Search

365 Week 36

Wednesday May

Fisherman's Sunrise

So many birch trees in Michigan have fallen victim to disease that I appreciate finding any of them still standing in the woodlands. These birch trees were standing tall along Hamlin Lake.

I don't often find myself making time to photograph sporting events, but the 365 Project once again is forcing me to experiment with new subjects. Tonight my dad and I had an art event at the Muskegon Lumberjacks hockey game. After the event we shot some photos. The game was very intense and a few fights broke out. F4.5 at 1/250, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

Norwalk Lutheran Church has long been one of my favorite photography muses. I have studied the country church for years, knowing that one day I would be able to make a good image. On this snowy day the country church between Manistee and Bear Lake looked picture perfect. After making some storytelling images that included automobiles passing by on US31, I decided to make this simpler image without any vehicles. I have learned over the years that often less is more.

Normally my dad is standing on soft sugary sand along the shorelines of Lake Michigan, but today he is standing on the famous sandstone beach along the shoreline of Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. On most March days the Lake Superior shoreline would still be covered in ice, but today the temperature is over 80 degrees. We took advantage of the warm weather and sunshine with our cameras. F9 at 1/125, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Spouting Offshore

Legends Ranch Buck in Snow

Watching more and more of the birch trees in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula die from disease and disappear makes me sad. So much beauty lost. This stand of birch still looked attractive when I discovered them along a country road in 2004. When I returned several years later, they were all dead and disappearing. I am grateful for the opportunity to have seen them when they were still alive

My Grandmother Benson and my mom taught me early in my life to appreciate the beauty of pussy willows. They are simply beautiful and the memories they bring back are even more beautiful. F2.8 at 1/320, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

Last night after work I tried to go visit my friend Jamie Spore, but she was still not home after several weeks of medical issues stemming from her spina bifida. When I texted her to inform her I was down at the end of Ludington Avenue and that I was going to shoot the sunset for her. Little did I know that it would turn into one of the best sunsets I had ever seen. This one is for you, Jamie!

With antlers like these, this massive bull elk is unlikely to find challengers. His appearance leaves no doubt he is the dominant elk of the herd at Amber Elk Ranch between Scottville and Ludington. Visitors to the ranch go on wagon rides during which they can literally touch elk. Michigan boasts dozens of game ranches and domestic animal petting farms.

Ansel Adams believed in having at least one small area in each of his prints that was pure white or without tone and at least one small area of pure black. I love the range of tones in this image of the sandstone shoreline near Munising, Michigan. F9 at 1/125, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Ludington North Pier Light

Fall in Mason County

Our new 600 mm telephoto lens has been fun to experiment with. Large telephoto lenses have a very shallow depth of focus and only show a narrow degree of the horizon. This allows the photographer to isolate specific parts of a scene. In this photo, the big lens allowed me to capture the seagull as it flew over the prettiest section of the light show. F5.6 at 1/1250, ISO 500, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 850 mm

So many of Michigan's beach trees are dying because of disease. This giant one just off Nurnberg Road in the Manistee National Forest may not have many years left, but today it looks like the king of the forest.

After checking out and photographing a beautiful winter view from one side of a bridge over the Platte River south of Honor, I shift to the opposite side and am greeted by this even more splendid view of one of Michigan's most beautiful streams.

The shoreline near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior is diverse and varied in height, textures, and color. As I was walking along the shoreline the little rock that was trapped in this s-shaped cavern caught my eye. With the bright mid-day sunlight and the range of tones from very dark to bright, I knew this photo would look best in black and white. F9 at 1/40, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 38mm