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The First Curve at the Ludington State Park is one of the most popular places in Ludington to watch the S.S. Badger carferry steam in and out of port. I used a 400-millimeter telephoto lens and a tripod to make this photograph from the water's edge at the First Curve on an October evening in 2007.

The porcupines of Ludington State Park had eluded our cameras for months. On this particular day, after scouting for a spot to set up a portable blind and shoot some wood ducks (with my camera), I made up my mind to spend the rest of the day on the trails looking up in the trees as much as possible. Several hours and one sore neck later, I spotted this porcupine. The porcupine wisely stood perfectly still and blended its body into the tree trunk and branch as well as it could. The telephoto lens revealed to me that the beautiful creature was aware of my presence. Its only body movement during the time it took to make a portrait was the occasional opening or closing of its eyes.

Maybe it is because I am short, but I have always liked big things. I like big trucks, big guns, and big horses. Being the fourth generation of a family that owns an Anheuser-Busch beer distributorship, I have always been partial to the Budweiser Clydesdales. When I photographed these two Friesian horses today south of Ludington, I was mesmerized by their size and grace.

Eye on Autumn

Munising Falls

The First Curve at the Ludington State Park is one of the most popular places in Ludington to watch the S.S. Badger carferry steam in and out of port. I used a 400-millimeter telephoto lens and a tripod to make this photograph from the water’s edge at the First Curve on an October evening in 2007.

Legends Ranch

An artist friend, Lewis King, loves to meander across the countryside to see what he can find to paint. I share his love for the country. This morning I am excited to discover this scene on Kinney Road south of Scottville to paint with light. F18.0 at 1/250, ISO 400, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

Still so dark the stars were brilliant in dawn’s earliest light, I made this image of a portion of the Island Trail at Ludington State Park while my son Brad was demonstrating to our photography workshop students how much detail and color cameras could record. We both made 30-second exposures. I was very pleased with how my tripod-mounted Nikon D850 rendered the scene.

Rachel's Birthday Light

I was en route to Ludington State Park with a truckload of photography workshop students on October 2, 2018 when I saw magic light break out on the Ludington waterfront. Instead of turning north on M-116 to head to the park, I made an instantaneous decision to continue west to the west end of Ludington Avenue. We piled out and went to work making images of our own vision. I left my truck unlocked for the students, thinking at least a couple of them might need a warming hut due to the extreme wind and ice-cold windchill. The storm light got so dramatic, everyone was too busy shooting up a storm to think about being cold.

Bat Man

Wind contorts my face, waves roar and crash just short of the feet of my tripod, sun gleams and dances across the water, clouds paint the sky. I am in my glory. This is as good as it gets for a Lake Michigan photographer. These are the days I dream about and rarely experience. This mid-September day of 2001 on the Ludington waterfront was one of the best moments of my life. My camera recorded it so I and others can experience it again and again.

As darkness fell and the lights of Big Sable Lighthouse and the keeper's dwelling emerged, I was certain I was in the best spot to make the strongest picture possible of the famous landmark. I shot several dozen shots over a period of 45 minutes, when the cloud patterns added to the composition of the picture. But it was in the last few minutes of shooting that the electric lights and remaining light in the sky balanced the best. I packed up my gear, shouldered my tripod and strode excitedly down a big dune to meet up with my son Brad, whom I had lost sight of an hour ago. I showed him my "trophy" shot on my digital camera; then he showed me his. It was obvious that his was a Boone and Crocket "trophy" shot compared to mine. I was glad for his greater success but still exhilerated by my own visual experience and capture.

White Fish Point Lighthouse

Legends Ranch

Onekema

One of the indicators that my dad, Rachel, and I use to help us determine the difference between a really good sunset and an excellent sunset is if the sunlight gets so intense that it appears to be making the beacon of the Ludington North Breakwater Light glow red, orange, or gold. Tonight, the sunset turned the beacon red and orange for less than one minute.

The asparagus harvests are long past at Bob and Lori Green's farm on Monroe Road near Hart, Michigan. However, as an artist, I am much more attracted to the asparagus fields when they become overgrown, colorful bushes. F4 at 1/200, ISO 200, 24-70mm lens at 32mm