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Swan on Lincoln Lake in Front of Epworth

Hamlin Lake in Fog During Workshop

Legends Ranch Workshop

Eagles in Muskegon

Brad called me on my drive into work this snowy morning; he had spotted a bald eagle by the Pere Marquette River Flats. I headed straight there, switched to my big lens, and adjusted my settings before walking across the highway. I was able to get one shot off. That fast, I made the best wildlife shot I have ever captured and a memory to last a lifetime.

This winter was brutal on the wildlife in Michigan. A friendly, hungry deer walked right up to me looking for a handout of food at Ludington State Park today. If I'd had food, I know it would have eaten right out of my hand.

A great wildlife photographer friend of my dad's and mine told us several years ago: "If you don't get off the couch, you will never be able to make good photographs." Our friend was right; the more time you spend outdoors shooting, the better your odds of capturing a great moment in nature. On a warm October afternoon in 2007, I was tired of looking at the computer all day and drove out to the Ludington State Park for a mental health break. Twenty minutes into the shoot, a curious fox crept very close to the tree I was resting against. The fox held still long enough for me to make two photographs. I was never so glad in my life that I had gotten off the couch.

A great horned owl eyes visitors to Ludington State Park. The owl was a star attraction during one of the many wildlife education programs put on at the park's Great Lakes Visitors Center. Wildlife Recovery Association had brought the beautiful bird and several other injured birds of prey to the nature center. Attending the park's interpretive programs helps thousands of visitors better understand, appreciate and respect the park and all its living things.

August 28 2014 Isle Royal

Venturing deeper into wildlife photography has been a wonderful challenge. We invested a lot of money into a 500-millimeter Nikon F4 lens and a new carbon fiber tripod designed for heavy telephoto lenses. We quickly learned that even with the best equipment, great wildlife photographs depend most of all on the light and capturing the defining moment. After a year of searching for the bald eagle shot I had always pre-visualized at the Ludington State Park, my luck changed on July 25, 2007.

Large telephoto lenses are great for photographing wildlife because they allow you to keep your distance from the subject. Many times the subject doesn't even know it is being photographed and its behavior will continue in its natural state. This great blue heron was focused on finding fish in Hamlin Lake and was not bothered by me while I photographed it with a 1050-millimeter telephoto lens.

Workshop at Ludington State Park

Workshop at Ludington State Park

A rough-legged hawk stands out against a backdrop of pine trees outside the Great Lakes Visitors Center at Ludington State Park. The rehabilitating bird was being held by Joe Rogers of Wildlife Recovery Association for park visitors to see and learn about. Wildlife Recovery cares for injured and orphaned wildlife and sets free those that are ready to re-enter the wild.

My friend, Aubry, texted me that she had just seen two bald eagles perched on a branch near Crossroads Church on US-10 between Custer and Scottville, Michigan. I loaded up my kids and headed that way. We ventured out in the snowy field to each make our own images of these two beauties.

Seeing one bald eagle on a perch from 30 yards away is a rush; seeing a pair of eagles from that distance is breathtaking. It is no wonder why the founding fathers of this great nation chose the bald eagle to represent the pride of America. Eagles are majestic and powerful looking creatures, and when you see how large their talons are, you quickly respect them as well.

Appearing to be huddling together against the cold, or perhaps just having a conversation about the "just ducky" weather, two male Mallards endure some fowl weather on the Sable River.

Mute swans use their wings as sails to cruise the Sable River in perfect symmetry on a winter afternoon. Though not as rare as the trumpeter swans that are occasionally spotted at the park, the mute swans with their telltale orange bills are equally beautiful and awe park visitors wherever they appear.

Like pairs dancers, these gulls fly over Lake Michigan in perfect symmetry. I love watching their precision and control. They are amongst nature's most naturally graceful performers.