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Michigan abounds with new life in spring. I love traveling the countryside looking for views like this one along Iris Road in Mason County.

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.

Mufasa, our outdoor cat, enjoys playing in the snow. We played chase the snowballs for a while before I made this image of his long fur blowing in the wind.

I am sizing up a sunrise shot of the carferry Badger when my cell phone rings. My wife Debbie has scouted out a picture for me of horses at West Shore Equestrian Center on Sugar Grove Road on her way to Nursing School at West Shore Community College. She sounds very excited so I am off to see the horses. I am so glad I listened to my wife. F4.0 at 1/800, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 130 mm

When I spotted this wintry scene south of Ludington, it immediately reminded me of a famous picture long used to promote Steamboat ski resort in Colorado. I always loved that picture and I loved the one that was in front of my eyes just a few miles from my home.

Becky Scott, our neighbor at Cherry Hill Farm, called me and asked if I would photograph their newest horse on their farm. I got in the corral as the young horse ran circles around me.

My aunt and uncle and his family own this barn on Conrad Road. Ron Soberalski keeps his two large draft horses on their property. On this foggy morning, Ron’s horses were the perfect added ingredients that this scene needed.

My kids had their first day of downhill skiing today! They crashed hard asleep in the van on our way home from Crystal Mountain when I spotted this stunning silhouette. The flow of the tail was the finishing touch.

Some of my favorite Christmas tree ornaments that my family has are the rocking horses that Hallmark put out in the 1980s. This last Christmas, I enjoyed pointing them out to my daughter Julia. This scene near Crystal Mountain Ski Resort in Benzie County reminded of those horses. F3.5 at 1/200, ISO 640, 70-200 mm lens at 200 mm

This is one of my top three favorite photographs I have ever made. It seems to create a powerful emotional response when people view it for the first time. I think people relate the human struggle to the lone horse trudging through the deep snow in a blizzard. The legal name of the horse was Ultra Vanity Fair. A few years after making this image, she passed away. I am glad the she will live on forever in this piece of art.

365 Week

After having the flu for several days, photographing this beautiful horse was definitely a bright spot in my day. I worked hard at making the horse comfortable with me so I could pose him just the way I needed for my photograph. The key to this composition is how the red sumac behind the horse looks like a musical score and his ears and head relate to the background.

I have been trying every which way to make a portrait of this beautiful horse utilizing some nearby sumac as the backdrop. I concentrate on seeing the relationship between the horse and the sumac while also trying to capture a moment when the horse looks best. My telephoto zoom lens helps me simplify and fine-tune the composition.

Is this one horse or two? I usually make certain to avoid mergers when I am making a photographic image, but this one is irresistible. While scouting for pictures in Hamlin Township, I spot a horse with incredibly beautiful eyes. As I am preparing to make this shot, a second horse ambles into the frame. I am laughing as I trip the shutter.

I have always wanted to photograph this black horse on US31 near Norwalk, Michigan and today the scene was finally perfect. I have always wanted to photograph this black horse on US31 near Norwalk, Michigan and today the scene was finally perfect.

This remains one of the most priceless moments I have ever captured with a camera. On an unseasonably cold October day, I saw a flock of sheep marching single-file across a field. I sought permission from Bernal Burke to venture into his Carr Settlement fields. I arrived where the sheep were heading with just enough time to set up my camera. The lead sheep turned sideways, and the next sheep in line followed his lead, setting up a barricade to protect the flock. As they maneuvered, huge snowflakes began to fall. It was the first snow of the season, and the lead sheep did not appear happy. For many years after my camera froze that moment, a framed print of this image usually hung in a prominent spot in our art fair tent. The image caused a lot of laughter as art fair patrons attempted to mimic the lead sheep’s expression and even try to make sheep sounds. It made people happy and brought us some comic relief from our long weekend grind on the Michigan art fair circuit. I will always be grateful to Bernal Burke for being so kind, accommodating and trusting to allow me to roam freely on his land. Besides being a farmer, Bernal served for many years as the Mason County Treasurer. I always admired and respected him when, as a reporter, I covered county government. I admired him as a farmer just as much. I believe we shared mutual respect, which meant the world to me.

My daughter Kasey’s ewe, Lady Glitter Sparkles, had a little girl last night. Kasey named her Princess Poppy.

My great-grandma, Martha Delite Benson, was originally a Shoup and was born and raised near the farm where I took this photograph. It is still in the Shoup family. I love how life on this farm, and many other farms in Mason County, seems to move at a slower, more peaceful pace. F8.0 at 1/400, ISO 640, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

I was on my way to pick up my youngest from daycare, when this gorgeous black dog was running through nearby corn fields. I pulled my van over and quickly made this composition before he turned and ran back home.