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A hand-crafted wooden dinghy drifted lazily upon the still waters of Pentwater Lake on a summer evening. Its tending line kept the little craft from drifting too far away from a classic wooden sailboat.

The Duck Lake Watershed along US31 near Interlochen has long been in my mental diary of views that could make a good picture on the right day. Today, with a fresh blanket of snow and light snow falling, it finally looks picture perfect.

An hour or two before sunset, my dad can usually foretell whether the sky will produce great color. I have endeavored to learn this skill from him. On this evening, my dad and I both noticed that the sky looked very similar to four nights earlier when I photographed the particle ray behind the Ludington North Pier. We immediately drove to Pentwater and our predictions were realized.

I was horribly disappointed today when my dad and I made it to the shoreline at Point Betsie Lighthouse just north of Frankfort, Michigan and found Lake Michigan flat as could be. It was beautiful, but I needed some rolling waves in order to make the image I had created in my head a few days earlier. As I was preparing to shoot Plan B, my dad pointed out that a large sportfishing boat was screaming by just offshore and was creating a large wake. I rushed to get into position and set my underwater camera to the correct settings; then it was just a matter of timing.

Each night that I step onto the shores of Lake Michigan, I am amazed by the unique light show that unveils itself. No two sunsets are the same. Just when you think you have seen them all, Mother Nature renders a refreshingly new display of her beauty.

Looking more like a watercolor painting than a photographic image, the Island Trail at Ludington State Park has never looked more gorgeous to me than on this November evening.

A breaking wave splashes onto the rocks protecting the Pentwater South Pier. I am one of only a few visitors to the Pentwater waterfront this evening. I savor the sunset in solitude.

Looking more like a watercolor painting than a photographic image, the Island Trail at Ludington State Park has never looked more gorgeous to me than on this November evening.

Fresh Water Day

Under Water at Big Sable

I stood in one spot on a dune above the beach in Pentwater while waiting over an hour for the magic light to appear. In that time, I used a spherical perspective to imagine what different compositions would be in nearby locations. I knew that once the light appeared, I would try to make one of my shots from the water's edge and would have to lie on my stomach to capture it. My previsualization paid off. In two minutes, I made four strong images from four different spots that were all within 40 yards of my original spot on top of the dune.

The 630-foot Calumet is being guided through the narrow waters of the Detroit River near Wyandotte, Michigan by two small tugs. The tug pulling from the bow is the Idaho and is just out of view in the photograph. The twin tug Wyoming is assisting the Calumet from the stern. F11 at 1/800, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

Calm Night In Pentwater

Calm Night In Pentwater - panoramic

Loving Pentwater

Pentwater Lighthouses

Pentwater Lighthouses

Rolling Over Pentwater

We like to immerse ourselves in a scene. On this February afternoon, my camera and I are very close to the ice-covered shoreline and waves breaking inside the Pentwater pierheads.

Pentwater North Pierhead Light attracts many people on summer nights, but its main purpose is to help guide boats into Pentwater harbor. Its conical tower stands 43-feet high to help mariners, find the harbor by day. By night, a green light on top of the tower flashes to aid boaters in finding the harbor entrance.