Other Lighthouses

This view of Tawas Bay, Tawas Point, and Lake Huron greets me after climbing 70 feet up the circular stairway leading to the lantern room of Tawas Point Lighthouse. The fourth-order Fresnel lens continues to shine brightly at night, warning ships of the danger posed by Tawas Point.

Lake Superior Storm Black and White

Lake Superior Storm

Lake Superior Storm

Straits of Mackinac Ice Lighthouse

Frankfort

Frankfort

Frankfort

This is the first photograph I have made of Holland's "Big Red" Lighthouse. This is a decent daytime photograph, but I can't wait to come back to this spot to shoot a glorious Lake Michigan sunset. F8 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

I marvel at how exquisite this lighthouse lens is as I view it from the underside in the lantern room of South Manitou Island Lighthouse. The beautiful and effective Fresnel lighthouse lenses, built in France in the 19th century, still grace a handful of Michigan lighthouses.

Tonight is the first time I have ever seen the Muskegon Lighthouse. I have played hundreds of soccer games in the Muskegon area since I was probably eight years old and my dad operated Coast Guard boats at most ports between Holland and Charlevoix. It is shocking to me that I have never seen the beautiful lighthouse at the entrance to Muskegon's harbor. F22 at 1/50, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

The western skies over Lake Michigan started glowing different shades of pink and yellow as the setting sun said goodbye to us tonight in Muskegon. The Muskegon waterfront was aglow and so were my spirits. F22 at 1/13, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

Brad and I teach our photography students "clouds are your friends." These are some mighty friendly clouds today. They make an ideal backdrop for Round Island Light, which has helped guide vessels through the Straits of Mackinac since 1895. F4.5 at 1/640, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 112mm

The combined patterns of snow, sand, dune grass, clouds, and snow fence make an interesting composition. I like this winter view of the Frankfort shoreline but I know it would be more colorful and more magical if enough light could get out from under those clouds and bounce off them. Nope; not happening tonight. At least I tried.

Tonight, the New Presque Isle Lighthouse north of Alpena, Michigan was casting a beautiful shadow of itself on the Earth just east of the tower. I composed this photograph so that the sky was not in the picture because, like my dad always taught me, if it doesn't add to a photograph, it probably detracts. The sky was just a boring blue color with no clouds or detail. By cropping out the sky, I can keep the viewer's eyes on the shadow of the lighthouse. F16 at 1/40, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 44mm

My son Brad checks out the view of Presque Isle and Lake Huron from high atop New Presque Isle Light, the tallest accessible lighthouse among the 149 Great Lakes Lighthouses. F5.6 at 1/500, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 105mm

This statue of Patrick Garrity, Sr., appointed as lighthouse keeper at the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse by Abraham Lincoln in 1861, stands watch today in front of the remains of the original lighthouse built in 1840. Many people believe that the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse is haunted. I did not go inside the lighthouse to find out for myself. I did have goose bumps the entire time I was on the property and that was before I had heard the ghost stories! F14 at 1/25, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

I have jumped out of my Suburban and sprinted up and over a dune to get my camera and tripod into position in time to sharply catch this "magic light" striking Marquette Harbor Lighthouse. After a long day photographing in overcast skies and rain, my perseverance has brought me the "luck" to be here to witness and record this autumn spectacle. How could it get better than this? F2.8 at 1/125, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

The famous "Big Red" Holland South Pierhead Lighthouse was well protected by the Holland outer breakwalls during Superstorm Sandy. Hikers ventured to Big Red to get a closer look at one of the biggest Lake Michigan storms of recent years. Meanwhile hundreds of people were drawn to the more easily accessible north pier at Holland State Park to see the impact of Superstorm Sandy on Lake Michigan. F4.5 at 1/500, ISO 1600, 80-200mm lens at 185mm

The Holland North Pierhead Lighthouse, better known as "Big Red," shines forth to mark the channel entrance to the Holland, Michigan harbor. The Holland outer breakwalls protect Big Red this day from the seas raging on Lake Michigan. I drove Coast Guard rescue boats past Big Red's welcoming beacon in much bigger waves during my three years of Coast Guard duty at Holland. I miss those days. F2.8 at 1/50, ISO 1600, 24-70mm lens at 24mm