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I have jumped out of my Suburban and sprinted up and over a dune to get my camera and tripod into position in time to sharply catch this "magic light" striking Marquette Harbor Lighthouse. After a long day photographing in overcast skies and rain, my perseverance has brought me the "luck" to be here to witness and record this autumn spectacle. How could it get better than this? F2.8 at 1/125, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

I think I am done shooting after an exhaustive day hunting for photos along Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula from Grand Marais to Presque Isle, but then as I am driving through Marquette this stunning clock tower comes into view with a band of "pink sky at night" over it. The gothic-looking 1890 building was built as a bank. Now the five-story sandstone and granite downtown Marquette landmark houses various businesses. F2.8 at 1/640, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 300mm

I doubt few people have gotten a view like this of the source of Hamlin Lake. Today, I went flying with Dave Johnson from Mason County Aviation to photograph fall color in Mason County. Dave got me into perfect position to shoot the area where the Sable River turns into Upper Hamlin Lake. I would love to live on the farm in the foreground of this photograph. F6.3 at 1/500, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 27mm

On July 10th of this year for Week 28 of the Tuesdays Project I shot a photo of Mike and Nancy Banninga's "boathouse" home on Upper Hamlin Lake and wrote about the great memories I have of spending time there as a kid. It was fun today seeing it from an airplane as it was surrounded by beautiful fall color. That house has a beautiful view every day of the year. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

For whatever reason the human brain reacts more strongly to the color red than most other colors. The little red home on the right edge of this photo sticks out like a sore thumb in this very colorful aerial photograph that features the "narrows" of Hamlin Lake. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 20mm

I enjoy making photographs that look like impressionistic paintings. This photo of peak fall color in Victory Township in the Northwest region of Mason County definitely looks impressionistic. Every time I look at it I get a craving for gumdrops. Some photos really need to be seen large to be fully appreciated and this is one of those pictures. F5 at 1/640, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

I enjoy making photographs that look like impressionistic paintings. This photo of peak fall color in Victory Township in the Northwest region of Mason County definitely looks impressionistic. Every time I look at it I get a craving for gumdrops. Some photos really need to be seen large to be fully appreciated and this is one of those pictures. F5 at 1/640, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

Hemlock Golf Course in Hamlin Township was rated one of the best new golf courses in America a few years ago. It is a beautiful course all year round, but it almost always looks the best during the second week of October. Hemlock is a very challenging golf course, but it is a "must play" in my book. F6.3 at 1/400, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 20mm

The 17th hole at Hemlock Golf Course just North of Ludington is surrounded by incredible fall color today as I fly over. My grandpa, Bill Marble, golfs on this course almost every day in the summer and fall. F4.5 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

Lincoln Hills Golf Club is a beautiful semi-private golf club located just north of the Lincoln River along the shores of Lake Michigan. It is the course that I learned to play golf on with my family. I am not a good golfer, but I really enjoy getting out once a year to swing my clubs. Someday, I hope to have more time to golf, especially during the fall in Michigan. F6.3 at 1/500, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 20mm

I have driven by this blueberry patch on Fisher Road near Jebavy Drive hundreds of times, but until today I had never seen it from the air. It was especially beautiful today because of the gorgeous fall color on the surrounding trees. F4.5 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 22mm

Today near Custer, Michigan, Dave Johnson and I flew over a giant pumpkin patch. What caught my eye were the two large stripes going through the pumpkin patch as well as the three small curving green stripes that crossed through the crop. The surrounding forests full of fall color really added to the beauty of the scene. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 38mm

To me, farming often seems like a romantic way to make a living. Just like photography or any other career, I am sure it has its up and downs. I bet if I were a farmer, my favorite time of the year would be the fall harvest. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 30mm

As Dave Johnson and I were flying above Mason County today trying to photograph the extraordinary fall color in our area, we both noticed a unique field near Scottville, Michigan. From the air, the field looked like tan water and the island of hard woods in the middle of it appeared to be floating. Dave circled the field and banked the plane so I could get in just the right position to capture the uniqueness of the area below. F6.3 at 1/2500, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

Scottville, Michigan is located in the center of Mason County and the downtown area of the small farming community is just north of the Pere Marquette River. Like many small towns in Michigan, Scottville has a friendly atmosphere and a welcoming spirit. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 30mm

October sunrises in Michigan are hard to beat. You often get a mix of fog and intense color on October mornings. This shot was made from the bridge on Jebavy Drive over the Lincoln River. F10 at 0.3, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

For well over a half-century the carferry SS Badger has graced the waterfront of her homeport of Ludington, Michigan. I never tire of seeing the lights of the ship and the city as the vessel and city landscape begin to be visible against the dawn sky. F11 at 4 seconds, ISO 1600, 24-70mm lens at 46mm

On the final leg of her cross-lake journey, the carferry SS Badger finishes a turn to port as the captain and wheelsman line the big ship up to steam between the pier heads of her home port. Passengers line the bow to get a first-hand look at Ludington harbor. F4 at 1/1250, ISO 1600, 500mm lens at 500mm

I love the color complements and contrasts provided by overgrown asparagus plants and the green barn at the Green Farm north of Hart, Michigan. I decide to focus on the red seeds and use the rest of the scene as the backdrop. Bob Green, a former Michigan State University research microbiologist, explains to me that only the male plants sprout these colorful red seeds. The Greens have farmed in the Hart area since 1989. F5.6 at 1/125, ISO 200, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

There are many larger, grander churches in Michigan, but I think probably none fit into the autumn landscape more beautifully than St. James Church in Pentwater, Michigan. I love this church in all seasons. F6.3 at 1/320, ISO 200, 24-70mm lens at 29mm