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Aerial photo of PM River with fall color.

Ludington State Park Workshop

Workshop at Ludington State Park

The Duck Lake Watershed along US31 near Interlochen has long been in my mental diary of views that could make a good picture on the right day. Today, with a fresh blanket of snow and light snow falling, it finally looks picture perfect.

This morning I went flying with Ryan Johnson from Mason County Aviation. We left Ludington and immediately flew north towards the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. To get the photographs that I had previsualized, Ryan estimated that we needed an altitude of at least 11,500 feet. From that height, I opened the window of the small plane and stuck my head and camera out into the cold, thin air. It was an awesome adrenaline rush. I made this photograph of Big Sable Point and Hamlin Lake upon our return to Ludington. F8 at 1/250, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Catching sight of a pair of kayakers paddling in one of the many picturesque coves on Lost Lake, I momentarily find myself wanting to join them, to discover what they are discovering, to see what they are seeing. But I have already made my choice to hike the Island Trail this day and I am content to return to my own path of discovery.

I have long wanted to make a picture at this spot along the Betsie River near Crystal Mountain Resort. This is a perfect morning; nothing to it but to stop life's express train and do it. F11.0 at 1.0, ISO 400, 12-24 mm lens at 22 mm

Lud State Park

Fall is a nice time of year to shoot sunrises because you don't have to get out of bed as early to catch the first light of day. The best light to photograph a sunrise often appears 20 minutes before the sun actually appears on the horizon. I made this photograph at Lost Lake during one of our "Picture Perfect Weekend" Workshops. Several of our students made equally compelling photographs.

On the Western shores of Bass Lake, near Pentwater, three large tree-covered hills grace the horizon. I have heard many names for these hills, but the local favorite is The Three Sisters.

Insane Sunrise

Bass Lake mirrors its famous landmarks, the Three Sisters hills that separate this lake from Lake Michigan north of Pentwater. A pontoon boat lies motionless at its offshore mooring.

Weekend Workshop

Visitors flock to the Hamlin Dam in summer and in fall when the salmon are running, but few get the chance to see it in winter. Neither Brad nor I could sleep the night before I made this picture and Brad and I made several other images in this book. We knew before going to bed that the overnight snowfall was going to be a photographer's dream. We were kept awake dreaming of the pictures that awaited us. At first light, dreams came true.

This scene reminded me of mystic mornings I had experienced at Bar Harbor, Maine. A rainy morning can be among the best times to photograph. This view from the Lost Lake boardwalk was one of many that proved that point to our photography workshop students. F6.3 at 1/200, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 17 mm

You have probably read or heard my dad and me say a hundred times that "clouds are your friends" when you are out making photographs. Well, today the proof is in the pudding. This scene of the Lost Lake Island at Ludington State Park is a beautiful sight every day of the year, but the spectacular clouds today took the view from good to great. F5 at 1/640, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

I made this image during one of our Advanced Weekend Photo Workshops. Michigan State was playing Michigan and it was towards the end of the game. Several photo students were listening to the game on their cell phones. I wanted to listen, but the light and clouds were getting so good that I knew it was "game time" for me to shoot. I got the shot, but better yet, Michigan State had one of the best comebacks of the entire year to win the game on the last play. Go Green!

The sun has set, the boat traffic has died down. It is a quieter time on Hamlin Lake, a time to savor the beauty of one of the most popular lakes connected to Lake Michigan.

Clyde Butcher continues to teach people all over the world that swamps are beautiful. He photographs the Everglades in Florida and has done more to save the Everglades than any politician. His photographs move people emotionally and that emotion is what is spurring the action to save the Everglades. Today I am photographing a swamp near the Eastmanville Bayou along the Grand River.

Hamlin Lake is one of the largest manmade lakes in Michigan. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, lumber barons cut down thousands of trees in the area and then built a dam on the Sable River to create what is known today as Hamlin Lake. Many of the old stumps still remain on the lake bottom and they actually move around the lake because of the snow and ice. These two massive stumps near the Lost Lake Island move a few feet every winter. F5 at 1/400, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm