Spring

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! I spent the day with my mom. I am blessed for each passing day I can spend with her. Around 8 PM, I wandered, looking for a photo of the day. This tree was one of many blown down on our farm during the horrific wind storm a few years ago. It was completely uprooted. My kids love this tree and they call it the porcupine tree.

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

A fisherman on Hamlin Lake enjoys a sunset by himself on a peaceful spring night. While making this image, I got excited thinking about boating this coming summer on Hamlin Lake with family and friends.

A newborn foal rests in the sunshine and partially in the shadow of its mother in a pasture on the Schultz farm on Iris Road south of Ludington. I take great pleasure in seeing the Schultz family's horses almost daily as I pass by to and from home. F8.0 at 1/400, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 130 mm

Due to the shutdown, we are spending almost all our time between the farm and home. Tonight’s sunset helped showcase the patterns in the trees across our yard. It gave it almost an abstract feel with a touch of realism.

Lisa Cooper called and informed me that she and Paul had some baby barred owls in their backyard near the Lincoln River in Victory Township. It took me several minutes to spot this baby, even though Paul and Lisa were pointing right at it. The little owl blended in perfectly to its surroundings.

The Three Musketeers

It is good to be home. Maui was beautiful, but I still don't think the beaches there hold a candle to our beaches in West Michigan. Our flowers are just as beautiful too. I realized that I take our natural beauty for granted. This tulip in my front yard helps remind me of how blessed I am to live in Ludington. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

I lay on my stomach, trying to get the composition I was searching for. Tulips are one of my favorite spring flowers. The lady who owned our home prior to us, planted many around the yard. I love watching them bloom.

This is the first spring in my new house and yard. Every few days it is a new surprise what kind of plants and flowers will bloom. Today these beautiful little flowers appeared at the base of one of the huge oak trees next to my house.

Lilacs send me back in time to the backyards of my grandparents and parents. I wanted to make this picture look like a nostalgic dream of times past so I placed the camera on a tripod and zoomed the lens during the exposure. F20.0 at 1.6, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 80 mm

The red blossoms on this tree stood out among the blue, cloudy sky and really brightened my day.

After being up most of the night with my son, Brad, photographing Northern Lights and editing the images, I grabbed a peaceful catnap at our family cabin along the Pere Marquette River. Now I am ready for a little exploring. Light dances on the Pere Marquette River as leaves shimmer in the light of a beautiful spring afternoon. The water is high and running fast today. I take up position to make this image and then linger to drink in the scene for a while longer before moving on to see what else I can find along the river. F3.5 at 1/800, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 120mm

We had a family dinner at my brother and sister-in-law’s for the first time in a long time because of COVID-19. Paul and Sue’s back deck is surrounded by many trees – you truly feel as if you are having a picnic in the woods! Tonight, we were visited by many different varieties of birds as we enjoyed each other’s company.

Brad and I are both scurrying to find a picture of the day before speaking to the Alpha Graduates of Ludington High School. We have been frantically busy all day at the gallery so have little time to shoot today. I make a couple images on the Lincoln Hills Golf Club grounds I don't especially like. Then this robin appears just in time! F4.0 at 1/200, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

I love the return of spring and all of the pretty flowers and blossoms, but what I love the most is the singing birds. This robin was hard at work finding food near the public boat ramp off of Lakeshore Drive on Lincoln Lake. F5.6 at 1/1600, ISO 1000, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 850 mm

The blossoms are blooming! I drove the backroads home from Hart tonight and enjoyed the sight of each and every one! I decided to do something a little different for my photo of the day. I used a slightly longer shutter speed to allow for some movement in the wind instead of the typical fully sharp blossom shot I normally would shoot.

One of the beautiful signs of spring is the emergence of the marsh marigolds along the Pere Marquette River. Did these beauties appear overnight or did I fail to see them yesterday? How often do we overlook the natural beauty that is right there to behold? Too often, I think. I am trying to slow down more these days to allow more time to see what there is to see. In Michigan, beauty is all around us; I never tire of looking for it. F9 at 1/160, ISO 100, 105mm lens at 105mm

I have watched these goslings for weeks. I knew that I wanted to make a photo of them and tonight seemed like a good night for it, as they were perched on a mound surrounding their mom. As I was getting in position, the mom and goslings swam off their mound. Two other geese started to come near, and the daddy scared them away. It wasn’t the photo I was going for, but it turned out better than I envisioned.

During a walk with grandchildren Rachel, Ty, and Austin near their Waterford home, we take time to appreciate the tulips planted in a neighbor's garden. F4.5 at 1/200, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 185 mm