Sail Boats
Sailing North - Panoramic
Watching from atop the Ridge Trail as this lone vessel sailed north on a September Lake Michigan cruise, I couldn’t help but think of the hundreds of times I had cruised the same waters aboard Coast Guard rescue boats. When not too busy focusing on a mission, I was always awe-struck by the natural beauty and remoteness of the dunes and forests these recreational voyagers were undoubtedly appreciating this day. It made me long for those Coast Guard boat rides, both the calm ones and the really rough ones. Big Point Sable is on average the windiest spot on Lake Michigan.
Sailing North
Watching from atop the Ridge Trail as this lone vessel sailed north on a September Lake Michigan cruise, I couldn't help but think of the hundreds of times I had cruised the same waters aboard Coast Guard rescue boats. When not too busy focusing on a mission, I was always awe-struck by the natural beauty and remoteness of the dunes and forests these recreational voyagers were undoubtedly appreciating this day. It made me long for those Coast Guard boat rides, both the calm ones and the really rough ones. Big Point Sable is on average the windiest spot on Lake Michigan.
Pentwater Traditions
You don't have to be a sailor yourself to enjoy watching the sailboat races that have been taking place for more than a century in harbors along the Lake Michigan shoreline. I marvel at the expert close-quarters racing on Pentwater Lake on summer days.
Quiet My Heart
Sometimes the best way for me to describe a scene is that it is poetically perfect. That is what I was thinking and feeling as I made this image today on Portage Lake.
A Sailor's Morning
Some of my best photographs happen by accident. Before I took this photograph, I was struggling to compose a photograph of an abstract ice pattern below my feet. The shot was not working, so out of frustration I stood up and looked away. The tops of sailboat masts inside Snug Harbor Marina caught my eye. I casually snapped off one exposure and then went back to shooting the ice. Upon returning home to edit my work, I instantly knew that none of my ice photographs would go any farther than the editing table, but the sailboat masts were a sure winner.
Rainbow Mooring
I have been watching several months for just the right light to photograph the sailboats lining the Ludington Yacht Club peninsula on Pere Marquette Lake. One August evening, storm clouds and the golden light of an approaching sunset made the scene extraordinary. A rainbow added the crowning touch.
Sunrise Solitude
On summer mornings, Pentwater can look magical. Sailboats, and other watercraft, line the waterfront of the quaint village and lie at anchor scattered about Pentwater Point marinas on this morning when light and atmosphere created an extraordinary view for a few magical moments.
A Peaceful Pentwater Morning
Even on a busy July or August morning, Pentwater has a peaceful and calming atmosphere. Every time I visit, I just want to kick back in a comfortable chair, listen to good live music, and drink a beer. On this early morning in May, Pentwater had not fully come back to life yet, but it still had that wonderful calming effect on me.
Karizmaddie
My dad and I headed out to the north side of the channel in Grand Haven today to photograph the abundance of fisherman catching perch, steelhead, and salmon. The pier was packed and several people were showing off their catches. The fog was "pea soup," as my dad would say, so I was not expecting to see many boats heading out for a joy ride. To my surprise, Karizmaddie, a racing sailboat, was venturing out into the fog.
Catching the Wind
My dad and I always say that "Clouds are your friends!" and here is the proof. Imagine how ordinary this photograph would be if it did not have the beautiful white, wispy clouds. It is the clouds in this photograph that tie the patterns in the water to the patterns of the sail on the sailboat.
F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 17mm
On The Hook
For years, I have enjoyed observing sailboats swinging from their mooring buoys with the wind in the harbors along the Lake Michigan shoreline. This summer night in Ludington harbor I watched the water and sky around a sailboat on the hook on Pere Marquette Lake transform from electric orange at sunset to shocking pink minutes later.
