Summer
A Ludington Showcase
I cannot imagine a more beautiful location across America for a summer concert than Ludington's Waterfront Park. On this July evening the park is filled with West Shore Bank Rhythm & Dunes concert goers as the Lake Michigan Carferry Badger steams past on one of its daily Lake Michigan crossings to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The Rhythm & Dunes concerts are one of the highlight events of summer in Ludington.
Dow Delight
There are more monarch butterflies than people enjoying Dow Gardens in Midland today. Brad and I are delighted to be among only a handful of people appreciating one of Michigan's most beautiful gardens this morning.
Aerial Refueling
I know photographers who set up feeding stations and sophisticated lighting systems to increase their odds of making fabulous photographs of hummingbirds. I appreciate the thought and work that goes into that style of shooting as well as the outcome. As for me, my unplanned, unexpected encounter with this hummingbird at Dow Gardens in Midland is the kind of hunting in the wild approach I prefer. My adrenaline is flying off the charts but I have to work fast and smart to capture the hummingbird image I have always dreamed of making.
The Island Way
Fudge, bicycles, and horses can be seen nearly everywhere in the Mackinac Island business district. What you won't see are automobiles. People flock to Mackinac Island to experience its slower pace and its yesteryear appearance and way of life.
Grand Vantage
The grand porch of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island affords hotel visitors and guests one of the grandest views imaginable of the Straits of Mackinac and the Mackinac Bridge. Today I am most impressed with how the light and shadow are playing on the columns extending across the porch.
Charlevoix Shapes
As darkness approaches, the colors of the sunset afterglow grow richer and the shapes of the Charlevoix pier and lighthouse become darker and bolder. I am looking for that perfect balance between light and dark, that moment of dusk when the view on this tranquil June evening is the perfect combination of whiskey and wine.
Cattail Reflection_5605
Quite often (my wife would say, too often) on our frequent 2020 trail hikes, something caught my photo eye and I would have to pause to better see it and assess its photographic potential. On this May day at Ludington State Park my eye was drawn to some cattails, but more exactly to their reflections. Brad and I tell our workshop students to determine “what exactly” excites them about a scene or other subject. I focused on exactly that.
Marsh Glory
The best way to discover beautiful marshes is to go into the marsh. I don't have to go far into marshland along the Pere Marquette River this morning to be stunned by the sight of dewy plants gloriously bathed in the early morning sunlight.
Dew Diamonds
Dewdrops sparkle like diamonds, making stunning wildflowers even more glamorous this morning. What a way to start a September Michigan day! I have gone into swampland along the Pere Marquette River to see what I can find. I always know I will discover beauty in a swamp.
