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Eye on Autumn

After the Fire

A beautiful red barn sits among a field of blossoming fruit trees early this morning along Morton Road south of Ludington. The fruit fields and rolling hills of Mason and Oceana counties are breathtaking right now. Tourists flock to this area for the fall color tour, but I don't think it holds a candle to the spring blossoms. F6.3 at 1/125, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

Legends Ranch

This is one of the more well known and photographed trees in Ludington. It is just north of the north concession stand at Stearns Park beach. I find this tree beautiful all year long. F22.0 at 1/30, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 30 mm

As a team-building exercise to kick off the busy summer selling season, my dad and I took many of our staff members out shooting with us today. We started the morning shooting the sunrise at Bass Lake, then we shot sailboats on Pentwater Lake. Now we have moved to Christofferson Farms on Morton Road south of Ludington. As I am composing this photograph, I am certain I will be back in the fall to pick the fruit off these same trees with my wife and kids; we enjoy going there every fall.

This forest along US31 near the Manistee County and Benzie County line stopped me in my tracks tonight on my way north to photograph the Mackinac Bridge in the dark. The absence of color in this scene is what really excited me. My kids love this image because it reminds them of the movie Frozen. D800, F22 at 0.3, ISO 100, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

For several years, I have dreamed of making an aerial photograph of fruit trees in full bloom taken from a dynamic angle with dandelions on the ground. Today, our manager, Sarah Genson, and I went flying with Ryan Johnson from Mason County Aviation. I told Ryan about the idea I had and he knew just where to take us. This is an orchard south of Ludington.

This tree graces the Ludington beach near the entrance to Stearns Park. It often frames picturesque views of Lake Michigan. On this night the tree takes center stage, leaving an anchored freighter to play supporting role.

Buckley Rollway

Ablaze in color, maple leaves stand out against a backdrop of pine trees along Hamlin Lake near the Hamlin Dam. The fall color hot spots at Ludington State Park remain the same year after year but the colors change based on the weather and the quality and direction of light at the moment of viewing.

I have photographed the tree-lined west side of Merdel Manufacturing in Ludington many times, but I think this is the best I have ever seen it look. The trunks of the white birch trees always stand out against the red building. The fresh snowfall simplifies the color palette, allowing the trees and red wall to stand out even more than usual. F4.5 at 1/40, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 12mm

Buckley Rollway

Turning your camera into a paintbrush is as simple as "painting" across a subject with your camera during a long exposure. The results are often both impressionistic and surprising. During one of our photography workshops I demonstrated how to "paint" some overturned kayaks stacked together along Hamlin Lake. I liked the results more than I expected.

Buckley Rollway

My dad and I are fortunate that our gallery customers give us hints that help us capture some of our best photographs at the Ludington State Park. Last fall, a traveling nurse from the Ludington hospital stopped in the gallery and told me about a flaming red and orange tree she had seen the day before on the Ridge Trail at the park. With her detailed directions, I was able to easily spot the tree and was lucky enough to walk away with a smile on my face.

This willow tree in front of Emerson Lake Inn east of Walhalla, Michigan stands out any time of year, but on a rainy, foggy winter morning the grand old tree commands attention in a way I have never seen before.

Buckley Rollway