Pentwater Lake

In stillness, another summer day dawns in Pentwater. The village provides the backdrop for a view of the popular boating harbor from the west shore of Pentwater Lake.

A tip from a Pentwater area resident that had observed a lone sailboat in the mist on the way to work leads me to Long Bridge this morning to see if I can see what they have been seeing. Oh yeah! Thank you. F2.8 at 1/1250, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 112 mm

I have my camera and tripod set up in the dark, just waiting for the first light of dawn to paint Pentwater Lake with dawn's blue light during a time exposure. I make several test shots before the moored sailboats all have drifted into picture-perfect positions. F8 at 10 seconds, ISO 400, 24-70mm lens at 62mm

My son, Tad was the first to see that this empty dock ought to be included in night shots we were taking of Pentwater from the opposite side of Pentwater Lake. I learned long ago, from National Geographic photographer Sam Abell, that compositions with a triangular shape at the base of a picture tend to lead viewers strongly into the scene and provide a stronger sense of depth. Tad was operating more by instinct. He knew the picture felt good. Rules, tips, and guidelines are fine, but feelings are the most important ingredient in making decisions about the quality of a potential picture.

The Pentwater River flats along Long Bridge Road are always a great place to photograph the sunrise in Michigan. This morning, the water was actually more colorful than the sky. It was worth getting up at 4:45 a.m. to get here in time to make this picture. F8 at 0.4 seconds, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

I micro-compose this composition and lock down the tripod 15 minutes before sunrise, then help some of our photography workshop students fine-tune their compositions in the Pentwater River marsh east of Long Bridge Road. The sun pops up and my shot is completed with nothing more than a quick push of the shutter button. F10 at 1/1000, ISO 400, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

Cattails, known as "punks" by some, were glowing this morning along Long Bridge Road just southeast of Pentwater. I created a pyramid at the base of the photo with the short, dark grasses and then also positioned my camera so the tall cattails created another pyramid. I love how this photograph feels. F8 at 1/50, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 30mm

Today while taking aerial photographs for "Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed," I noticed that Pentwater Lake is similar in shape to a sea horse. Pentwater has to be one of the most charming and romantic villages in all of Michigan. F7.1 at 1/800, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 46mm

Pentwater has to be one of the most picturesque villages in Michigan. With a long exposure this morning, I photographed Pentwater coming to life on a cold December morning. F5.6 at 30 seconds, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 27mm