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365 Week

With thousands of travelers a year on the trails at the Ludington State Park, it is easy to find your way through the woods and deep into the forest.

Nikon D810. F11 at 84 seconds, ISO 100. 14mm lens at 14mm. On a tripod without a flash. February 17, 2020 at 6:51pm.

Something about this dead tree attracted me to it when I spotted this snow-covered bog along US131 north of Manton, Michigan, and decided it would be a good place to make some early morning images.

At first glance, a dead tree is not a pleasant sight, certainly not a beautiful one. But when a person spends enough time in the forest and comes to appreciate the natural evolution of life and death, one can actually look for and see the beauty in natural things that have died. I felt that way as soon as I saw this scene. Flooding years earlier in this dune valley swale had killed this tree and many others nearby. New life was all around.

For many of the months my dad and I were shooting at Ludington State Park for this book, my older brother Tad was busy fighting the war in Iraq. The park became a safe haven for my dad and me, a place to clear our heads and our hearts. The park allowed us to somehow feel closer to Tad. This tree on the north edge of the Ridge Trail became a special place for me and I named the spot "Tad's Tree."

An outdoor photographer is dwarfed by the large Northern Michigan bog he is exploring on a winter morning. The bog lies along US131 north of Manton, Michigan.

One of Michigan's best assets are the pristine forests that cover the state. I love watching how the forests change as you move farther north in Michigan. These trees at Wilderness State Park look more rugged and "Northern" than the trees to the south in Ludington.

Up until I graduated from college, my Grandpa and Grandma Reed lived on the Pere Marquette River near Walhalla at the very end of Budzynski Road. I learned to drive on this country road. I have always thought the road was more beautiful than most, but today it looks prettier than I have ever seen.

Wilderness State Park near Mackinaw City is one of Michigan's best-kept secrets. With Lake Michigan as its border, the Wilderness State Park is a glorious glimpse of what Michigan may have looked like 100 years ago. Wild, pristine, diverse, and glorious are just a few words that come to mind when trying to describe Wilderness State Park. I look forward to spending quality time exploring more of the park in the future.

This willow tree graces the Ludington beach near the entrance to Stearns Park. Often it frames picturesque views of Lake Michigan. On this night, the tree takes center stage, leaving an anchored freighter to play a supporting role.

Nikon D850. F11 at 1/400, ISO 400. 24-70mm lens at 35mm. On a tripod without a flash. February 22, 2020 at 1:15pm.

This scene greeted me on South Lakeshore Drive near my home upon my return from Georgia. It reminds me of the Bible story in Exodus of the burning bush Moses encountered. F8.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 135 mm

Exploring Michigan

Fall Tapestries

Falling

A mystic morning greets me. Fog bathes the Buttersville Peninsula outside our Crosswinds home. The scene looks subtly beautiful and makes waking up without our sidekick Beamer momentarily more bearable. Life without your lab is simply not as good. F5.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

Finding the Angles

This morning I photographed McLaren Lake near Hesperia at sunrise. I loved seeing the sunlight shining through the top of the trees and mixing with the fog.

This view from high atop Big Point Sable Lighthouse shows the layers of dunes and forest between Lake Michigan and Hamlin Lake and reveals the vastness and beauty of the remote northern area of Ludington State Park. Brad and I climbed to the top of the lighthouse on an early November morning and sat in the dark, anxiously awaiting sunrise. The light and atmosphere that appeared was well worth the chilly wait.