SS Badger

I never get bored or tired of photographing the SS Badger coming in or out of the Ludington harbor. Lake Michigan was as calm as I have ever witnessed today and that makes for smooth sailing on the carferry as it crosses to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. F8 at 1/400, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

I never get bored or tired of photographing the SS Badger coming in or out of the Ludington harbor. Lake Michigan was as calm as I have ever witnessed today and that makes for smooth sailing on the carferry as it crosses to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. F8 at 1/400, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

Why does this image look so bizarre? I made this photograph using a waterproof housing for my camera. Right before I snapped the shutter, I dipped the entire camera and lens under the water. I quickly raised the camera about two-thirds of the way out of the water and made this image. The water on the lens made the actual carferry look dreamy, yet the reflection of the boat looks crisp and sharp on top of water. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

I have only seen the SS Badger carferry perfectly reflected on the calm water one other time in my life and that was almost 20 years ago. Twenty years ago I was only 14 years old and, of course didn't have a camera with me. This time I was armed and ready. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

The Badger steams through stormy waves toward the Ludington pierheads. Watching the sturdy ship and its crew battle the elements makes for exciting live drama. I imagine many of the carferry passengers are not enjoying the ride as much as I am enjoying watching. F4.0 at 1/1250, ISO 800, 500 mm lens at 500 mm

My wife spotted the color in the sky as we were just starting to have our morning coffee together. She knows if she tells me about the light our coffee hour is over; she tells me anyway. Two minutes later I am shooting one of the best sunrises of the year as salmon fishing boats troll past the Badger and Spartan on Pere Marquette Lake. F4.0 at 0.25, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

Steaming past the SS Badger early in the morning is a common occurrence for sport fishermen in Ludington. The Badger makes her return trip to Ludington every summer morning around 6:00 a.m. F5 at 1/200, ISO 6400, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

I am watching the last Badger show of the year. I am one of many Ludington residents watching as the Lake Michigan Carferry sails into the Ludington harbor at the end of its final voyage of the 2010 sailing season. F2.8 at 1/2000, ISO 400, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

The carferry SS Badger is the last coal fired steamship in America. As she left Ludington this morning, I photographed her from the window of a small airplane piloted by Dave Johnson of Mason County Aviation. F9 at 1/1600, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 44mm

The SS Badger is a beautiful steamship from any angle. Today was the first time that I got to photograph her underway from an airplane. I was impressed by how elegantly the 410-foot carferry cut through the waters of Lake Michigan. F7.1 at 1/640, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

The end of Ferry Street has always proven to be a productive photography spot for my dad, Rachel, and me. This morning we had great light and clouds to the southeast. Sitting at the gallery downtown, I was pretty sure if I drove to the end of Ferry Street a few blocks away, I would find a powerful sky over the top of the Badger. My hunch was correct.

On my way home tonight I am surprised to see that the carferry Badger has been trimmed in lights for the holidays. It is twilight, the best time to make the lights stand out while still showing detail of the great ship. F5.6 at 8.0, ISO 100, 24-70 mm lens at 52 mm

For decades many local high school and college-age kids have spent time exploring the cliffs south of Ludington. I have heard a few different names for the gorgeous cliffs, but the most common is Peter Pan Land. In this photo you can clearly see the sculpted beauty of the cliffs behind the SS Badger as she heads into port. All of this land is now privately owned and trespassing is frowned upon. F4.5 at 1/1000, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 600mm

For well over a half-century the carferry SS Badger has graced the waterfront of her homeport of Ludington, Michigan. I never tire of seeing the lights of the ship and the city as the vessel and city landscape begin to be visible against the dawn sky. F11 at 4 seconds, ISO 1600, 24-70mm lens at 46mm

On the final leg of her cross-lake journey, the carferry SS Badger finishes a turn to port as the captain and wheelsman line the big ship up to steam between the pier heads of her home port. Passengers line the bow to get a first-hand look at Ludington harbor. F4 at 1/1250, ISO 1600, 500mm lens at 500mm