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This structure was built in 1892 to house the oil that lit Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse. The bright red cylindrical iron structure, while eye-catching, was built strictly for function to serve as a safe storage facility for the oil. Its red color alerted people to the fire hazard posed by the oil and any other flammable liquids that might have been stored there.

Eclipse With Ludington Lighthouse Shore Light

Little Sable in Fall Splendor

Nature, in transition between fall and winter, presented a rare double feature on a mid-October day near Hamlin Lake. The earliest snows of the season often cling to the trees the best and hang on long enough to still look pretty when I discover them.

No book featuring the wildlife of Ludington State Park would be complete without the official Michigan state bird

My dad taught me a long time ago to look for repetitive patterns. On Tuesday when he and I were driving home from Petoskey, we both spotted this field at the same time. I love how the clouds in the background look like a mountain range. You have to see this photograph large to really appreciate it. F11.0 at 1/125, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

A local ice fisherman sits patiently on Lincoln Lake today hoping to catch his limit. My dad had spotted this scene while taking my grandma to a doctor's appointment. Luckily for me, he called on his cell phone to tell me about it. A few minutes later, I made this image.

The Mackinac Bridge, which connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan, is five miles long. I have photographed it many times, but had never gotten a nighttime shot I liked. When we first started shooting photographs for the Wednesdays book, I had a "must shoot" list in my head and making an image like this was near the top.

Today was my dad's and my first visit to Point aux Barques Light, near Port Hope, Michigan. The light helps ships avoid the very shallow waters of Lake Huron near Saginaw Bay. I love the birch tree in the foreground and the popcorn-cloud sky as the backdrop for this beautiful piece of Michigan history.

Lake Michigan Afterglow

Waves at Ludington Lighthouse

Little Sable in Magic Light

I was driving around back roads in the eastern part of Mason County, when this scene along Centerline Road made me pull over. There was so much texture in one spot!

Little Sable On A rainy Day

Searching for an autumn sunrise on Emerson Lake, in Eastern Mason County. I spotted mist rising through the trees on the opposite side of U.S. 10. Walking about 20 yards into the woods I came upon a lake. According to Stanley Gerybo, owner of the adjacent Fox Lake Resort, the tiny lke is Fox Lake. He and his wife, Justine, have owned it for 33 years. Fox Lake typifies the myriad of sumptuous places, between Big and Little Sable Points, that most people never see. These spots are special to those who own them, or those privileged to see them.

Michigan's official bird appears out of place after one of the heaviest snowfalls of the winter. I am thankful for the robin's decision to head north early and to pick such a beautiful perch this morning. My West Shore Community College photography students and I photograph the cool bird for several minutes while it stays frozen in place. F13.0 at 1/160, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 165 mm

At 5:05pm tonight when I left work from our downtown Ludington photo gallery, I looked up at the sky and knew I needed to go shoot the sunset and waves a few blocks away. I parked next to the south concession stand inside of the Ludington City Beach and walked to the edge of the water inside the pier heads. The wind was kicking and the sunset was incredibly intense. After only a few minutes of shooting, I knew I had made my shot. The drive to continually push on a get better as a photographer was ingrained in me by my father. He was right next to me shooting and making his own art. Life is good!

This winter has been one of the mildest winters on record for West Michigan. Normally on January 31st, the channel in Ludington would be frozen. Unfortunately this winter we have had very little snow or ice. Hopefully Jack Frost will reappear soon.

Looking through my viewfinder, my mind sees a picture-perfect Victorian mansion on the main street of St. Louis, Michigan. My heart, though, keeps seeing visions of one of those collectible ceramic gingerbread-trimmed houses that are part of a ceramic Christmas Village. This looks like a dollhouse for sure. The architecture and pastel trim give the grand home a most uplifting feeling. I feel privileged to see this Gratiot County Historical and Genealogical Society Historic Site for the first time.