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Hard Core

Preserve the Light

Pere Marquette Cross

Being there, just being there to patiently watch the rising sun first strike the tips dune grass and then slowly paint more of the grass is a mezmerizing experience. On this October morning, a pink sky finished the Lake Michigan Shoreline painting.

One of the concepts my son Brad and I emphasize to our photography students is framing. Using something in the foreground to frame or partially frame an image provides immediacy, depth and added interest elements. I framed this shot shortly after sunrise at the beginning of November along the Lost Lake Trail.

Contending with Mother Nature is a way of life for farmers. When I saw this farmer trying to get this Riverton Township field harvested ahead of an approaching weather front, I knew I had to try to tell the story of man against the elements with my camera. I parked my truck and ran out into the field and hit the ground to frame the harvester and farmer against the storm clouds. I looked for that moment when the farmer looked back

Ludingtons Newest Lighthouse Styx Restaurant and Bowling Alley

After being seconds too late to photograph the magic light at sunrise this morning and also missing great light hitting the Ludington North Breakwater Light with a giant rainbow, I finally got my prize at Big Sable Point Lighthouse this afternoon. Lake Michigan in October is cold, but worth it for the composition I wanted. F14.0 at 1/100, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 22mm

Seeing the Coast Guard Cutter Acacia docked at the Manistee ship museum takes me back to my Coast Guard days when I sailed on the 180-foot buoy tender during one of its end of season buoy runs to take photographs of the ship's winter operations. Crewmembers used shotguns to blast ice off some of the buoys so they could be hooked and lifted aboard. I am glad to see the sturdy ship being preserved and appreciated. F22 at 1/20, ISO 3200, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

Ludington State Park

Crisp Point Light

Little Sable Lighthouse

Laughing with Friends

A great wildlife photographer friend of my dad's and mine told us several years ago: "If you don't get off the couch, you will never be able to make good photographs." Our friend was right; the more time you spend outdoors shooting, the better your odds of capturing a great moment in nature. On a warm October afternoon in 2007, I was tired of looking at the computer all day and drove out to the Ludington State Park for a mental health break. Twenty minutes into the shoot, a curious fox crept very close to the tree I was resting against. The fox held still long enough for me to make two photographs. I was never so glad in my life that I had gotten off the couch.

Big Waves on Lake Superior Cropped Vertical

 What better way to spend a beautiful fall day than traveling across Lake Michigan on the SS Badger on our way to shoot the vibrant color in the Upper Peninsula. Todd and Debbie Reed, Brad and Betsy Reed, Sarah Genson and I decided to have a fall get-away to the UP. It was a bright sun, blue sky, warm breeze, and smooth sailing way to start our journey. We then traveled through Wisconsin towards the Porcupine Mountains. We knew we wanted to make a stop at Bond Falls, and the closer it got to dark, the more worried we were that we would miss shooting the sunset there. We made it, got our waterproof clothing on and hurried to the falls. It was a stunning experience and a great way to end our first day of shooting!

Floating Into Fall

Golden Harbor View

Longing for Change