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Dune grasses barely move on a nearly perfectly still evening at the Silver Lake Outlet to Lake Michigan. A florist could not have arranged the dune grass more perfectly for me. All I have to do is position the camera in just the right spot. F22 at 0.6, ISO 140, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

Winter Has Arrived

Little Sable in the Dark

For several generations now, Sportsman's Restaurant & Irish Pub has been the place to be for green beer and good times in Ludington on St. Patrick's Day. Tonight I took a photo of Megan Payment enjoying the festivities. Her family has owned the iconic Ludington destination for many decades. F2.8 at 1/250, ISO 1250, 18-50 mm lens at 40 mm

I love the simplicity of this mid-twilight view of Little Sable Point Lighthouse and the planets Venus (brightest) and Jupiter close together. The sky is still bright enough that bright stars are just becoming visible. F8 at 5 seconds, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

I nearly drove off the road this morning when I saw the apartment house on the corner of Ludington Avenue and Ferry Street being demolished. My mom used to live in the basement apartment when I was a young boy. I made this image of Tim Ferwerda and his excavator from Precision Grading & Trench just before the last wall hit the ground. F22.0 at 1/250, ISO 1250, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

One of my ultimate dreams in photography has been to capture the Northern Lights with my camera. On Dec. 14, 2006, my dream was realized. Around 8:30 pm I trekked to the top of a large dune within Ludington State Park. Five minutes later, the entire evening sky over Lake Michigan erupted into a bright red and green palette of color. As I was exposing this photograph, two large meteors blazed through the sky. The rush of emotions I felt that night were overwhelming.

The horizon glows gold and the lights of Wisconsin cities, airport beacons, lighthouses, and vehicle headlights show up across Lake Michigan as bright lines and dots. I am standing on a dune beside Little Sable Point Lighthouse and the atmospheric conditions are enabling me to distinctly see the lights more than 50 miles away. F2.8 at 30 seconds, ISO 3200, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

Ludington North Pier and Lots of Snow and Ice

I was at a loss for finding a photo of the day when I noticed the brightly painted fence one block south on the lawn of the library on Rowe Street in Ludington. As I drove closer, I knew I had found my photo of the day. A different child painted each slat on the fence and it is very impressive. F2.8 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Ludington Frozen Light Gold

White River Light Station looks frozen in time on this January morning. I love the classic design of this historic lighthouse and keepers' dwelling. I am grateful to the Sable Point Lighthouse Keepers and their many volunteers and donors who maintain the lighthouse and keep it open for tours.

Arrangement

Growing Old

Ludington Lighthouse

Lighthouse Storm Ludington

A first glance, this photo appears like it might have been shot at the Grand Island Ice Caves or some other large ice formation. However, it is actually only a few feet off the ice shoreline at Point Betsie Lighthouse. I lay down on my side and put my camera directly on the ice and by getting super close to the formation with a wide-angle lens, I could make it appear much larger than it was.

I feel the spirit of these woods at Hartwick Pines State Park so strongly I am compelled to make an annual pilgrimage to Grayling to revere this place as much as to photograph it. Some of these native white pines tower 300 feet over my head. The view from lying on the ground at the base of one of these monsters is priceless.

For me, being out in nature is a way to get close to God. Looking out at the woods from inside the log chapel at Hartwick Pines State Park is a more obvious way for me to find God in nature. Being at Hartwick Pines to take in the snowy woods when no one else is here enhances the experience. My favorite poet, Robert Frost, would have loved being here today. I think he might have had similar feelings about this special Michigan place.