Lake Michigan Point to Point

Sea, shore and sky abound with more curves than a curvaceous woman. S-curve shapes have been pleasing the eye of artists and art lovers for centuries. An August sunset afterglow highlights the clouds and meandering Lake Michigan shoreline between Ludington and Pentwater.

Victim of an eroding Lake Michigan shoreline, a tree uprooted years earlier is transformed into a snow sculpture on a dune at Epworth Heights north of Ludington. Finding scenes like this along the Lake Michigan shoreline confirms for me why I am a winter person. Winter is a photographer's friend.

Like a coating of white feathers, frost decorates sumac branches on a dune overlooking the Sable River Outlet at Ludington State Park. This February scene is the polar opposite of those hot summer days when the Lake Michigan tributary and its banks abound with swimmers and sunbathers. Sable River Outlet is one of the most picturesque spots on Lake Michigan in any season.

The Lake Michigan Carferry Badger passes beneath a rainbow on the same October morning I witnessed the other end of the same rainbow appear to land upon a golden dune near my home south of Ludington.

The Lake Michigan Carferry Badger passes beneath a rainbow on the same October morning I witnessed the other end of the same rainbow appear to land upon a golden dune near my home south of Ludington.

The Silver Lake Sand Dunes are home to many good times and great memories for thousands of people. You can feel the energy that the bustling atmosphere produces. If you wander long enough, you can find areas on the dunes that look as if they have been untouched by humans for hundreds of years. When I was photographing this scene I was amazed at the apparent lack of human presence. It was not until I gave this photograph to my grandma, Bev Marble, for Christmas, that I was aware of the litter present in the scene.

After capturing the Pere Marquette Sunrise photograph, I put my dad

I abruptly awoke one Sunday morning at 5 a.m. and could not get a haunting image of the Pere Marquette River out of my mind. I was positive that if I ventured out to our property and stood in the exact location I had envisioned, I would see a beautiful sunrise. I shot out of bed and was on my way. I guess you could say I got bit by the photo bug in my sleep.

Like cowboys riding into the sunset, bicyclists ride toward the sun on the Ludington waterfront on a splendid September evening.

The proof is in the pudding! The Ludington, Michigan area has been proclaimed by several national publications as one of the best places in America to view a sunset. This sunset afterglow confirms their findings.

Batten down the hatches! Storm clouds tumbling mixer-style steamroll threateningly ashore along the Lake Michigan shoreline on a June afternoon. This scene and the "Hot Pink" scene are among the hundreds of spectacular big sky views I have witnessed from my home near the Lake Michigan shoreline south of Ludington. They reflect the similar amazing scenes that unfold frequently all along the shores of Lake Michigan.

A wild flower fights for space in a colorful sea of purple loosestrife--an invasive species which, despite all its beauty, threatens indigenous plant growth in the Pere Marquette River marsh and other wetlands connected to Lake Michigan. I must admit, I would hate not seeing its annual return.

A great blue heron remained motionless while waiting for his fish dinner to swim past his position along a bank of the Pere Marquette River. I have long admired the stealth and patience of these beautiful birds. As an outdoor photographer, I have learned to be more stealthy and more patient to increase my chances of capturing wildlife magic moments

Growing up, I spent many hours along the Lincoln River banks with my older brother, Tad, and my uncle, Rod Marble. This photograph was taken while we were on one of our early spring adventures.

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.

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.

There are numerous small swamps and lagoons between Big Point Sable Lighthouse and Little Point Sable Lighthouse. They are always home to interesting wildlife and wonderful colors. In other words, a photographer

The night took my breath away, not from trying to breathe the below zero air but from viewing the icy splendor before me on Lake Michigan at Ludington.

I keep trying to edit this picture out. I enjoyed making the picture of the riveted keel of a rental boat on the Hamlin Lake shoreline at Ludington State Park. I like the resulting image, yet I did not feel comfortable with including it in this book. My son and shooting partner, Brad, loves the image. He sees abstract pictures almost everywhere he looks and shoots many of them. Getting out of your comfort zone can be uncomfortably good. So the picture stays.