Other Wildlife

Florida Gator

The porcupines of Ludington State Park had eluded our cameras for months. On this particular day, after scouting for a spot to set up a portable blind and shoot some wood ducks (with my camera), I made up my mind to spend the rest of the day on the trails looking up in the trees as much as possible. Several hours and one sore neck later, I spotted this porcupine. The porcupine wisely stood perfectly still and blended its body into the tree trunk and branch as well as it could. The telephoto lens revealed to me that the beautiful creature was aware of my presence. Its only body movement during the time it took to make a portrait was the occasional opening or closing of its eyes.

Bat Man

After a two-mile hike in the hot August sun, I walked back to my truck with my head down, disappointed that I hadn't made any good pictures. I was pleasantly surprised to find this caterpillar 10 yards from my truck. I quickly put my macro lens on my camera and got down on my hands and knees to make this photograph.

While searching for piping plovers that abandoned their protected nesting site in the sand dunes north of Big Sable Point, I observe this delicate Halloween pennant dragonfly land near a pond tucked between dunes. I stealth closer, then photograph it with a telephoto lens. Thus I avoid scaring the dragonfly away and keep the background out of focus to simplify the picture and make the small insect stand out.

I love macro photography because it allows me to journey into new worlds where the details of subjects create a completely new visual experience. Living near Lake Michigan, I had seen thousands of these sometimes pesky Asian lady beetles. I had no idea they wore such a determined look on their faces until I got down in their world with my macro lens.

August 28 2014 Isle Royal

My good friends, Joe and Tracy Cooper, had put a photo on Facebook yesterday of a porcupine that was hanging out in their front yard. I contacted Tracy and asked if I could come over and photograph it with my big camera. After I got her permission, my daughter Julia and I drove to their home south of Ludington and found "Quillis" chilling and eating some apples. It was raining and very windy outside, but this little guy didn't seem to be bothered by anything. Julia and I had a blast photographing him.

I was on my way to pick up my youngest from daycare, when this gorgeous black dog was running through nearby corn fields. I pulled my van over and quickly made this composition before he turned and ran back home.

Florida Gator

Florida Gator

Steve the Alligator

I would not have gotten a photograph of the fox at Ludington State Park if it were not for this chipmunk. The chipmunk had been playing at ease on the log in front of me for several minutes when suddenly it became motionless. I made this picture of my new furry friend and then turned around to see what she was so concerned about. It was then that I spotted the elusive fox.

I saw so many bumblebees on knapweed when I was a boy that I logically named it bumblebee weed. A field of bumblebee weeds was a sure place to capture bumblebees and listen to them buzz in glass jars with holes in the metal lids. Now I become buzzed taking their photographs.

What the heck is that?!?! That would be my mom's hairless cat Grub. Isn't he cute? F6.3 at 1/125, ISO 640, 18-50 mm lens at 38 mm

This is the first photograph I have ever made of a Michigan coyote. Photographing a coyote has been near the top of my bucket list for several years. This wily coyote was circling around in long grass to get closer to a herd of deer. I shot this photo with a 600mm telephoto lens from about a 800 yards away near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Leelanau County. Hopefully next time I will be able to get closer, but I still really like this environmental portrait of the large coyote.

Radiant orange flowers growing on the side of a large dead stump near the north end of the Hamlin Dunes caught my eye as we were passing by in our small boat. I hopped out and floated with my life jacket on, using my tripod as a paddle while trying to keep my camera dry above my head. When I got close to the flowers I was able to stand up and I found the real hidden treasure I was seeking.

A Hidden Treasure