This year has flown by really quickly and took me kind of off guard as far as coming up with my Best of 2022 or favorite images of the year. This is a group of images that I both enjoyed making and really love. I hope you all enjoy them as well!
“Loon Lake Pink Fog”“Point Betsie Sunset 1”“Kingsville At Home Again”“The Way You Move Me”“Light of the Pines”“Greening of the Forest Floor”“Spring Tulips 1”
“Detroit Skyline 101”“Solar Burst Summer 2”“Lake Erie Lights and Reflections”
2022 was a really different year for me. These past 2 years honestly have been quite unusual for me and all of us I’m sure, in one way or another.
I hope that the New Year, 2023 brings all of you excellent health, great experiences, wonderful times with friends and family, and joy and success in your lives!
Here we are again at the end of another year. And as has been customary for the past many years I have selected some of my personal favorite photographs from the current year, 2021.
These images aren’t in any particular order, but they do show some of where I’ve been this year and the scenes that gave me a feeling of peace, or a sense of excitement.
I hope you all enjoy them as well!
“Atmospheric Engagement” A very calm and peaceful start to sunset. The horizon in the distance is almost invisible and the clouds above seem to be hovering heavily over Lake Michigan! “Sun Going Down on Me” One last look at sunset on Lake Michigan in summer. High above the beach on the stairs I was observing the golden glow making everything shine and placing the trees in silhouette!“Pittsburgh Scenic View 5” On a beautiful late evening in Pittsburgh, I stayed watching the cable car go up and down Duquesne Incline. Such a gorgeous summer scene of this fabulous city!“Sunset Upon Colchester Ontario” Deep orange and gold hues in the sky and over Lake Erie as the sun set in Colchester, Ontario! “On A Quiet Marsh Morning” I enjoyed many hours along the Marsh Boardwalk at Point Pelee National Park in Ontario this year. The lush green aquatic plants, beautiful clouds, and peaceful sounds of the new day were very special!“Point Pelee Marsh A New Day” Another fabulous morning looking out at the boardwalk and marshland at Point Pelee National Park during summer! “One Day At A Time” I really enjoyed this sunrise on a warm late summer morning in Colchester, Ontario on Lake Erie.“Point Pelee Endless Skies and Sand” I enjoyed many days at Point Pelee National Park this year, and one of my favorite things was to experience the ever changing view both of and from the tip of Point Pelee. “Swiftly Moves the Storm 2” Strong current and heavy storm clouds when a early autumn rain storm passes by on Lake Erie. “Take A Walk With Me” We had a late but amazing fall color season in Michigan this year. The maple trees put on quite a show! “Winter Wonderland Dream” Who doesn’t love a winter wonderland! This was a particularly inviting scene to me with the snow laden branches in dark contrast to the water, as well as the slight glow of a morning sunrise!
I hope that all of you have a very happy New Year, and that 2022 gives you plenty of adventure, enjoyment, good times, and most of all to stay healthy while enjoying whatever it is that you love to do!
To say the least, this year has been wildly different for all of us. As for myself photography wise I wasn’t able to do much traveling, as I’m sure many of you also encountered.
I did manage to make quite a few photographs this year that I really love though.
So these are my personal favorite images from this wild and crazy year, 2020!.
They aren’t in any particular order. I do hope that you like them and that they bring you some sense of peace and happiness in these very difficult times!
“Sparkling Through Autumn Trees” This was an extraordinarily beautiful fall day with the colorful fall foliage, bright blue skies, and magical sunshine!
“Rushing Waves and Cotton Candy Sky” After a stormy day along Lake Superior the sky lit up just before sunset and made a beautiful ending to a day! “Miners Castle Autumn Colors” This was a cloudy day to start out with but the fall color as well as the lovely hues of blues of both the water and sky made a very scenic view!“Life is Looking Up” Another spectacular autumn scene as I looked up at the myriad of trees and blue sky within a forest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula!“Breakwater Skies 2” Fabulous clouds and colors in Marquette, Michigan along the rocky beach next to the breakwater!“Along Cut River Bridge” As fall foliage peaked I enjoyed a walk down below Cut River Bridge on a bright a sunny autumn afternoon!“Autumn’s Edge” Waves rushing ashore and beautiful fall color were exhilarating on this late afternoon at Presque Isle Park in Marquette, Michigan!“Stones of Miners Beach” On a cloudy and off and on rainy morning at Miners Beach I captured this beautiful scene of dramatic clouds, calm water. and beautiful stones!“Sunrise Contemplation 2” This is one of a very few sunrise images from Presque Isle Park in Marquette, Michigan on the black rocks. I witnessed spectacular color, beautiful reflections, and a sense of peace that morning! A single person was standing on the rocks also watching sunrise as a small boat passed by in the distance!“Kitch-iti-kipi Autumn”
This was a beautiful and peaceful autumn day at Kitch-iti-kipi with fabulous reflections of the clouds, evergreen trees, and larch trees along the water!
I hope that you enjoyed this look back on my Best of 2020 images!
My wish for this coming new year for everyone is that all of us in the world are able to experience a safer, healthier, happier, more peaceful, and more beautiful life in 2021!
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!
This past autumn during a trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula I had the opportunity to witness one really beautiful afternoon and a stunning sunset in Marquette. The rest of my days in the UP. this time were filled with lots of rain, fog and clouds.
This was the one and only afternoon that I witnessed the sky change dramatically every few minutes! The clouds split the sky into darkness and light. The title of The Reckoning felt just right for this image!
For fun, I processed it in both color and black and white. The monochrome version has a much more dramatic feel to it, while the blue hues create a more peaceful scene. I hope you enjoy both.
“The Reckoning in Blue” Beautiful blues and silhouette on Lake Superior as sunset approaches.
As with almost all of my images they can be purchased as beautiful prints or canvas, and are available for licensing as well. For purchasing info click here
Here we are at the end of 2015, and what a year it’s been! As I’ve done for the past four years in a row, I am posting my favorite images of this past year. Not necessarily the best, but my personal faves. It was hard to narrow it down to only ten, but I finally did after a lot of going back and forth. These are not in any particular order and are of several different subjects. I hope you enjoy them! If you would like to look at my 2014 year in review you can check that out here. Best of 2014
Jim Goldstein in his Blog Project has hosted the year in review or top 10 images on his blog for a number of years, and I always look forward to it! There are photographers from all around the world with amazing images! I hope you’ll check out his blog and take a look at the wonderful array of photographers and gather inspiration from their images! His post should be up in the early part of January 2016!
“Kayaking at Miners Falls” Gorgeous blue waters of Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore in summer!
“Great Lakes Autumn Waves” A beautiful and windy day on Lake Superior near Munising in autumn!
“One Very Fine Day” This was a fabulous day in Marquette Michigan on Presque Isle Park!
“Life is But a Dream” This was one special sunset on Lake Michigan! The waters were like glass, and the whole world seemed alive with the colors of sunset. There were several people kayaking and canoeing on the smooth water! Dreamy!
“My Sweet Lady” This year was a great year for peonies! I particularly loved this huge specimen!!
“Grape Hyacinth”2 One of many beautiful Grape Hyacinth this spring!
“Beautiful Cedar Falls” I had the opportunity to go to Hocking Hills in Hocking County Ohio this summer. The many waterfalls in the location and the amazing rock formations were wonderful! The summer was a dry one, so the water flow wasn’t as strong as I would have liked, but it was beautiful to me anyway!
“Afternoon in Shades of Gray” This scene in late fall with a beautiful snow just begged for black and white processing!
“Sweet Potato Mash” I had a year with a lot of motion blur abstracts, and this is one of my favorites!
“Song of Light” A bokeh delight in the fresh summer grass! One of my favorite bokeh-licious abstracts this year!
As we end this year and head into 2016, I’d like to wish everyone and their families all the best in the New Year. I wish you all good health, good times, plenty of adventures and family to enjoy it with!
I’ll end 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 ~
I always enjoy a beautiful sunrise or sunset, especially over a body of water. The clouds and colorful hues are reflected on the surface making it absolutely glorious! Scroll down to see two sunset and one sunrise image from this summer on two of the Great Lakes.
I’ve also included several quotes on the topic of sunrise and sunset. Enjoy!
“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”
~ Rabindranath Tagore ~
“When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.”
~ George R.R. Martin ~
“Spectacular Sunset” An amazing sunset on glassy waters of Lake Michigan!
“There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.”
~ Jo Walton ~
“Sunrise paints the sky with pinks and the sunset with peaches. Cool to warm. So is the progression from childhood to old age.”
~ Vera Nazarian ~
“Dawn’s First Light” A Soothing and peaceful sunrise on Lake Huron!
“The blue of daylight
fades and chills as the sun sinks
beneath clouds of fire.”
~ Richelle E. Goodrich ~
“The sunset was a splendid display. I wondered if it was showing off for my benefit or if it was often that spectacular. Rarely had I seen such a gorgeous scene; the riotous colors flamed out over the sky in shades that I had no words to describe. Birds sang their last songs of the day before tucking in for the night, and still the darkness hung back. Now, I thought, I understand the word “twilight.” It was created for just this time – in this land.”
~ Janette Oke ~
“Magnificent Sunset” Another gorgeous sunset from Lake Michigan in the Upper Peninsula!
“But even the longest day wears to sunset.”
~ Marion Zimmer Bradley ~
Last month on a fall color trip I got to enjoy a beautiful sunrise and sunset on two of the Great Lakes.
What a soothing and peaceful sunrise I had this day on Lake Huron! The only sounds to be heard were of gulls, ducks, and geese as they appeared on the scene as daylight broke! This was the beginning.
“Peace at Sunrise”
After a day of hunting for scenic places with fall color I went out along Lake Michigan for a sunset. It was what I call a nearly endless sunset. It didn’t get going with much color at first, but when it did, it didn’t want to stop! I stayed photographing the color until I knew I really had to leave. Even after I left the scene I had a hard time keeping my eye off of the side and rear view mirror as the color kept changing!
Red Sky at Night.
You know what they say about Red Sky at Night? A sailors delight! I have to say that it was for sure, the night was clear and the waters smooth. The next day also brought beautiful clear weather. I guess the mariners of old knew their skies! 🙂
Have you ever gone out to a specific location just to capture a sunset? Hoping to get a spectacular one? It can give you a range of feelings. From those of beautiful anticipation, just knowing it’s going to be a good one, to that of frustration and disappointment as the conditions just aren’t what you need for that moment.
In this location here on the shores of Lake Michigan, I had hoped for beautiful clouds, or just a little something besides total clear uneventful skies on several different evenings.
For three days up until this one, I had gone to the beach on one of the southern areas of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula about 30 miles from St. Ignace. I waited in the very bright sunlight of late afternoon just hoping for something wonderful to happen. Something magical!
On my last day in the area as I drove along the shore I could see a bit of hazy wispy clouds starting to form along the horizon. This really got my attention and hopes up!
After arriving at a certain stretch of beach, I set up my tripod and camera, dialed in the settings, and set the focus. I positioned myself on the wonderful warm sand and used a remote cable release to take a few images as I drank in the pure beauty, amazing colors and hues in front of me.
This isn’t a sunset to end all sunset’s by any means, but it was beautiful without being fussy. It was relaxing for me and not hurried. It was a joy to experience, not just photograph.
I stayed long after the sun had actually gone down, not only to capture all of the vibrant hues on camera. I allowed myself to really take the time to enjoy the last bits of color, to hear the sound of gentle waves, to feel the days warmth turn into the cool of night.
This was my moment of peace for that day!
I hope that you might find some beauty and serenity in this image also!
Recently on a trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan I was taken by surprise at all of the ice still remaining on Lake Superior.
The weather on my second day there turned unseasonably warm, which happened to be the case the day I took this sunset.
On certain areas of Lake Superior you can only see ice in the far distance, in other places you are actually able to still stand on thick chunks that are floating around closer to the shore.
The day before I took this image the whole bay was a mass of floating icebergs, ranging in size from many feet wide to a few inches in width. The depth could also be 1-3 feet for those that I could see. I’m sure much larger for those in the middle of each of the Great Lakes.
I was really hoping to get some sunset images through the icebergs with loads of golden color. Well, that didn’t happen because on the next evening I arrived to find much of the ice that had been close to the shore previously, no longer there. The warm southern winds had blown it further out in the water. Only a few chunks remained close to where I was standing.
The temperatures that day had reached the upper 80’s with plenty of haze and humidity, as well as a ton of black flies and mosquitoes. Consequently the sunset was not quite what I had hoped for yet it was really colorful and quite long lasting.
This frame is one of the later ones from that night, towards the end of sunset. The colors were still strong at the time, and the ice fields visible in the distance. You can also notice a few smaller pieces of ice closer to the shore.
The funny thing to me was knowing that here in late May, there were still many remnants of this winters extremely cold weather all around me.
I’m sure that there will be ice somewhere on Lake Superior for another month or two!
Enjoy this extremely simple image, and view of color and ice in a time that you wouldn’t normally expect it!
