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PM River

PM River

I love studying clumps of dune grass looking for pleasing arrangements of patterns and shapes. Sometimes I see an arrangement I love but the background is too cluttered. Today, a fresh coat of snow along the Lake Michigan shoreline near Pentwater creates a clean, simple background for an arrangement I find simply splendid.

I think it is so cool how the dune in the foreground of this photograph looks like a porcupine. This is a new vantage point my dad and I discovered today at the Silver Lake State Park. I am certain we will be back here many times in the future with our cameras and I can't wait. F8 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

Rachel and I went for a hike together with our cameras today. The sunshine was a welcome treat as we explored the Ludington State Park.

The Lincoln River Outlet, which bustles with small watercraft in the summer, lies still on an icy January morning. My son, Tad, and I each found several good photographs that frigid morning when good light and fresh snow coincided.

Brad and I are winter persons. We love being outside in the snow, photographing, hiking, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing; you name it. But on a winter day as magical as this, we'd better be shooting pictures. We were, and I am glad we were. Following a deer trail through the pines south of the dam at Ludington State Park led me into a winter world of white.

The Mason County Courthouse is an impressive structure that has intrigued me since I was a young boy. Our courthouse was finished in 1894 and is still in use today. Grand Rapids architect Sidney J. Osgood designed the Richardsonian Romanesque building. The sandstone used to build the courthouse came from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. F5.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 23 mm

Views like this remind me how blessed I am to live along the Lake Michigan shoreline. I am standing atop a high dune near the south end of Silver Lake State Park only a half-hour from home looking north over thousands of acres of dune lands in the park. F22 at 1/4, ISO 140, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

I had hiked through heavy snow for several hours on a January morning, occasionally finding a picture worth taking. On my way back from making the image I had pre-visualized on Lost Lake, I got an added bonus when these deer peered out from their snow shelter. The bonus shot was an example of what we preach to our workshop students: look for what you expect or plan to shoot, but be alert and ready for the unexpected shot.

It is shocking to me that my dad and I have never been to this spot at the Silver Lake State Park before. We have driven our trucks within 100 yards of here, but we have never taken the time to get out of the vehicles and explore the other side of the creek at Ruckel's Bridge. Finding hidden treasures like this is a photographer's version of winning the lotto. F8 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 27mm

Winter Has Arrived - panoramic

My dad and I often tell our workshop students to try to shoot reflections or water on bright sunny days. The water will render very chromatic and brilliant compared to the sky or other surroundings that are being washed out by the sunlight. F5.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 23 mm

There are so many beautiful orchards in Michigan to drive past; it would probably take the entire blossom season to see them all. This one within a few miles of Lake Michigan between Hart and Shelby, Michigan looks as picture-perfect on this May morning as any I have ever seen.

Dune grasses barely move on a nearly perfectly still evening at the Silver Lake Outlet to Lake Michigan. A florist could not have arranged the dune grass more perfectly for me. All I have to do is position the camera in just the right spot. F22 at 0.6, ISO 140, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

Winter Has Arrived

The students in my Photo 1 class at West Shore Community College have set out this morning to find images that will render well with color film. I enjoy watching them use their own vision to find images I might never see. We talk about looking close; I follow my own advice and find this frosted maple leaf. F20.0 at 1/15, ISO 100, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

Little Sable in the Dark

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.

For several generations now, Sportsman's Restaurant & Irish Pub has been the place to be for green beer and good times in Ludington on St. Patrick's Day. Tonight I took a photo of Megan Payment enjoying the festivities. Her family has owned the iconic Ludington destination for many decades. F2.8 at 1/250, ISO 1250, 18-50 mm lens at 40 mm