Lower Lakers

Tahquamenon Falls and White Fish Point

I am following the Great Lakes freighter Saginaw into Ludington harbor, simultaneously concentrating on steering my 13-foot Boston Whaler and photographing the classic ship.

The Great Lakes freighter Calumet sits in Manistee harbor, protected from high waves left over from a Lake Michigan storm. Meanwhile seagulls flock to the open water around the ship to forage for fish.

One of the iron stanchions supporting the elevated catwalk leading to and from Manistee Lighthouse provides the perspective as I photograph the Great Lakes freighter Calumet. Coast Guard Station Manistee lies beyond the pier, its crew "Always Ready" to aid mariners in distress.

A Great Lakes freighter appears to be transporting the setting sun as it heads northward on Lake Michigan on this beautiful spring evening. After their winter tie-up, it is good to see these proud ships back plying the Great Lakes. Making this shot caps off an exciting and diverse Week 17 shooting day that began more than 18 hours earlier when Brad woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me the Northern Lights were beckoning. F4 at 1/100, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

The 1004-foot-long Edwin H. Gott steams past Round Island Light in the Straits of Mackinac. The 105-foot wide Great Lakes freighter is capable of carrying a 74,100-ton cargo of taconite or other materials. F4 at 1/3200, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

I was on top of a large sand dune tonight at the Ludington State Park and was in position to shoot a colorful sunset when I noticed this large lower laker passing by offshore. I decided to not shoot the setting sun, and instead focused on this moment.

The tug Undaunted pushes the fully loaded Pere Marquette 41 barge toward its homeport of Ludington after passing Big Sable Point. It is a delightful day to be a Lake Michigan sailor or a waterfront observer of this Great Lake and the big ships that ply its waters. F8 at 1/6400, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

The SS Arthur M. Anderson steams through the Straits of Mackinac after passing under the Mackinac Bridge. The classic Great Lakes freighter is well known as the sturdy ship that survived the storm that sank the nearby SS Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975 on Lake Superior in one of the worst ever Great Lakes storms. F10 at 1/1250, ISO 800, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

My large telephoto lens exaggerated the mirage I was seeing as I watched a lower laker pass by Ludington today from Stearns Beach. This ship appears to be hovering in the sky just above the water line. Cameras do lie!

The new treetop-level observation deck at Nordhouse Dunes Federal Wilderness provides a bird's eye view of a Great Lakes freighter steaming northward between Big Sable Point and Manistee, Michigan. This spot also provides panoramic views of thousands of acres of woodlands. I can't wait to return during peak fall color. F8 at 1/2500, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

The 630-foot Calumet is being guided through the narrow waters of the Detroit River near Wyandotte, Michigan by two small tugs. The tug pulling from the bow is the Idaho and is just out of view in the photograph. The twin tug Wyoming is assisting the Calumet from the stern. F11 at 1/800, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

The 630-foot-long Great Lakes ore carrier Calumet gets two helping hands negotiating the Detroit River at Wyandotte from the Great Lakes Towing tugboats Idaho (in the lead) and Wyoming. The Calumet can carry nearly 20,000 tons of ore. F11 at 1/500, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 120mm

Did you know that the beautiful city of Port Huron, Michigan is the maritime capital of the Great Lakes? With seven miles of shoreline along the St. Clair River, hundreds of large transport ships pass by Port Huron every year. In this photograph the Algoma Transport is underway heading south as the Vega Desgagnes is docked at the Dow Chemical plant in Sarnia, Canada. F7.1 at 1/40, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 27mm

My hat's off to all of the Great Lakes sailors who have to work on Christmas Day and many other holidays. The shipping business on the Great Lakes rarely stops and they all help keep America's economy going day in and day out. Michigan is a better state because of these floating beauties and they make me proud to be a Michigander. F4 at 1/400, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 600mm