Winter

A Red Shoulder Hawk Perching on a Birch Tree

I have never canoed down the Pine River, but I have heard from many experienced canoers that it is one of the best rivers in Michigan for canoeing. I made this atmospheric photograph off the bridge on M37 not far from the M55 intersection. F22 at 1/60, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 27mm

The bird's-eye view of the Pine River while passing over the bridge on US37 near M55 is always spectacular. Today, we park our vehicles and hike onto the bridge to be able to take in the view in slow time instead of at 55 miles per hour, making the view even more impressive. F13 at 1/800, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 180mm

This made-in-America bridge was built over the Sable River near Free Soil, Michigan in 1947. I love that the iron bridge still carries railroad cars over the river en route to and from Manistee, Michigan. F10 at 1/60, ISO 800, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

I could see this face in the Sable River right below the train bridge in Freesoil, Michigan from over 50 yards away. The closer I got to the river, the more the face showed up. F14 at 0.5, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 40mm

Walking through William Mitchell State Park in Cadillac, Michigan, I am vigilantly looking for the perfect leaf to photograph in the fresh snow that has fallen overnight. I know it when I see it: a perfectly preserved oak leaf jutting out of the snow. Blades of green grass provide an added ingredient. F22 at 1/80, ISO 400, 24-70mm lens at 70mm

I have loved skiing moguls since I was a young kid, especially in Colorado where the moguls are often as large as cars. The shapes in this image aren't moguls, but rather snow patterns in a few inches of fresh powder in the parking area near the train bridge in Freesoil. F22 at 1/5, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

Composing photographs can be like assembling a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle. You have to look very closely at every piece to see how they fit together. One missing piece can ruin the entire experience. This winter puzzle I made off the bridge on M37 fit together perfectly. F5.6 at 1/400, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 82mm

I can't help but imagine myself aboard the snowmobile that made this track. It appears to fade out of sight due to the "blizzard" being created by several dozen snowmaking machines in operation at Caberfae Peaks. The Northern Michigan ski area near Cadillac, Michigan opened for its first season in 1938. F22 at 1/1250, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

Mother Nature is getting a little help today decorating this spruce tree. The beautiful tree stands in front of one of the ski lodges at Caberfae Peaks. Today this tree is being coated by a snowmaking machine creating manmade snow for downhill skiing at Caberfae. F22 at 1/1600, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

At the base of Caberfae Peaks near Cadillac, Michigan, you will find this old sign. With my camera on full manual metering, I set my exposure for the clouds and the sky in the background. Then I lit up the sign with my attached Nikon flash using through-the-lens metering at minus 3. Without the flash, the sign would have been a dark silhouette. F11 at 1/250, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

This photograph of Caberfae Peaks gets me really excited about the upcoming Michigan ski season. The combination of bright sunshine, blue skies with white billowy clouds and snow makes me smile. F14 at 1/800, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 26mm

As we enter the village of Boon, Michigan, my eye is drawn to an old barn on a nearby hill. An overnight snowfall dresses up the once grand structure that is fading away like so many of Michigan's old barns. F22 at 1/125, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 112mm

Our friends, the Wright family, own and operate Thundering Aspens Sportsman Club near Mesick, Michigan. Their ring-necked pheasants naturally reproduce and fly as well as any wild pheasant. The Wrights entice the birds to stay on their property by creating a natural habit and by growing sorghum and other crops that the pheasants love to eat all year long. I made this photograph on the edge of one of their fields. F4 at 1/640, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 600mm

The male ring-necked pheasant is, from my perspective, the most beautiful game bird in Michigan. This colorful ring-neck tries to hide in the grass at Thundering Aspens Sportsman Club near Mesick, Michigan. With the cornfield behind him plowed under and snow-covered; the colorful bird stands out despite staying motionless. F4.5 at 1/1000, ISO 1600, 500mm lens at 500mm