Ludington North Breakwater Lighthouse

Sail Away

I was en route to Ludington State Park with a truckload of photography workshop students on October 2, 2018 when I saw magic light break out on the Ludington waterfront. Instead of turning north on M-116 to head to the park, I made an instantaneous decision to continue west to the west end of Ludington Avenue. We piled out and went to work making images of our own vision. I left my truck unlocked for the students, thinking at least a couple of them might need a warming hut due to the extreme wind and ice-cold windchill. The storm light got so dramatic, everyone was too busy shooting up a storm to think about being cold.

United States Coast Guard Helicopter HH-65c 6517 out of Traverse City was flying a search pattern tonight over Lake Michigan. The men and women of the Coast Guard are well trained and hard working and in times of great need, our community of Ludington truly embraces their presence along our shores. F4.5 at 1/1600, ISO 320, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

Wind contorts my face, waves roar and crash just short of the feet of my tripod, sun gleams and dances across the water, clouds paint the sky. I am in my glory. This is as good as it gets for a Lake Michigan photographer. These are the days I dream about and rarely experience. This mid-September day of 2001 on the Ludington waterfront was one of the best moments of my life. My camera recorded it so I and others can experience it again and again.

One of the indicators that my dad, Rachel, and I use to help us determine the difference between a really good sunset and an excellent sunset is if the sunlight gets so intense that it appears to be making the beacon of the Ludington North Breakwater Light glow red, orange, or gold. Tonight, the sunset turned the beacon red and orange for less than one minute.

One of the most spectacular lightning storms I have witnessed in my lifetime showed up on my wife Debbie’s birthday, September 4, 2014. We were guests at my Aunt Carol Garneau’s home on the Lake Michigan shoreline in Ludington Harbor. While photographing bolt after bolt as cells of the storm rolled past me for more than an hour, this granddaddy of them all exploded over the top of the Ludington lighthouse. I made this 30-second time-exposure image with my 500-millimeter Nikon telephoto lens from an open window of Auntie Carol’s second floor art room. I named it Positive Energy because she was always so positive and lit up the world with her presence.

Sunset at Ludington Lighthouse

Hallelujah Moment

Blue Fog Light

Ludington's Queen of the Great Lakes

Goodbye moon

Blue Chrome

Many visitors to Ludington don't realize that the Ludington North Breakwater Light is now about seven degrees crooked due to a recent repair job that did not go as planned. It is a photographer's nightmare, especially with a 600 mm lens. You have to choose which one you want straight, the horizon or the lighthouse. F8.0 at 1/200, ISO 400, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 850 mm

Rainbow covering Ludington Lighthouse. The Gold was definitely at the end of this Rainbow.

 

Having 35 years of local knowledge is the only reason I was able to make this photograph. While standing on Conrad Road between Ludington and Scottville, I hypothesized that if I were near the Buttersville campground that I would be able to line the rainbow up with the Ludington North Breakwater Light. Just as I arrived at the campground beach, the SS Badger was heading out the harbor. One second after shooting this photograph the rainbow disappeared. F13 at 1/400, ISO 400, 70-200mm lens at 170mm

Ludington North Pier Light

Ludington Lighthouse

Wind contorts my face, waves roar and crash just short of the feet of my tripod, sun gleams and dances across the water, clouds paint the sky. I am in my glory. This is as good as it gets for a Lake Michigan photographer. These are the days I dream about and rarely experience. This mid-September day of 2001 on the Ludington waterfront was one of the best moments of my life. My camera recorded it so I and others can experience it again and again.