1/500, ISO 400, 14-24mm lens at 16mm

I have already made several images of the exterior of the famous Ada Covered Bridge in Ada, Michigan. Now, after moving inside, I find myself loving the geometric shapes of the bridge interior and the way light and shadow plays upon the timbers. Originally built in 1867, the bridge was restored in 1941. I think it is a work of art. F22 at 4 seconds, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

I have photographed my way westward across Michigan today. Clouds have been an important ingredient in several of my shots. Now my hunch that the supersized marshmallow clouds in the western sky are going to help create one of the most spectacular sunset light shows of the year is paying off. I have reached the Grand Haven shoreline just in time to see the sky on fire. F5.6 at 1/1000, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 130mm

This day started with a massive double rainbow in the west and now we have some of the largest, most distinct God beams I have ever seen. Days like today make my job as a photographer a whole lot easier, but more importantly, more fun. F11 at 1/60, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 145mm

By setting my camera aperture to F22 and shooting directly into the sun, I was able to make it appear like the Ludington North Breakwater Light had a crown of sunshine. Shooting on full auto would have never allowed for this look or feel. At our weekend workshops, we teach our students how to use their own cameras on full manual. F22 at 1/80, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

The God beams have quickly disappeared and now the sky is flaming red, yellow, and orange. My favorite part of this composition is the lone fisherman standing at the end of the breakwall. He became the little person in the big world and he gives the photograph a sense of scale. The tiny fisherman makes the sky seem 10 times more powerful. F2.8 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

The God beams have quickly disappeared and now the sky is flaming red, yellow, and orange. My favorite part of this composition is the lone fisherman standing at the end of the breakwall. He became the little person in the big world and he gives the photograph a sense of scale. The tiny fisherman makes the sky seem 10 times more powerful. F2.8 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

I have always been impressed with the brilliant engineering of the Ludington North Breakwater Light. Obviously it was designed well before computers were ever imagined, but they still had the foresight to make the portholes line up with each other on opposing sides so that the sunlight during a sunset would shine through the entire lighthouse. F2.8 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

As the colors of tonight's sunset changed by the minute, I watched the orange, red, and yellow sunset quickly turn to purple and magenta. Luckily, I was exposing as the purple and magenta started to take over the sky. Experiencing sunsets in Ludington never gets old. F2.8 at 1/200, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 92mm