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One of the most radiant sunsets of the year greeted me as I took a hike while my wife and her study buddies continued to study for yet another in a long line of nursing tests. This view of Ludington harbor was from atop a sand dune near my former home at Crosswinds

An endangered piping plover walks along the Lake Michigan shoreline far outside its roped-off protection zone at Ludington State Park. The plover and its mate have established a nesting site that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and University of Minnesota researchers have taken steps to protect. F3.5 at 1/4000, ISO 400, 300mm lens at 300mm

One of the most radiant sunsets of the year greeted me as I took a hike while my wife and her study buddies continued to study for yet another in a long line of nursing tests. This view of Ludington harbor was from atop a sand dune near my former home at Crosswinds

A pair of Canada geese keeps close watch on their goslings. The waterfowl bask in the morning sun on one of the lagoons at Epworth Heights Resort north of Ludington. F9 at 1/400, ISO 200, 300mm lens at 300mm

These four turtles were not the only ones enjoying a quiet Father's Day along the Sable River inside Ludington State Park. It was great to see the park filled up with people enjoying its endless beauty. F6.3 at 1/1250, ISO 160, 70-200 mm lens at 200 mm

For probably a century or more, wild iris flowers have been popping up along Iris Road south of Ludington. Backlit by the morning sun, this iris looks especially glorious to me. I position my camera so that the shaded side of some dark pine trees provides a clean, simple, contrasting background. F5.6 at 1/500, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

I am watching an eerie light show tonight. As a thunderstorm sweeps across Lake Michigan toward my home I am shooting time exposures of lighting bolts electrifying the sky just above the horizon. The rest of the sky remains ominously dark. Strange. F4.0 at 30.0, ISO 1600, 12-24 mm lens at 18 mm

As I am walking along the marshy shore of Lincoln Lake at Epworth Heights, I notice how some pink daisies are catching the light as they sway in a gentle breeze. I work hard to time my exposure to a moment when several of the daises are sunlit. F5 at 1/400, ISO 200, 300mm lens at 300mm

For years I have tried to photograph the carferry Badger from underneath this tree at the end of Ferry Street, but have always come away disappointed because the Badger looked too small or I put too much of the tree in the photograph. Tonight however, I decided to wait longer and let the Badger get a lot closer to the camera. The photo finally worked! F8.0 at 1/30, ISO 640, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

What a day to be a turtle. The sun is shining and a downed tree provides a perfect sunbathing spot on the Sable River at Ludington State Park. F6.3 at 1/100, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

What a great evening to be a seagull. As I make this picture, I think of all the times I have watched seagulls enduring the worst fall windstorms and winter blizzards. I am certain they are finding this second day of summer more enjoyable. F4.5 at 1/200, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 175 mm

One of the timeless pastimes of hiking the Lake Michigan shorelines is trying to skip rocks across the surface of the water. I enjoy seeing people taking part in the simple, pleasurable Michigan outdoor pastimes of life. F2.8 at 1/640, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 155mm

As I was opening the door to a Port-a-Jon in Cartier Park, I saw three baby raccoons near me. I decided I could hold it a while longer and ran back to my truck to get my biggest lens and tripod. I found the babies snuggled together on a tree branch, but my lens was so large, I could not fit all three raccoons in the frame, so I picked the cutest two. F4.0 at 1/80, ISO 1250, 600 mm lens at 600 mm

The outlet to Lake Michigan at Summit Park between Ludington and Pentwater turns to gold before my eyes. I have made the composition I want of the rippling water flowing; all that I need now is for the light to line up with the composition. Jackpot! F22 at 1/6400, ISO 100, 200mm lens at 200mm

This wild tiger lily is one of dozens of these colorful roadside attractions lining Meyers Road between Ludington and Scottville. It is a bit breezy so I will have to shoot at a fast shutter speed and bump up the ISO to make a sharp image, but I like the way the picture looks in the viewfinder. F3.2 at 1/250, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

The wild colors, textures, and shapes on this massive stump caught my eye as I was exploring the small creek at Summit Park this evening. Luckily for me, we had magic golden light that made the colors, textures, and shapes hyper-defined. F22 at 0.8, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 26mm

The creek at Summit Park tonight was rippling with light and water. I got in the creek and put my camera and tripod close to a few of the more defined ripples and waited for the sunlight make the correct angle with the water. I love how the water acts like a magnifying glass and accentuates the creek bottom. F8 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

I round the bend of the Ludington North Breakwater with a photography workshop student and am surprised to see a bride and groom strolling toward me. With no time to get the camera on the tripod, I draw on skills honed in my newspaper days and quickly compose a hand-held shot of the newlyweds, Ashli and Jon Solitro. F5.0 at 1/200, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 130 mm

I spent over 10 minutes standing above the creek at Summit Park tonight just studying the shapes and contrast in the sand and creek bottom. My eye kept coming back to the two swirls that were separated by a dark rock. Once the sun was low enough in the sky, I quickly moved in for my shot. I suggest to shoot less, see more, and know exactly what is exciting you before you pull the trigger on your camera. F5 at 1/60, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm