Other Lake Michigan

Hoffmaster Shores

The lookout on M22 between Elberta and Arcadia is one of our favorite spots to stop and look for photographs of Lake Michigan. On this particularly windy day, I hiked to the top of the tall flight of stairs to photograph from the stable platform at the top. It was worth the hike.

Crimson Tide

I am getting more familiar with shooting spots along Lake Michigan in Oceana County. Tonight, I worked my way quickly to Benona Township Park to take in this frigid sight.

Just this year I discovered the Muskegon State Park. It is beautiful and the few times I have been there shooting photographs for our new book, it has never been busy. As I stood on a small dune with my camera and tripod shooting the sunset, I once again realized how lucky I am to be a full time outdoor photographer in Michigan. My dad and I get to help tell Michigan's story and share it with the world.

My daughter Julia spotted this scene as soon as we got out of the truck at the Muskegon State Park. I handed her her camera bag and tripod and she was off. After she made a similar image, I moved a little bit lower and to the right and captured this image. I like her shot better.

Whether playing golf or watching from above, the views are spectacular at Arcadia Bluffs. The course, which begins several hundred feet above Lake Michigan, has been ranked among the 100 best golf courses in America by several leading golf publications. From my perspective, Arcadia Bluffs should be rated among the 100 most uniquely beautiful golf courses in the country. I am sure from my travels that many other Michigan golf courses are also among the nation's most beautiful.

I have always had a passion for photographing ice. Today, during a photography workshop, my dad and I helped several students make similar images to this at Point Betsie Lighthouse.

Earlier in the day Brad and I were shown this Charlevoix spot and thought it had good potential for an evening shoot with students taking part in our photography workshop. Now at 6:39 P.M. I can hardly believe the glorious light as I make this picture after helping some students make some strong images of their own design. F9.0 at 1/15, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

I am certain I have watched more than 10,000 sunsets and afterglows. This one, along the Lake Michigan shoreline at Ludington State Park on May 24, 2014, was one of the prettiest I have ever witnessed.

The color of the water in Lake Charlevoix often has a tropical feel to it because of its green tint. This morning however, it looked very cold and rugged near shore because of the mix of the rocks and ice. F22.0 at 1/13, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

I love studying clumps of dune grass looking for pleasing arrangements of patterns and shapes. Sometimes I see an arrangement I love but the background is too cluttered. Today, a fresh coat of snow along the Lake Michigan shoreline near Pentwater creates a clean, simple background for an arrangement I find simply splendid.

I have photographed dozens of thunderstorms but none as incredibly brilliant in color as this power-packed storm that rolled off Lake Michigan on a September afternoon. As with all the photographs in this book, I did not use color enhancing filters to take this photograph.

The horizon glows gold and the lights of Wisconsin cities, airport beacons, lighthouses, and vehicle headlights show up across Lake Michigan as bright lines and dots. I am standing on a dune beside Little Sable Point Lighthouse and the atmospheric conditions are enabling me to distinctly see the lights more than 50 miles away. F2.8 at 30 seconds, ISO 3200, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

With everything shut down, Betsy, Sean, the kids, and I all decided to take a hike at the Lake Michigan Recreation Area between Ludington and Manistee. After we all played in a stream and made a bridge to cross, we found this unique looking stump on the Lake Michigan shoreline. Getting off the couch and getting outside is always so rewarding!

The second concept we teach in our 20/20 Vision Workshops is immediacy. What we tell the students is to put something super close to the front of your lens, even if that thing is not the main subject of your photograph. Today, Julia, Ethan, and I went for a walk on the Lake Michigan shoreline at Summit Park between Ludington and Pentwater. I got into Kibby Creek and used immediacy to make this image.

I spent years on Coast Guard boats watching Lake Michigan waves curl and break. Their power and beauty demanded my attention then and commanded me to photograph them.

Bubble Gum Sky