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Stepping In

Maribeths Walloon Lake

Ludington State Park

While photographing maple trees that created a fall color canopy over Conrad Road, I looked closer. Across a farm field, the color and light made parts of a back-lit tree stand out against the shady woods.

The late Morgan Cartier was a huge fan of the Ludington State Park. His ancestors were lumber barons in the area and they were instrumental in helping make the Ludington area what it is today. Morgan was also fascinated with landscape and nature photography. After his death, Morgan's wife Georgette generously gave most of his camera gear to my dad and me. I took this photo with a lens and tripod that belonged to Morgan. We will forever be grateful for Georgette for her valuable gift.

A section of the starboard side of the carferry Spartan forms the backdrop for wind-blown dune grass and snow. I was looking for detail shots on a Sunday afternoon drive when this one leaped out at me. F3.5 at 1/500, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

While my wife is enjoying some wine tasting, I am visually taking in grapes through my viewfinder at one of the many Grand Traverse area wineries. I find just looking at the grapes intoxicating.

Kris Stewart and his family have owned the Toonerville Trolley and the Hiawatha riverboat for over 30 years. If you want to see wild Michigan black bears and have fun with the entire family, take a day to travel on the small Toonerville Trolley train and then float down the Tahquamemon River on the Hiawatha riverboat all the way to the Upper Tahquamemon Falls. Kris has a wealth of knowledge and is an expert navigator and ferryboat captain.

Man's best attempts to decorate fake Christmas trees with fake snow look dismal compared to nature's best efforts using real snow. I have never seen nature paint trees with snow in Northern Michigan better than on this March morning near Bear Lake.

Mason's Jam

Ludington Shining Bright

Mary the Albino Robin

Do you see Bullwinkle? Or do you see a carferry propeller. From the truck, before I got out to shoot, I saw a propeller. When I got up close with a wide-angle lens, I saw Bullwinkle.

Mary the Albino Robin

The canopy that these maple trees drape over the roadway is one of the many reasons Conrad Road, between Ludington and Scottville, is one of my favorite stretches to drive. Photo hunting along area rural roads has been a favorite endeavor for decades. I have discovered countless unforgettable scenes and many memorable friendly people in my travels.

Stop the TRUCK! This is what I heard right before four of our workshop participants shot out the passenger side of my truck with their camera gear in tow. I quickly gave chase and we all ended up on a large dune ridge facing a brilliant rainbow to the southeast. The entire expanse of dune turned a vibrant gold.

My daughter Julia and I went for a Sunday drive in my truck looking for photographs today. She is getting good at pointing out things that catch her eye. She asked me to drive closer to the Spartan so she could get a better look at the carferry. Little did Julia and I know that my dad, her "Poppy," was photographing near the Spartan 30 minutes earlier. F9.0 at 1/125, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 23 mm

I have enjoyed several grand scenic landscape views with countless trees along M22 today. But now, near Elberta, just one lone maple tree is putting on one spectacular fall color show.

I was excited to discover the colorful rocks on the bottom of Lake Superior at Twelve Mile Beach would reflect on the underside of the surface of the water. Once I made this discovery using my underwater camera housing, I quickly tried to build a composition in my mind that would be powerful and unique. After having the vision, it was just a matter of changing my location and waiting for a big enough wave.

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