Miscellaneous Images

Downtown Ludington was abuzz tonight during the Holiday Parade on Ludington Avenue. This was my daughter Julia's favorite float because she loves "real" princesses, not just "cartoon" ones. Rachel Bogner was the 2010 Scottville Harvest Festival Queen and tonight she was dressed for the season. F2.8 at 1/50, ISO 800, 70-200 mm lens at 200 mm

It is the 11th anniversary of the September 11 attacks today and I want to make an image that pays homage to all the Americans who have lost their lives and sacrificed during and since that tragic day. A strong breeze lifts a half-staff American flag sky-high at the Veterans Memorial in Ludington. I get beneath the flag and look upward, waiting for another gust to lift the flag high again. I see the resulting image as a symbol of how undaunted Americans are by those who try to attack our great nation, our citizens, our service members, and our way of life. F4.5 at 1/800, ISO 200, 24-70mm lens at 29mm

As I was grabbing the open flag from outside after work today, I noticed Grandma Reed’s Christmas dolls my dad had arranged recently in our gallery front windows. My grandpa and grandma had over a hundred of these dolls at one point on display in their home.

Tom and Yvonne Beatty have one of the most beautiful barns in all of Mason County. Trillium Creek Gardens is the name of their magnificent red barn located on Conrad Road between Ludington and Scottville. We have photographed the barn several times and today I went for a closer look. F11.0 at 1/6, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

This is my first year as a mentor in the STRIVE (Students Taking Renewed Interest in the Value of Education) program at Ludington High School. Drew O'Neal is my student and today all of the STRIVE students and mentors went cosmic bowling at Country Lanes Bowling Center. We had a blast. F2.8 at 1/5, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 40 mm

My entire life I have loved the Grinch. After celebrating Kasey’s and David’s birthdays at Rachel’s house tonight, I spotted an entire yard full of Christmas decorations in downtown Scottville. Upon further inspection, I found this giant blow-up Grinch.

Seven years ago this ice-coated railing at Pentwater pierheads was the subject of my very first digital photograph. Today I am back shooting the railing and newly formed icicles with my Fuji S5 digital camera. F22.0 at 1/8, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 12 mm

The front doors of St. James' Church in Pentwater have me seeing double. I feel compelled to make a tight, simple shot of the doors and Christmas wreaths that I hope causes others to see double. F8.0 at 1/6, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 86 mm

My son Brad often finds himself in Lake Michigan over his head while capturing spectacular images of waves crashing around him. He is "in it to win it" and finds the results worth any discomfort he experiences. An underwater housing protects the camera. Some days I think Brad needs to be inside a housing when he is being swallowed up by a wave. F16 at 1/1000, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

"Follow Me" is the U.S. Army Infantry's motto. "Iron Mike," a statue at the entrance to the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia, dramatically portrays an infantryman shouting, "Follow Me" as he leads the way. F4.0 at 1/50, ISO 400, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

The Lange Family on Dewey Road in Hamlin Township really gets into the Christmas spirit every year. Julia and Ethan love to have us drive by the house at night and see all of the Christmas lights. Tonight, Julia and I made this photo and it got me into the holiday spirit. F8.0 at 2.0, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens with 18 mm

Looking at a distance like toy soldiers, U.S. Army Rangers fly high overhead on a line suspended from an Army Blackhawk helicopter. The Ranger demonstration at Fort Benning, Georgia, was one of the highlights of a trip to visit one of these brave Americans. F9.0 at 1/160, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 105 mm

It is a good thing my son Brad does CrossFit training almost every day because fighting off breaking Lake Michigan waves while trying to make good images in Lake Michigan is strenuous work. I observe that Brad seems to thrive on his photography battles with the big lake. F22 at 1/100, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 165mm

While waiting for my flight back to Michigan from Georgia, I am struck by the arrangement of airplanes on the tarmac and runway and the golden sky above Atlanta Hartsfield Airport. F3.5 at 1/125, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 86 mm

This was my first time experiencing the Santa Train in Ludington. It was so cool. The excitement that the kids and many of the parents felt as the Pere Marquette Rail train rolled to a stop and Santa appeared was electric. F7.1 at 1/250, ISO 800, 18-50 mm lens at 40 mm

January 1st 2024 Ludington Celebrates New Years

I kept an eye out for a Christmas scene on my drive to Manistee, Michigan tonight. I passed by this nativity scene, and thought with the right exposure and angle, I could hide the house from the background, and it could make a very emotional image. I stopped on my way back home and worked the scene until I achieved that goal.

Snowflakes have been flying in downtown Ludington and it is beautiful. In a couple weeks there will hopefully be over 10,000 people near this spot at the clock tower to witness the largest New Year's Eve ball drop in Michigan. F6.3 at 1/500, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Ron and Donna Sanders are Betsy and Sean’s next-door neighbors on Riverview Drive in Ludington. After having dinner with Betsy, Sean, and the kids, I was getting ready to drive home when I noticed this family of snowmen in Ron and Donna’s front yard. With my tripod, I was able to capture this festive image.

For years I have loved this simple yet unique wooden fence along North Lakeshore Drive at the Warrick property in Ludington. Today, with snow adding its own patterns, I find the fence especially interesting. F8.0 at 1/60, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 12 mm