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I made this picture on the Island Trails in the Ludington State Park. The bright blue areas of the photograph are Hamlin Lake. My father-in-law, Don Verduin, and I spent a great deal of time trying to find the perfect wild iris to photograph. Don actually found this flower first and was kind enough to let me in on his treasure.

Lady Slipper

I love seeing the Michigan countryside flower. Sweet pea along a farm fence line looks as pretty to me as any flower arrangement I can imagine. I am glad that I took a less-traveled road on this summer day while meandering between Whitehall and Hart.

When bright sunlight hits water, it creates a wonderful array of sparkles. When those sparkles are photographed, the aperture ring inside the lens makes them appear as perfect geometric shapes. I feel that the sparkles make this photograph a stronger image.

Dandelions and Fruit Trees

Our first visit to Dow Gardens was a photographic success. My dad and I were both impressed with the aesthetics of the famous gardens in Midland. All of the employees were exceptionally nice and helpful as well. Dow Gardens is another Michigan treasure that is perfect for an afternoon of family fun.

My grandma, Dorothy Reed, is very proud of her flower gardens. She and my grandpa get much joy out of watching the songbirds and butterflies dance through their yard near the Ludington State Park.

Spring Meadow

May

May

Lately, I have been looking at a lot of old black and white photographs of my great grandparents and other ancestors. I often imagine what their world was like living in Michigan in the late 1800's and early 1900's. For some reason, I always imagine that world in black and white. When I was making this image today on Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City,

I hiked up and down a lot of sand dunes and through several swales before finding this picture in a cedar swamp area between dune ridges. It was a warm June evening and I was hot. As I tried to photograph this bluebell, my glasses kept steaming up. Finally, I gave up trying to repeatedly wipe the glasses and set them aside. I made the picture and happily set off back over the dunes and through the woods. I was almost back to my car on M-116 when I realized I was not wearing my glasses. It was not such a happy walk retracing my steps. I did find them, thanks to the flowers beside them. Had I not, I still think the shot

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

Squashing any notion I might have had that I was photographing pumpkins, grower Jim Schwass let me know they were actually winter squash. Visiting with the lifelong Riverton Township farmer while photographing the squash and his son's farm was one of those social bonuses that often make photo expeditions especially rewarding.

Viewing the world through a telephoto lens with a wide aperture creates an impressionistic view of dandelions and one sharp standout.

The nature trails at West Shore Community College abound with outdoor photography subjects. This orange hawkweed stood out along the shore of a pond on the picturesque campus.

It was a magic moment. While photographing a farm surrounded by mustard grass near Fountain, I heard a noise in the opposite direction. Looking, I spotted a collie heading my way. Wheeling about, I instantly framed the dog in the viewfinder, panned with him, focused, and shot as he passed by toward the picturesque old farm that may have been his home. It was an unexpected incredible photographic experience.

I saw so many bumblebees on knapweed when I was a boy that I logically named it bumblebee weed. A field of bumblebee weeds was a sure place to capture bumblebees and listen to them buzz in glass jars with holes in the metal lids. Now I become buzzed taking their photographs.

The Grounds at Legends Deer Ranch

A Delicate Moment