Late Summer Lake of the Clouds

This image was an oldie but a timeless beauty. Lake of the Clouds is the signature scene of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan's western Upper Peninsula. It is also one of the most famous grand scenics in all of Michigan and the midwest. The road leading to the scenic area and a crossroads for many hiking trails in the park deadends at a parking lot. A short uphill walk brings you to the escarpment overlook and usually gusty winds. I have been to this location many times and it never fails to take my breath away. This shot was taken in September of 1996 just before the annual color show of which the predominately green hues of the hardwood forest transpose into a kalaidoscope of autumn color.

Cathead Point Afterglow

During a late summer visit to Leelanau State Park, we were blessed with a firey sunset that progressed to an amazing afterglow. Many watch or photograph sunsets and after the sun disappears, they leave. What they fail to realize sometimes is that the best is yet to come. Often times, light and color of the sky intensifies after the sun has set creating an ethereal landscape. In this image, Cathead Point which frames Cathead Bay at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, is sillouetted against a simple but striking red-orange sky.

Crashing Waves And Sky

Day 2 of a recent visit to Sleeping Bear Dunes was noted for dramatic clouds and wind from mid morning right up just before sundown when this image was taken on Platte Bay. Aral Dunes loom in the distance along the horizon.

Dune Grass And Sky

The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive takes visitors to the heart and soul of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The winding one-way drive is amoung the most scenic in the midwest reaching some of the highest elevations and diverse ecosystems in the park. This image was taken on a beautifully cloudy and windy afternoon at the foot of a boardwalk that leads to several viewing points including the dune that represents the park's namesake.

Splash of Light

Labor Day and the week following brought me on a trip to the Leelanau Peninsula including a couple of days at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, one of my favorite places on the planet. On Day 2, the effects of Hurricane Ike were approaching as the entire day was encapsulated with beautiful storm clouds. In this photograph, the clouds were left out of the picture but a ray of light breaking from behind a cloud splashed onto the dunes.

Rapids Presque Isle River #2

At the western edge of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park lies one of the park's most scenic areas. Here, the Presque Isle River cascades over three major waterfalls before quietly emptying into Lake Superior. This shot was taken from a suspension foot bridge about a couple hundred yards from the rivermouth. What I found interesting about this location on the river were the sinus like openings that the river flows over with awe-inspiring velocity...

Rapids Presque Isle River

Another picturesque portion of the Presque Isle upstream from the suspension bridge.

Reeds and Cloud Reflections

My assignment at Clear Lake this fall was to better the effort than I had last year when visiting this same location. It helped this year (October, 2008) that the colors were further along and good lighting conditions prevailed. Additionally, the clouds, stillness of the water and a new crop of reeds made this a totally different experience. Returning to the same location definitely paid dividends.

Clear Lake Color

Detail of fall foliage surrounding Clear Lake, Hiawatha National Forest. The colors in this area were more vibrant than in 2007 when I traveled here last.

Clear Lake Shore #2

Deep in the heart of Hiawatha National Forest lies Clear Lake, a national forest gem especially in fall and this morning with a tranquil mist hanging over the water...

Clear Lake Shore

October, 2008 took me on a trek to the western upper peninsula of Michigan. Along the way, I stopped overnight at Colwell Lake National Forest Campground SE of Munising. A beautiful campground! Three miles up the road is another pristine lake known as Clear Lake, a bit smaller but equally a showy in the fall. I had made two previous trips here before but on this trip, the colors were fabulous. This image is one of the three of my favorites taken during this tranquil moring...

Two-track, multiple exposure (8)

On the way back from a 2006 photo tour in the UP of Michigan, I stopped by the Cut River Bridge where US-2 crosses the Cut River and Cut River Valley. This sleeper of a rest stop is also a splendid area to spend a couple hours to photograph or simply walk across or hike below the bridge and take in the view that motorists whizzing by will often miss. I embellished this image by making it a multiple of 8 images in one frame moving the camera slightly from left to right. This was the first such image that would inspire a number of similar images (see older posts this blog) and my favorite, so far, using this technique...

Maple Burst

A new image from the magical birch forest at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. I first set foot in these woods in 2001 and was overwhelmed by the kalaidescope of colors interdispersed amoung the birch trees. I have never been able to catch the forest since in all its spendor and glory and perfect light until last October, 2007 when this image (and others) were taken...

Storm Clouds Over Lake Michigan

One Saturday during October, 2006, I made a last minute decision to head to the lakeshore for an evening of photography. Anticipating dramatic clouds from a passing cold front, I arrived at Kirk Park due west of Grand Rapids and knew that I made the right call. I shot about four rolls of Velvia all the time marvelling at how even during angry moments, nature can be so beautiful...

Backlit Birches

Once again, another upland area of Seney National Wildlife Refuge. This was taken during a "Rod Planck" tour at a remote location of the refuge. I was captivated by the the sun shining through the back side of the birch trees creating somewhat of a neon feel to the scene...

Sunrise, Trout Bay

Last summer (2007), a group of friends and I spent a few days backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking at Grand Island National Recreation Area off the shores of Munising, Michigan. On the second morning, I got up early and biked a mile to this location on Trout Bay to capture the dazzling sun rising over the still waters of the bay...

Stream Close-up No. 2 and No. 3

During mid-October of 2007, I ventured locally to capture fall color images as color was at its peak in Kent County. At Townsend Park near Cannonsburg, I noticed fall color reflecting brilliantly in Bear Creek running through the park. The color intensified as the sun rose higher and higher. I spent two hours photographing a small section of this stream notably this rock. The first image was a straight-up image while the one below was a multiple exposure of 16...

Forest Road, Multiple Exposure (16)

During early October of 2007, I was touring in the Munising area of the upper peninsula of Michigan and explored many back country roads and two-tracks. On some occasions, I was compelled to express artistic license. Fall color is a unique way of expressing multiple exposure images as the end result often times conveys Monet-like colors. This image was actually 16 images in one frame moving the camera on the tripod ever so slightly with each take...

Autumn Winds

Kirk Park beach is located approximately 33 miles due west of Grand Rapids, Michigan making it the closest public beach to this large metro area. Kirk Park has a personal appeal to me as it is the beach that my co-workers, friends, and I have adopted as a part of the Alliance for the Great Lakes "Adopt a Beach" program. During the past four years, I have seen and photographed the many different moods of Lake Michigan at Kirk Park. This was one of the more dramatic scenes...

Maple sapplings and beech trunks

One day during a fall color tour, we ventured over to the eastern end of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. A steady was drizzle was falling but it did not deter a few of us who ventured out into the elements. The misty rain and low contrast light enhanced the color saturation of the maple sapplings at the base of this beech tree creating somewhat of a watercolor effect...