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What a great evening to be a seagull. As I make this picture, I think of all the times I have watched seagulls enduring the worst fall windstorms and winter blizzards. I am certain they are finding this second day of summer more enjoyable. F4.5 at 1/200, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 175 mm

This wild tiger lily is one of dozens of these colorful roadside attractions lining Meyers Road between Ludington and Scottville. It is a bit breezy so I will have to shoot at a fast shutter speed and bump up the ISO to make a sharp image, but I like the way the picture looks in the viewfinder. F3.2 at 1/250, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

I round the bend of the Ludington North Breakwater with a photography workshop student and am surprised to see a bride and groom strolling toward me. With no time to get the camera on the tripod, I draw on skills honed in my newspaper days and quickly compose a hand-held shot of the newlyweds, Ashli and Jon Solitro. F5.0 at 1/200, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 130 mm

After taking some shots of Brad and a student of ours photographing a mature bald eagle at Ludington State Park, I switch to my big lens just in time to watch the eagle take off after an immature eagle swooped down at it. The mature bird flies over my head so close that I have to shoot without looking through the viewfinder to track with it. Awesome! F4.0 at 1/4000, ISO 800, 500 mm lens at 500 mm

The Lister family is always so gracious to Brad and me when we ask to photograph their farmland. Based upon their recommendation, I headed to Blundell Road this evening to photograph tart cherries. Wow do these cherries look great to me in the viewfinder. I could almost eat the picture! F3.2 at 1/25, ISO 200, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

A monarch butterfly takes off from a milkweed flower along the west shore of Pere Marquette Lake. The scene reminds me of my childhood enjoying such natural wonders in the fields that bordered our Ludington home. F3.5 at 1/500, ISO 160, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

A neighborhood deer grazes near our home on the Buttersville peninsula south of Ludington. Her summer coat looks splendid in the evening light. F2.8 at 1/160, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

My wife Debbie and I are returning to Buttersville Park from a trek to photograph the clay banks in the evening light when this scene presents itself. I already have the picture I set out to take but can't pass up this shot of a group of Kalamazoo College students savoring a bonfire and the sunset afterglow. Another hike to the clay banks lies ahead. F4.5 at 1.0, ISO 250, 12-24 mm lens at 22 mm

My wife Debbie and I are returning to Buttersville Park from a trek to photograph the clay banks in the evening light when this scene presents itself. I already have the picture I set out to take but can't pass up this shot of a group of Kalamazoo College students savoring a bonfire and the sunset afterglow. Another hike to the clay banks lies ahead. F4.5 at 1.0, ISO 250, 12-24 mm lens at 22 mm

Our workshop students tonight are getting a lesson in shooting twice as close. I am demonstrating how shooting part of the Ludington lighthouse can result in fresher, more abstract views. They try it and like it. I try it and also like it. F22.0 at 1/15, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

A summer night tradition in Ludington: watch the sunset then head downtown for ice cream. House of Flavors has a long line tonight as usual. Seeing families enjoying ice cream together reminds me of all those summer nights my parents took us to House of Flavors (Park Dairy in those days) during Sunday family outings. F2.8 at 1/60, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 92 mm

My camera catches a fawn in the morning light. I make the shot and move on so that it can continue to browse in peace with its mother along the west shore of Pere Marquette Lake. F2.8 at 1/400, ISO 800, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

The 4th of July in Ludington: great family times capped off by a glorious ending. Family and friends are gathered on the Crosswinds beach at the mouth of Ludington harbor for a spectacular Ludington 4th of July fireworks show. But perhaps the best way to celebrate our nation's independence is to think of all those who have fought to preserve it. F8.0 at 25.0, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 20 mm

I think I have never seen the East Ludington Avenue residential entryway to downtown Ludington look as beautiful. Lee and Beatrice Farmer are among the many homeowners lining the avenue who take pride in restoring and maintaining their homes. Their "painted lady" at 716 E. Ludington Avenue is one of my favorite grand old Ludington homes. F8.0 at 1/100, ISO 800, 80-200 mm lens at 80 mm

Another hot day draws a crowd to the Bass Lake Outlet to cool off and have some summer fun. My wife Debbie recalls hiking to the outlet from a Bass Lake cottage her parents rented during summer vacations when she was growing up. Bass Lake is one of those places where summer traditions are built. F6.3 at 1/5000, ISO 100, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

I must be dreaming. A massive buck, its antlers in velvet, pauses in the perfect spot on a Ludington Pumped Storage Plant hillside covered with sweet pea. This looks too good to be true, especially when an old family friend, Dr. John Ramsey, who practiced medicine in Ludington many years ago, sounds out a doe bleat and the deer turns to look our way. F4.0 at 1/400, ISO 800, 500 mm lens at 500 mm

The asparagus-picking season is over in this field along South Scottville Road. The plants are left for now to grow wild. This is the time of year when I start to find these fields very photogenic. I find the bright color, soft look and repetitive patterns of the overgrown plants eye-catching. F3.2 at 1/400, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

It is another uncharacteristically hot day in Northern Michigan and once again the eastern sky is filled with beautiful cumulus clouds this afternoon as I head to Pentwater to set up for the annual art fair on the Village Green. The Monton farm along the US 31 Freeway at the Mason-Oceana county line looks picture perfect. F16.0 at 1/60, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 80 mm

Neighbors on the Buttersville Peninsula have left a pleasing arrangement of beach chairs in front of their home. The soft blues of the evening sky and Lake Michigan complements the chairs. I am getting that tropical feeling that makes me want to relax in one of the chairs with a Shock Top beer. Instead I savor the view while making the picture. F22.0 at 2.5, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 14 mm

I am eye to eye with a rare Karner Blue butterfly. The imperiled butterfly lives for only about two weeks and is about the size of a quarter. The U.S. Forest Service Baldwin office has allowed me to assist seasonal biological technician Justin Bragg as a Karner Blue counting volunteer today. F10.0 at 1/200, ISO 800, 105 mm macro lens at 105 mm