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For a truly dramatic photo of a Lake Michigan sunset, try using a large telephoto lens. With a very narrow view of the Earth, a large telephoto lens will intensify the color and drama in any sunset. The foreground in this photograph is a small dune at Stearns Park between the breakwall and the playground. F4 at 1/4000, ISO 100, 600mm lens at 600mm

For a truly dramatic photo of a Lake Michigan sunset, try using a large telephoto lens. With a very narrow view of the Earth, a large telephoto lens will intensify the color and drama in any sunset. The foreground in this photograph is a small dune at Stearns Park between the breakwall and the playground. F4 at 1/4000, ISO 100, 600mm lens at 600mm

I have to admit that every time I witness the Northern Lights I get a little bit nervous that I am going to have a close encounter with aliens. The lights are beautiful and mesmerizing, but a little spooky sometimes. F2.8 at 166 seconds, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

This is the second major Northern Lights show on a Tuesday this year. Thanks to a 9:00 p.m. text message from Don Klemm informing me of the light show, I drove to the Ludington State Park and made this image over the Beach House. F2.8 at 151 seconds, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 20mm

One of the most surreal Northern Lights shows I have ever seen dances across the sky on the Ludington waterfront. Thanks, Brad, for waking me up. I had turned in early after a long day of shooting. Now I am back outdoors with my camera living the dream. F2.8 at 30 seconds, ISO 800, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

One of the beauties of living in Ludington is that we are close enough to the North Pole to occasionally be bathed in the colorful northern exposure of the Northern Lights. Ludington is aglow tonight with city lights and Northern Lights. F3.5 at 25 seconds, ISO 800, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

This is the view of the Pere Marquette River from the upstairs bunkroom at our cabin. I never tire of gazing at this s-shaped bend of the PM River, especially on foggy mornings. F22 at 0.4, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 26mm

Fog simplifies the background of these trees along the border between our land and Cherry Hill Farm north of the Pere Marquette River. Usually the farm's big red barn stands out. Today the trees get to be the standouts. F5 at 1/320, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 450mm

The fog was two-brick thick at sunrise but now it has lifted enough to give this bend of the Pere Marquette River a dreamy look. I have enjoyed watching the river flow past this spot in front of our cabin for many years. It slows me down watching the water meander downstream. F29 at 20 seconds, ISO 100, 24-70mm lens at 34mm

A blue spruce tree seems to be reaching for the sun but the sun is nowhere in sight on this foggy morning. I like the way the spruce, being close to me, is distinct while the hardwood tree in the background is softened by the fog. Atmospheric days like today help create layers to images. The key is to be close to the foreground layer. F10 at 1/10, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 450mm

I love this view for more than the beauty of this red pine tree branch on a rainy morning. I appreciate it even more because this tree is one of hundreds my brother and I have watched grow on our land along the Pere Marquette River from seedlings to more than 15 feet high. I find all the trees, just one of the trees or a small part of one a joy to behold. F11 at 1/400, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 450mm

Sometimes it seems a shame to see this classic car rusting away. But then I think about how much I enjoy watching the evolution of it settling into the earth in a small woodlot. The '55 Chevy wagon came with some land our family purchased several years ago. Now it is a photographer's muse. F22 at 0.8, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

Raindrops cling to Michigan berries long after it has stopped raining on a November morning in the woods between Ludington and Scottville. A long-abandoned 1955 Chevrolet provides the backdrop. F2.8 at 1/1600, ISO 3200, 80-200mm lens at 135mm

The '55 Chevy this hood ornament is attached to ceased flying down Michigan roadways years ago. The plane and the rest of the classic car remain grounded in a wooded area of our property. F22 at 0.6, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

Sometimes this swampy area of our property along the Pere Marquette River is under water. With the unseasonably warm and dry year we have had, this is the driest I have ever seen our swamp. F8 at 1/80, ISO 1600, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

The roots of this tree, located in the swampy area of our property along the Pere Marquette River, really look like an octopus or some kind of swamp monster. At least this monster is beautiful. F7.1 at 1/100, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 27mm

I moved in twice as close on some roots of a giant tree in the swamp along the Pere Marquette River today in order to make this image. I felt that another perspective of this scene might look busy and disorganized, but by being mobile with my camera, I found a way to make order out of chaos. F7.1 at 1/80, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 23mm

Some kind of insect has made hundreds of holes in this downed tree that lies near of the edge of the Pere Marquette River. The subtle colors and patterns in the bark, along with the tiny holes in the wood, grabbed my attention as I walked by. F10 at 1/125, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

A rainy day is perfect for photographing moss and fungus because the green colors really pop. While making this photo, I couldn't decide if the fungus in this scene looked more like little aliens or golf tees. F10 at 1/80, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

A very young pine tree stands proud among more mature pines and hardwoods near the Pere Marquette River. With the much-needed rain we got overnight, I could almost see this little tree growing before my eyes. F20 at 1/60, ISO 1600, 18-50mm lens at 27mm