Other Lake Michigan

First Street Beach in Manistee is always a great place to photograph a beautiful Lake Michigan sunset. After a long, hard day of shooting, it warmed my soul to see the sun pop through the clouds just before sunset. D800, F8 at 1/60, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 130mm

First Street Beach in Manistee is always a great place to photograph a beautiful Lake Michigan sunset. After a long, hard day of shooting, it warmed my soul to see the sun pop through the clouds just before sunset.

As soon as the Manitou Island Transit ferry landed at the dock, I made a beeline for South Manitou Light. I could see from the boat how beautiful the light and shadow were playing on the 100-foot-high white tower and knew I had to get to this spot ASAP. I waded into the shallows in order to use the intriguing water-covered rocks as a foreground base to my image.

My dad and I wait all year for the middle of October. It is our favorite time of year to make photographs in Michigan because the quality of the light is the best. We call it "magic light" when it is raining, but the sun is out. Looking over Lake Michigan, I could see a storm front making its way towards us, so I waited on the beach in Pentwater for over an hour for two minutes of "magic light".

I stood in one spot on a dune above the beach in Pentwater while waiting over an hour for the magic light to appear. In that time, I used a spherical perspective to imagine what different compositions would be in nearby locations. I knew that once the light appeared, I would try to make one of my shots from the water's edge and would have to lie on my stomach to capture it. My previsualization paid off. In two minutes, I made four strong images from four different spots that were all within 40 yards of my original spot on top of the dune.

Couples of all ages love to take leisurely strolls along the winding shores of Lake Michigan. The sound of the undulating waves, the smell of the beach grass, and the feeling of sand between your toes is so inviting that you can't resist the temptations of our West Michigan shorelines.

I think it must be the photojournalist in me that has always rebelled against setting up props for the fine art photographs I make. I greatly admire fine art photographers who employ props in a way that moves me and tells a story. One of the Michigan Upper Peninsula photographic artists I most admire, Paul Arno Rose, is a master at employing canoes, classic small boats, old chairs and even a Thermos as props to tell beautiful visual stories. After having spent a third of my life as a newspaper photographer, I tend toward the “found” picture. By that I mean finding what is already there in the world and documenting it. I have driven through Stearns Park in Ludington tens of thousands of times, rarely finding a picture. On this summer day in 2019, I found very picturesque these beach umbrellas set up by beachgoers

When I finished photographing some pine trees covered in snow near Bear Lake, Michigan, I turned around slowly in waist deep snow to walk back to my truck. As I turned, I was pleasantly surprised with this scene. The pine tree shot was cool, but this scene was world class. I love these kinds of photographic surprises!

Shoreline Trek

For a few precious minutes, the light of the rising sun and the sunlight reflected from the setting moon balance on an April morning along the Lake Michigan shoreline between Ludington and Pentwater. Sunrise beach walks bring me alive as I watch the world about me come to life.

 

It is getting dark now, so I turn my attention to Lake Michigan. A tripod, very slow shutter speed, and decision to focus on the reflections right in front of the lens combine to create a dreamy looking shot that I wind up liking a lot more than I ever imagined.

 

 

 

A Northwester churns up Lake Michigan, turning the lakeshore dunes into a sea of blowing snow. February days like this one make most people long for spring. I never want to miss a good Northwester any time of year.

Large waves washing a feather and stones up onto the Lake Michigan beach near Pentwater caught my eye as my older brother Tad and I were walking along the beach. I had to move quickly before the next crashing wave whisked the feather away.