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Over the last 15 years the number of new houses and cottages built on the north shore of Hamlin Lake has exploded. Most of the homes border Hamlin Lake on one side and the Manistee National Forest on the other. F6.3 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 17mm

I am struck while watching this duck swim on Round Lake in Charlevoix how much it seems as if the female mallard is floating over a sea of giant emerald gems. Round Lake is certainly one of the most beautiful harbors in Michigan. I never tire of spending time here. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

These pigeons are a bright spot in a sad day. Angel, our beloved cat, died today. The pigeons are on a barn roof at Country Clinic, which gave us Angel nearly 20 years ago when he was an orphan kitty convalescing from the loss of a front leg. What a gift he turned out to be! F5.6 at 1/2000, ISO 400, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

Kasey had a cross country meet in Bear Lake this evening. I decided to take back roads home, from Manistee, on the search of a photo. To my luck, I saw this sandhill crane in a field. I safely pulled the van over and got in position. What a majestic bird!

I am impressed by the affection a pair of mute swans display for each other while basking in the sunshine on Pere Marquette Lake with their offspring. It is clear to me they are mates for life. F4.5 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 145 mm

Using trees for cover, I have stealthily made my way to within 15 yards of this great blue heron. Fortunately for me, the heron's attention is primarily focused on the water and his quest for dinner. F3.5 at 1/500, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

I spot a bald eagle on a favorite morning fishing perch overlooking Lake Michigan along South Lakeshore Drive. I set up nearby and wait about 20 minutes to capture its takeoff. F4 at 1/1250, ISO 100, 500 mm lens at 500 mm

I love the sense of adventure and scale of this image as I compose it in my viewfinder. Brad and I call this kind of shot "the little person in the big world." Lake Michigan is definitely a big world. F7.1 at 1/2000, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 155 mm

I headed to Copeyon Park on Pere Marquette Lake this morning to photograph the fog and mist. As I was composing a photograph that showed the west side of Pere Marquette Lake with fall color, a swan swam out of the fog and into the sunlight. The photograph of the fall color will have to wait. F5.6 at 1/250, ISO 100, 70-200 mm lens at 200 mm

My family has been hunting pheasants for decades. Today, we hunted with the Wright family at Thundering Aspens Sportsman Club near Mesick, Michigan. Their red lab, Drake, was the most impressive hunting dog I have ever witnessed in the field. He also is one of the best-looking hunting dogs I have ever seen.

Soaring on a brisk autumn wind, a seagull passes overhead as I am looking for pictures along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Fortunately, I am prepared to make the shot of the graceful bird. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 120 mm

Several tom turkeys passed in front of my truck as I turned the corner from Conrad Road onto Meyers Road this morning. I threw on a larger lens and ran after the birds. The fall leaves on the ground add to the composition. F2.8 at 1/320, ISO 500, 70-200 mm lens at 120 mm

The larger the millimeters on your lens, the shallower the depth of field or focus will be. Also, the closer you are to the subject you are focusing on, the shallower the depth of field. And, of course, the larger the aperture hole in your lens, the shallower the depth of field. Today, I was very close to this Eastern Kingbird with a 600mm lens and a 1.4 extender and I shot it with a huge aperture hole at F5.6. That is why the bird looks very sharp and everything behind the bird becomes soft and out of focus. F5.6 at 1/1000, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 840mm

My dad and I have photographed several bald eagles this year on different Tuesdays, but this was the first day we actually set out to specifically photograph the majestic animal at the Ludington State Park. In two short hours, we successfully photographed five different bald eagles. I never tire of seeing these massive birds populating the woods in Michigan. F5.6 at 1/6400, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 840mm

A mature bald eagle approaches touchdown in a white pine tree along the west shore of Hamlin Lake at Ludington State Park. I am so glad to see more eagles thriving in Michigan in recent years. F6.3 at 1/1250, ISO 800, 500mm lens at 500mm

An immature bald eagle banks to make a turn toward Hamlin Lake as it descends from a fishing perch at Ludington State Park. While perhaps not as striking and noble looking as adult eagles, I find the immature eagles impressive and beautiful in their own right. F4 at 1/1250, ISO 800, 500mm lens at 500mm

Carl Sams, the famous wildlife photographer from Milford, Michigan, took the best bald eagle photograph I have ever seen. It show an adult eagle, wings completely straight, flying directly into the camera during a blizzard. I liked the image so much that I bought my dad a 40-inch panoramic canvas of it for our cabin. I have always wanted to make an image similar to Carl's. This is as close as I have come. The eagle in this photo is only a few years old and does not have the pure white head yet. F5.6 at 1/1000, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 840mm

We were exploring a different part of Legends Ranch today when a falcon flew above us. Luckily, I was ready with my camera.

I checked out the new splash pad in Copeyon Park. It isn’t running now, but I think my kids will enjoy it next summer! The geese were active on the lake while I was there. I caught this one in magic light.

In amongst the chaos of life, there are some mornings that can calm your soul. Even if only for a second. This was one of those mornings. After the kids got on the bus, I drove to the far back of the property on the farm. I wanted a different view of the Pere Marquette River and knew the moss here would make for a great foreground.