Search

Every summer, thousands of visitors frequent the Beach House, inside Ludington State Park. Weddings, family reunions, and eating ice cream are just a few of the uses for this grand structure.

Give me a windy day at the beach anytime, especially an autumn day when the light is sharp. On this afternoon, I wanted to capture the feeling of a windy day along the Lake Michigan shoreline. I set up the tripod and used a slow shutter speed to record the movement of the dune.

I yearn for the dramatic light and the winds that come to the Lake Michigan shoreline in the fall. This perfect combination creates a world of beautifully lit patterns of grasses, waves and clouds. The carferry S.S. Badger, steaming back to Ludington from Wisconsin, provided an added ingredient to the scene on this October day.

My dad and I have been hoping for another big snowfall to hit Mason County, but so far this winter has been very hit or miss in terms of any snow accumulation. That has forced us to look deeper for good photographic moments. I found this snow, ice and water along the inner North Breakwater in Ludington. F10.0 at 1/5, ISO 100, 70-200 mm lens at 200 mm

Today on the Little Cedar Creek near the Muskegon River, the golden light hitting the trees created a beautiful reflection. The hardest part of making this image was avoiding my own reflection.

A fawn curiously and warily makes its way along a trail at Ludington State Park. Its mother lets the young deer learn how to lead the way while staying close by.

The fast moving clouds kept changing the landscape in front of my camera this afternoon atop a tall sand dune just south of the Beach House at the Ludington State Park. After studying the clouds and light for a few minutes, I realized that I could make my photograph of Big Sable Point Lighthouse look more three-dimensional if I shot from the shadows into the sunlight. F22 at 1/40, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 185mm

Workshop at Ludington State Park

A Big Day

Field of Dreams

Fall Falls

I stood on a stool inside of my kitchen and then shot through the window towards my bird feeders outside. I have always loved the color blue. Blue jays are beautiful birds and for whatever reason have always reminded me of my dad. I was happy to make this image.

 

As vivid as it is harmful to the other growth along the banks of the Pere Marquette River, loosestrife stands out shortly after sunrise in the flats south of Ludington.

For most of us, following dune paths to Lake Michigan brings anticipation of great times and great views. On some days though, the view is unforgettable.

The shrill sound of coyotes howling on the opposite side of the river breaks the silence as my oldest son Tad and I appreciate the winter beauty of the Pere Marquette River in the twilight. This view of the meandering river is our reward for trekking by foot and ski to our family cabin, "Daylight In The Swamp," to enjoy a winter getaway. F6.3 at 30.0, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

The Ada Covered Bridge was built in 1867 and has stood the test of time. Next to the bridge is an impressive railroad bridge that is still in use. I was fortunate today to have a Mid Michigan Railroad train go rumbling by just as I got into position to make this image. I wanted good depth of field in this photograph so I set my aperture at F8. In order to have a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the speeding train and shaking earth, I needed to rob the ISO bank. I set my ISO to 800 and was able to get the look and feel I wanted in this photograph.

A pair of trumpeter swans graces the Sable River at Ludington State Park. The threatened native Michigan species has been getting some help in launching a comeback. The band on one of these birds marks it as one introduced to the area by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. The "11K" on the band helps naturalists keep track of its whereabouts.

Fusion

Ludington Light Cropped