“Down a Lovely Woodland Path” A refreshing morning walk at Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor, Michigan during mid spring when all was lush and green!“Rhododendron Path” This area of Nichols Arboretum with the gorgeous rhododendron bushes is one I often seem to miss each spring because of the short blooming season, but this year I was able to enjoy the full range of blossoms and colors!“Rhododendron Bushes Abloom” Spectacular deep vivid and light pink rhododendron blossoms on beautiful spring day at Nichols Arboretum!“Rhododendron Blushing Beauty” Soft and subtle pink rhododendron blossoms hidden in the shade!“Orange Rhododendron in Hiding” This image is a personal favorite. The deep orange hues of these blossoms and gorgeous greens of the foliage were just amazing this year and I was so happy that I could capture it
After quite a bleak winter and early spring of 2020 I thought I would bring you some beautiful, colorful, and relaxing images. I have stayed home almost exclusively for many months now, and will continue to do so, but I was able to venture out on a handful of occasions into local nature areas and these are just some of the refreshing and happy moments on my walk in Nichols Arboretum during late spring.
I wish for all of you around the world the peace and strength to get through this difficult time and I hope that some time in the near future things make a huge change for the better!
Here we are again as 2019 draws to a close. As has been customary for many years now I would like to share with you some of my favorite photographs of the year.
I don’t usually have them in any particular order, but this year I arranged them by season. Beginning with a stunning but very cold sunrise from Lake Ontario during winter, and ending with some wonderful fall color in Michigan this autumn!
For many years now I’ve participated in Jim Goldstein’s annual “Best of” Project. I appreciate Jim hosting this on his blog each year, giving photographers the chance to share their “best of” or favorite images of the year.
These are just a few of my favorite images of this year, I hope you enjoy this short trip through the seasons of 2019 with me!
“Lake Ontario Morning Reflections” A gorgeous winter sunrise along the shores of Lake Ontario!“Foggy Spring Forest” During a spring visit to Shenandoah National Park I enjoyed some amazing mountain views, but I especially enjoyed some lovely and mysterious fog on a walk into the forest!“Magnificent Sunrise Silhouette 2” Absolutely stunning sunrise and this beautiful tree in silhouette on the shores of Lake Ontario in late spring! A tree that I returned to many times as winter’s bare branches turned into full spring foliage.“Tew Falls View Two” This view of Tew Falls in Ontario, Canada was especially beautiful to me because of all the lush green foliage at the time. “Fifty Point Marina Reflections” I spent many days at Fifty Point Conservation Area near Hamilton, Ontario during late spring and early summer. The reflections on this day at Fifty Point Marina were lovely!“Rock Garden Spring” Another place that I spent countless hours at during spring and summer this year was The Rock Garden at The Royal Botanical Gardens. So lovely and peaceful. I explored every nook and cranny, and could do it again and again and never be tired of the beauty! Here you’ll see wonderful reflections of spring foliage and color. “Marquette Harbor Lighthouse 2” I love to walk on the beaches of Marquette, Michigan. The light was really beautiful on this particular morning and shed a warm glow on the sand, trees, and lighthouse!“Canyon Falls Summer” Photographing waterfalls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a favorite activity of mine, and this year I thoroughly enjoyed photographing Canyon Falls on a drizzly warm summer’s day!“A Presque Isle Morning” The rock formations combined with the changing colors of Lake Superior at Presque Isle Park in Marquette, Michigan are always amazing to me. This was an early summer morning, and the warm glow of sun hitting the rocks, the bright green evergreen trees in the distance set against the beautiful blue skies made this a keeper for me!“Maybury Sanatorium” I had the opportunity to enjoy peak fall foliage in Maybury State Park in an area that used to be part of the grounds of Maybury Sanatorium.
I thank you all for stopping by and checking out my favorite images of 2019! I hope you all have a wonderful, happy, healthy, prosperous, and adventurous 2020!
Fall in the Allegheny National Forest in PA. this year was a spectacle of gold when I visited! Here are a three of my favorite images from the visit.
“The Midas Touch” The magic of sunlight through fall foliage gave an All is Gold feeling throughout the forest!The fog had been heavy this particular morning but was just beginning to dissipate and the sun started streaming through just as I turned the corner. I quickly popped out of the car and made a few shots before it all disappeared. Just more magical gold!“Absorbed in Autumn” A wonderful walk in the forest with the cool crisp air, bright sunshine, and colorful leaves!
Thanks for taking a look! In my next post which should be coming up soon, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite images of 2019. So stay tuned for that!
I had the pleasure of being able to photograph Lake Ontario at different times of the day on a recent visit to South Eastern Ontario. These images are just a few of the moments that I enjoyed! Have a look!
“Lake Ontario Morning Reflections”
This photograph was made on a very cold and windy morning on the shores of Lake Ontario near Hamilton, Ontario. The sunrise was spectacular though, with golden reflections all along the water near the shore!“Waves Keep on Rolling” The waves were rolling in fast and furious on Lake Ontario this cold but sunny morning near Burlington Ontario!“Then the Wind Came” Another wonderfully windy but gorgeous view of Lake Ontario from the grassy area above the beach!
“Cotton Candy Over Ontario” Last light of the day and the sky turned into cotton candy for just a few short minutes!
Today is the first day of autumn and in SE. Michigan it sure has come in with strong gusty winds! We even had a few trees and tree limbs down in the area.
I wanted to share with you a few images that were made in these last days or weeks, a bit of summer’s end in the country!
It was a hot summer here and I’m sure ready for a change!
Bring on the cool weather and brilliant leaves!
“Gentle End to Summer” Days last light over a rural cornfield as summer heads into fall!
“The Path Taken” Late summer days walking through paths surrounded by goldenrod!
“Summer Sunflower Bounty” Enjoying abundant sunflowers in late summer!
‘Country Road Sunset” Heading home into a brilliant sunset on a back country road!
I just happened to be heading home when the sky lit up just before the sun dipped down. Of course I had to pull over.
The days will be getting much shorter really soon, and not long after that, sunset will be accompanied by snow on the ground.
Enjoy these days of fall, and remember fondly summer’s end!
As we’ve just passed spring tulip time, I wanted to share with you a couple of lovely and fresh spring tulip images. These are very subtle in color and to me have a light and airy feeling. I wanted to portray soft sunlight and a different type of look than my usual bright and very colorful images.
“Light and Lovely Tulips”
I hope you enjoy the simplicity and quiet beauty of these lovely tulips!
“Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” ~ Hans Christian Andersen ~
This year has gone by really quickly. So much so that I didn’t think I would actually have time to get together my usual end of the year post. These ten images are my personal favorites for the year, or my “Best of 2017”.
This is the 6th year that I have done a “Best of” at the end of the year, and I would like to thank Jim Goldstein for graciously hosting the Best Photos Project each year. You can check out mine and many many other photographers end of the year posts on his blog!
If you would like to see my “Best of” for 2016, you can find that here.
Also if you’d like to go back to 2015, you can check that out here.
“Silo Sunset’ One of my favorite sunsets of this year!
After a very stormy spring day in SE. Michigan I was happily surprised by an amazing array of clouds as they moved quickly by during a sunset on a local farm!
“Peace of Autumn’s Song” Beautiful reflections on an early autumn day!
You’ll see this lake featured twice here in this post. This image was on a cloudy and extremely still, fall day. The trees, especially the birches gave beautiful reflections in the water!
“Leaves in Gold and Bronze” Fallen leaves in shades of gold.
After all of the leaves had fallen and nothing was left except the crunch of brown and gold underfoot I decided to make just a few images of these beauties!
“Effervescent Glow” Lovely sparkling dewdrops on the grass in the early morning!
I had a lot of fun during a couple of fresh and dewy mornings this year photographing the sunlight as it danced off of the dewdrops in the grass. As a lot of you know, I love nature abstracts!
“In Love with Life” Lovely tulips at the 2017 Tulip Festival in Holland, Michigan.
I was extremely happy to have had the opportunity to go to The Tulip Festival in Holland, MI. this past spring!
“The Stones” Beautiful and very colorful stones from Lake Superior!
Every time I’m in Marquette, Michigan I always enjoy the beautiful assortment of rocks and stones in the area. These colorful stones on Presque Isle are some of my favorites!
“Presque Isle Sunset Glow 2” A wonderful sunset from Presque Isle Park in Marquette, Michigan.
While at Presque Isle Park I almost always make time to stay for the sunset. It almost never dissapoints!
“Munising Falls Gold” A golden start to autumn at Munising Falls in Munising, Michigan!
Munising Falls is beautiful no matter what time of year, but fall is always my favorite!
“When in Love” This was an especially beautiful day along Lake Plumbago in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan!
Lake Plumbago is one of those places I pass by quite often while in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I would have to say that for me it has almost always been foggy and or raining when I pass by. That of course has its own beauty, and I have plenty of photos from that type of weather, but this time there was a striking difference, and actually quite welcomed!
“Windermere Hotel Mackinac Island” One of my favorite places to stay on Mackinac Island!
I have always loved the look of yellow houses with white picket fences, so naturally the first time I set eyes upon the Windermere Hotel on Mackinac Island, it became a must for me to stay there! It is filled with Victorian charm and has such a lovely presence on the Island.
It just happened that this year while on the Island I was graced with bright blue skies which made a wonderful contrast to the beautiful yellow color of the Windermere!
I hope you’ve enjoyed a tiny glimpse into the year of 2017 with me. I wish all of you a very Happy and prosperous New Year, both in your lives and in your photographic adventures! 🙂
I’d like to end this post with one of my favorite quotes.
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. ~ Edward Abbey ~ 🙂
This fall has been a bit unusual in many ways in SE. Michigan. I know that the summer drought contributed to a very early shedding of leaves before their time, which lead to a disappointing start.
But after the initial non starter of color, we finally received quite a bit of rain and some colder nights! This brought out some really vibrant autumn color on many of the maples and also the ginkgo trees, which I always look forward to every year!
The morning I photographed these ginkgo leaves it was rainy, misty, and really foggy. I think it shows off the color and lusciousness of the rain on the leaves. I love the vibrant golden hue of the ginkgo leaves!
“Luscious Ginkgo Gold” Beautiful golden Ginkgo leaves on a misty fall morning after a rain.
“Rainy Day Ginkgo” More rainy day ginkgo beauty!
I hope you enjoyed these fall images. I’ll be sharing a few more images from the season in the next couple of posts. All of our autumn color is gone now so I guess it’s time to get into all my photographs and see what I actually have.
I was fortunate to be able to attend The 2017 Tulip Festival in Holland, Michigan this spring. I have been one other time but that particular year the tulips hadn’t even begun to bloom.
I was rewarded with beautiful tulips and daffodils this year at the festival, among many other types of flowers.
The lovely purple tulips above were some of the last I was able to see that day as the sun got lower in the sky.
The images below give you some idea of the abundance of tulips and wonderful color there at the Tulip Festival!
“Daffodil Tripartite In Sunlight” Just lovely little daffodils set against brightly colored tulips at The 2017 Tulip Festival in Holland, MI.
“Tulips in Rows” Beautiful rows of tulips with trees and flags in the background at The Tulip Festival.
“Tulip Festival Holland” Enjoying all of the many varieties of tulips at The 2017 Tulip Festival in Holland, Michigan!
Spring has finally arrived here and even though almost nothing has bloomed yet in terms of flowers, I always enjoy when plants of any type start bursting forth from the ground. In this case actually from the shallow waters of a pond, just a preview of things to come.
In this photograph of aquatic reflections you can see the reflection of trees as well as that of the sky and clouds in both the foreground and background. Green plants that are growing just below the water’s surface are beautiful, as well as the vertical shadows that the cattails cast on the surface of the water.
This is a very simple composition, and I like all of the elements it has. Originally I thought of this only as a color photograph because of the beautiful greens, as a sign of spring.
I decided to do a black and white conversion though and really liked the feeling of contrast in the image as well.
I’m really looking forward to the changes this spring will bring, and surely hoping that we won’t have any more freezing temperatures that damage blossoms this year!
I wish a very happy spring to all of you, with plenty of outdoor adventures and beauty!
“Pond Plants in Reflection” Cattails in the shallow depths of a pond in spring with reflections and shadows!
