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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

Just as darkness is setting in on the woods near our cabin along the Pere Marquette River, the sun appears to have set some trees on fire. I love sitting in the woods and watching day turn to night. I love daylight but I love nightfall as well. F3.2 at 1/500, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 300mm

My view of a stump in the Pine River seems so simple at first glance. The more I study it, the more I see going on in terms of light and shadow and patterns and textures. The more I see, the more I like. Simple is sometimes simply complex. F22 at 1/640, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

Mother Nature is getting a little help today decorating this spruce tree. The beautiful tree stands in front of one of the ski lodges at Caberfae Peaks. Today this tree is being coated by a snowmaking machine creating manmade snow for downhill skiing at Caberfae. F22 at 1/1600, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

My dad started out the day early this morning photographing the moon setting into Lake Michigan. It was fitting that I would end Week 48 of the Tuesdays Project by photographing the moon rising over some pine trees at Thundering Aspens Sportsman Club near Mesick, Michigan. F4 at 1/500, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 600mm

This lone tree at Charles Mears State Park in Pentwater looked extraordinary this morning with the colorful sky above Lake Michigan as the backdrop. I had to stand on top of my pickup truck to make this photograph because I wanted the split in the trunk to be right at the horizon line. F8 at 1/30, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

I used my external Nikon flash to light up the foreground in this image that I made along the Island Trail at Ludington State Park. Without the flash, the foreground would have been completely black. I always have my external flash mounted on top of my camera so it is nearby when I need it. F22 at 1/4, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

This tree is less than a hundred yards from my dad's deer hunting blind in the swamp along the Pere Marquette River. I have always marveled at its unique shape and size. Today, I finally took the time to document this beautiful piece of artwork made by God. F2.8 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

This gnarly stand of trees along Conrad Road near the Pere Marquette River flats stands out because of strong side lighting. Looking for photos while driving is always fun, especially when you have a truck full of photographers. This morning I had three other sets of keen eyes helping me find photographs for Week 49 of the Tuesdays Project. F22 at 1/15, ISO 400, 300mm lens at 300mm

A few months ago I photographed this tree when it was full of leaves. Today, the tree is bare and all the leaves have blown away. With the driving snow, the scene looked delicate, yet strikingly beautiful. F8 at 1/25, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

This morning, as I stood on the edge of a farm field near the corner of Schwass Road and Hawley Road, it was snowing so hard that I could barely see the three massive wind turbines in the distance. Normally, the wind turbines are visible from miles away. The wind was blowing pretty strong so the blades were really bending. Even with the driving snow and the whipping blades, the countryside seemed so peaceful and still. F8 at 1/25, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

Betsy, Julia, Ethan, and I picked out our Christmas tree a few weeks ago and decorated it together. We bought it pre-cut from a local tree farm. This row of evergreen trees along Hawley Road reminds me of the good old days when my parents took us out in the woods with a saw to cut down our own tree. Maybe next year I will do that with my kids. F8 at 1/15, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

Lone trees in the middle of farm fields have always been one of my favorite subjects to photograph. While driving around in a blizzard this morning I found this incredibly beautiful scene on Kinney Road. So far, this is the best lone tree photograph I have ever made. F11 at 1/10, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 78mm

In recent years, more and more Michiganders are heating their homes and barns with outdoor wood-burning furnaces. Roger Hansen heats his machine shop and his daughter's house at Cherry Hill Farm with a large outdoor wood-burning furnace. I just happened to be walking by his woodpile when I found this unexpected piece of art. F22 at 1/4, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 32mm

I have driven by this star of evergreen trees along the US31 freeway near Shelby, Michigan dozens of times during our "Tuesdays" project but there either was not enough snow to make the pattern stand out or the American Flag was not flying. I decided to give the patriotic star maker a new American Flag for Christmas. After placing the flag, I have taken up position high atop a hill on the opposite side of the freeway to wait for an opportune moment. F7.1 at 1/250, ISO 800, 24-70mm lens at 70mm

The branches of two giant spruce trees are so laden with snow on Christmas Day that the trees appear symmetrically interwoven. Of the hundreds of snow-covered evergreens I have to pick from today, this pair near Benzonia, Michigan looks the most uniquely photogenic. F8 at 1/200, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

I first spotted this bald eagle on the newly formed ice on Lincoln Lake right in front of Mount Epworth. By the time I stopped my truck and attached my big lens to my camera, the eagle had flown into this tree above the tennis courts at Epworth. I love how the eagle's head and the snow on the trees stand out as the only white objects in the photograph. F4 at 1/800, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 600mm

Something about the look of this stand of snow-coated poplar trees near Crystal Mountain reminds me of a Bev Doolittle painting. I find myself looking for the hidden Native Americans or horses often elusively portrayed in her famous paintings. I can't spot anything but trees; the scene intrigues me just the way it is. F8 at 1/200, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

Something about the look of this stand of snow-coated poplar trees near Crystal Mountain reminds me of a Bev Doolittle painting. I find myself looking for the hidden Native Americans or horses often elusively portrayed in her famous paintings. I can't spot anything but trees; the scene intrigues me just the way it is. F8 at 1/200, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

Once in a while Mother Nature coats bare tree branches with snow as well as a snowmaking machine, but not often. I love this snow gun art created by a snow machine near the top of the Buck lift at Crystal Mountain. F20 at 10 seconds, ISO 100, 24-70mm lens at 32mm