Spring

I select this trillium to stand out from others in its vicinity. I want to convey the feeling of this one flower being surrounded by others, but I want the attention to be only upon this one. Like a golfer selecting the right club, I select the right lens to accomplish the mission

This was the first time I experienced being able to stand in a seemingly endless field of trilliums. It was magical. Even with the frosty nights the last few weeks, this trillium is still looking up. F14 at 1/100, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

I am back in the same orchard along Pere Marquette Highway near Kistler Road to take a picture at 11:00 A.M. as part of a worldwide photo shoot sponsored by the New York Times. This time I will include the blossoms I chose to leave out two days ago when the opportunity to photograph children playing in the dandelions presented itself. F7.1 at 1/250, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

Lying in the middle of a hilly, curving country road is not a good idea, but it was necessary for this photograph. Luckily Sarah Genson and my dad were my spotters and helped me avoid being run over. I used my largest telephoto lens in order to soften my background and get rid of the "junk" in the rest of the scene. F8 at 1/250, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 840mm

Mom's Tree

Until tonight, I had never seen purple sand at the Ludington State Park. Not far south of the first curve at the park, I was walking the shoreline when I spotted purple, magenta, and black sand all mixed together. When I went in for a closer look, I found this heart shaped rock sitting in the uniquely colored sand.

I'm a sucker for dandelions and this is turning out to be a great year to photograph them. Today I find them to be a colorful component in a picture of Kevin and Nancy Hansen's centennial farm, along with Victory Trinity Lutheran Church and some of the Victory Township countryside. F11.0 at 1/500, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 145 mm

I cannot even estimate how many times I have driven past this farm in my lifetime so far. On my way home this evening, it stopped me. I pulled over and carefully composed my image. I made sure that the silo was completely showing, and that there was enough green grass in the foreground to pull the viewer into the image.

This huge tree in my Aunt Mary’s yard is always so stunning. The green buds were alive with magic light today.

The pond at Bespop’s is filled with wildlife. Growing up we would take the rowboat out for rides quite often, making sure to bang the upside-down boat first to scare away the snakes! Today, I didn’t see any snakes, thankfully, but I did find these turtles sunning themselves.

No lifeguards are on duty; the ice-cold water is still keeping all but the hardiest swimmers away. On this evening the shapes of the lifeguard tower on the Ludington beach look interesting to me empty, framed against sand, lake and sky. F8.0 at 1/250, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 14 mm

Nikon D810. F22.0 at 1/60, ISO 100. 14.0mm lens at 14.0mm. May 8, 2020 at 4:10pm.

Spotted Fawn Redone

It is the first day of my wife Debbie's vacation from nursing school and also my birthday. As we drive north to see what we can see and just get away together, these lambs playing on a farm along US 31 near Charlevoix cause us to make a U-turn for a closer look. What a nice present! F2.8 at 1/400, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

My parents have several birdhouses around their yard. I particularly love this one. This bird was busy making a nest, and it took a while to capture a sharp photograph of it, but my stubbornness won out.

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

Holy cow! This must be Michigan. I can't believe my eyes as my wife and I drive inland from Petoskey to find the source of all that snow we have been seeing on some cars. Soon we are in the midst of the biggest, wettest snowflakes I have ever seen. I spot this red barn high atop a hill. It is a better background than I could have dreamed for. F2.8 at 1/1000, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm