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Bone chilling temperatures today made it very difficult to take this photograph. My fingers were so cold I could barely operate my camera. With a huge rush of adrenalin from seeing the incredible sunset unfolding before my eyes, I was able to push through the pain and make the needed adjustments. F5.0 at 1/6400, ISO 100, 600 mm lens at 600 mm

After sounding out their unmistakable tune on and off for 20 minutes, a pair of sandhill cranes takes off and passes right by my resting spot at the edge of Nordhouse Lake in the Nordhouse Dunes Federal Wilderness between Manistee and Ludington. F9 at 1/1250, ISO 200, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

God beams were shining bright this afternoon at Stearns Beach in Ludington. One positive of COVID-19 is that it has tuned our 366 Project into a hyper-local book project. Besides my dad’s and my book on the Ludington State Park and his 50 Year Book, this book will have more shots from Mason County than any project we have ever done.

The front doors of St. James' Church in Pentwater have me seeing double. I feel compelled to make a tight, simple shot of the doors and Christmas wreaths that I hope causes others to see double. F8.0 at 1/6, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 86 mm

With 150 feet of heavy-duty line tying my life jacket to a secure object on land, I was ready to do battle with the six-to-eight-foot Lake Michigan breakers that pounded the Ludington city beach. With my camera safely within waterproof housing, I spent 45 minutes bouncing around and chasing the waves. It was the most fun I have had in a long time. F7.1 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 10mm

Nikon D810. F22.0 at 1/60, ISO 100. 24-70mm lens at 24mm. December 14, 2020 at 1:28pm.

The boulevards on Ludington Avenue are lined with beautiful berry trees. I used my largest lens, got as close as I could, and lined up a contrasting background in order to make the red berries pop. I also used a slower shutter speed to show the movement of the snowflakes. F5.6 at 1/100, ISO 800, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 850 mm

My son Brad often finds himself in Lake Michigan over his head while capturing spectacular images of waves crashing around him. He is "in it to win it" and finds the results worth any discomfort he experiences. An underwater housing protects the camera. Some days I think Brad needs to be inside a housing when he is being swallowed up by a wave. F16 at 1/1000, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

I got up early this morning to be able to shoot a sunrise photo. I drove to the Ludington State Park in the dark and waited to see if the sunrise would be any good. Luckily for me, it was a gorgeous sunrise today.

"Follow Me" is the U.S. Army Infantry's motto. "Iron Mike," a statue at the entrance to the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia, dramatically portrays an infantryman shouting, "Follow Me" as he leads the way. F4.0 at 1/50, ISO 400, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

I wish you could have seen the giant grin on my face as this six-foot-tall Lake Michigan roller was about to body slam me and knock me off my feet. Luckily, I was shooting with my Nikon D7000 inside a specially made underwater housing that kept my camera dry and safe. F7.1 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 10mm

All was quiet. I was wishing I had been able to capture the sunrise this morning. Finally, alongside the road came a turkey. The calm lighting worked well to showcase her feathers.

The Lange Family on Dewey Road in Hamlin Township really gets into the Christmas spirit every year. Julia and Ethan love to have us drive by the house at night and see all of the Christmas lights. Tonight, Julia and I made this photo and it got me into the holiday spirit. F8.0 at 2.0, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens with 18 mm

Some day I would love to go back to Hawaii. If I did I would certainly take some surfing lessons. For now, I will continue body surfing in Lake Michigan with my camera. F7.1 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 10mm

They have been doing construction and rebuilding a much larger seawall down between the Loomis Street Boat Ramp and the North Inner Pier. Around 4:15 PM today the sun broke through the clouds and lit up the shoreline. I left work early and rushed to the end of Ludington Avenue. I found this rebar coated in ice and captured the magic light before it disappeared again.

Looking at a distance like toy soldiers, U.S. Army Rangers fly high overhead on a line suspended from an Army Blackhawk helicopter. The Ranger demonstration at Fort Benning, Georgia, was one of the highlights of a trip to visit one of these brave Americans. F9.0 at 1/160, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 105 mm

As gray as yesterday was for me, the magic light was back today. Ice is starting to form around the waterways. I loved the juxtaposition of fall-like color in the background, to icy river in the foreground.

While giving a private photo lesson this afternoon at Ludington State Park, tall pine trees reflecting in the Sable River got my attention. I also liked how the river bottom was adding to this composition. F2.8 at 1/60, ISO 400, 14 mm lens at 14 mm

It is a good thing my son Brad does CrossFit training almost every day because fighting off breaking Lake Michigan waves while trying to make good images in Lake Michigan is strenuous work. I observe that Brad seems to thrive on his photography battles with the big lake. F22 at 1/100, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 165mm

I had noticed these icicles the night before, but the magic light had disappeared before I could get out onto the North Inner Pier. I made it my plan that unless we had a great sunrise or some other unique photo opportunity, this was going to be my photo of the day. I love the evenings when we get the super blue light. The blue temperature of the light really adds drama to this scene.