Summer

You do not want to mess with a swan that has a nest or babies nearby. I have seen many unsuspecting spectators get too close to a swan and pay a hefty price. This swan slowly circled our boat and it was his friendly way of letting us know that we had gotten close enough to his family. We always try to keep a respectful distance from wildlife so as not to disrupt their lives. F5.6 at 1/5000, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 135mm

A friend called me tonight to say they were watching a bald eagle in a tree in the middle of Stearns Park down at the Ludington City Beach. I headed that way and found the majestic bird as it sat on a large cottonwood branch.

My kids have been at their dad’s since Comet NEOWISE has been visible. When I picked them up this evening, I asked if they had been out to see it. Since they hadn’t, we stayed up extra late in the backyard to witness this spectacular event!

While photo hunting from our little 13-foot Boston Whaler on Hamlin Lake at the Ludington State Park, my dad spotted this great blue heron with his binoculars from a quarter mile away. We slowly made our way within 50 feet of the master angler. F5.6 at 1/800, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

It is a beautiful evening to take three of our grandchildren

A great blue heron takes off from one of its fishing perches on Hamlin Lake. I look forward to seeing one of the big birds on most of my hikes and voyages at Ludington State Park. F5.6 at 1/1000, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

While visiting the kids today at their mom’s, in Silver Lake, we took a drive to find something to photograph. Across the lake, we spotted a Mac Woods dune scooter as it headed down the steepest part of the ride. I parked my truck, got my camera and tripod out, and waited for the next Mac Woods dune scooter to go by.

These windmills are a topic of great controversy. Today, the white stood out against the blue sky and green field.

A brisk north wind on Hamlin Lake today is making it bouncy and wet on our 13-foot Boston Whaler, but the views are worth it. This is one of a pair of mature bald eagles circling high over the lake near Inspiration Point. People sing about being lifted up on eagle's wings; I can only imagine the feeling. F14 at 1/1000, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

Focused Flyer

Spirit Quest

Proud Eagle

This has to be one the best summers ever for photography on the Lake Michigan waterfront. Besides being unusually warm, this summer has presented many amazing cloud formations and dramatic sunsets. Tonight I am shooting westward onto Lake Michigan by the Ludington South Pierhead Light near my home at Crosswinds. F8.0 at 0.5, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 12 mm

I love making story-telling images with my camera. I felt like this scene in my front yard tonight told the story of growing older, bigger, and stronger. I purposely put that large tree in the very center of the image to help cut the image in half and help tell the story better.

Betsy and I are in the process of selling our home and buying a new one in Ludington. We had to drive home to Ludington today from our vacation in Manistee to meet with our realtor. On our morning drive back to Ludington, we passed a farm field with freshly rolled crops. The fog and rain made for a very atmospheric morning. F22.0 at 1/8, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

I have a fear of snakes. Brad has a fear of spiders. He has made at least one image so far of a snake and made sure to send the picture to me to startle me. My kids found this spider on the back of our barn. Perfect payback!

This wild blue flag iris was spotted by my dad on Blueberry Island at the Ludington State Park today as we floated by on our little boat. We waited about 30 minutes for the sunlight to become less intense in the late afternoon before we beached our boat on the island so I could get out and make this photograph. With the aid of some cloud cover, we now had soft diffused light overhead, which helped make this iris glow. F8 at 1/500, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 170mm

There she goes again! Like thousands of other families, ours loves watching the carferry Badger steaming in an out of Ludington harbor. Tonight my wife Debbie and I and daughter-in-law Stephanie have our boat in position to provide grandkids with a good view of the big ship cruising past the Ludington North Pierhead Light. F4.5 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 12-24 mm lens at 22 mm

I could see these colorful rays shooting upwards from the setting sun, but I needed a good setting to make a strong image of them. I found this beautiful farm near Custer, Michigan and knew that would be the middle ground of my image. Now I needed a strong foreground. I found these bushes and trees alongside the road and walked out into them to set up my camera and tripod.

The Wojciechowski brothers have learned at a very early age the importance of working hard and earning one's keep on their family farm in Manistee, Michigan. Skylar, Hunter, and Connor are excited that some of their crops may be used by Brandon Seng's Manistee Community Kitchen to help feed hungry families in the area. For more information on the Manistee Community Kitchen visit: www.manisteekitchen.org. F9 at 1/250, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm