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Buckley Rollway

 

My dad and I are fortunate that our gallery customers give us hints that help us capture some of our best photographs at the Ludington State Park. Last fall, a traveling nurse from the Ludington hospital stopped in the gallery and told me about a flaming red and orange tree she had seen the day before on the Ridge Trail at the park. With her detailed directions, I was able to easily spot the tree and was lucky enough to walk away with a smile on my face.

I am between teaching classes at West Shore Community College walking across campus from the cafeteria to my classroom when I notice how the brisk wind is bending cattails along the pond. I don't mind getting snow in my hiking boots while trudging through it to get close enough to make the picture I envision. F3.2 at 1/100, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 86 mm

This willow tree in front of Emerson Lake Inn east of Walhalla, Michigan stands out any time of year, but on a rainy, foggy winter morning the grand old tree commands attention in a way I have never seen before.

Big Sable Light Jan 2007

Buckley Rollway

Blue Chrome

One of the 20/20 Vision concepts we teach in our photography workshops is micro composing. With my camera on a tripod, I worked hard lying on my stomach on a frozen puddle to make sure every icicle was in just the right place and not merging with important elements of the Badger.

A male mallard duck was as still as a decoy this afternoon at the entrance of the Middle Bayou on Hamlin Lake. I worked quickly to make this image before a nearby swan messed up the perfect reflection.

Lake Michigan was a breathtaking color today, and the overcast sky was a wonderful complement. I hiked along the snow-blown dunes along M-116 until I came to a spot of uncovered sand. I composed my pyramid at my base and clicked the shutter.

 

Snow Horses

Many visitors to Ludington don't realize that the Ludington North Breakwater Light is now about seven degrees crooked due to a recent repair job that did not go as planned. It is a photographer's nightmare, especially with a 600 mm lens. You have to choose which one you want straight, the horizon or the lighthouse. F8.0 at 1/200, ISO 400, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 850 mm

My great-aunt, Carol Wright, died unexpectedly this week. She was a very classy lady and a lot of fun to be around. After her funeral was over, I used my iPhone to take a close up of the window at the funeral home. My aunt Carol loved bright colors and she would have loved this photograph. F2.8 at 1/430, ISO 70, iPhone camera

These flaming red berries jumped right out at me as my dad and I were driving to Baldwin along US10. I had my dad stop the Suburban and I quickly hopped out to make this image. Because of the strong winds this morning, I had to raise my ISO to 6400 but I still wanted a lot of depth of field. I achieved that by shooting at an aperture of F13.

Leland is one of the most historic and well-preserved fishing towns on the Great Lakes. I love going there with my camera and stepping back in time. Today was the first time I had photographed Leland in the snow. The snow really helped define the rooflines and textures of the old wooden buildings.

Manistee Light in the Winter