Fall Break in Ludington
We recently spent four nights in Ludington, Michigan. Ludington is a longtime favorite. The local state park has miles of beaches and trails. The small city has shops, restaurants, and plenty of lodging options. While it can be busy and somewhat expensive in summertime, it really shines during the fall season.
Typically, when I visit, I make it a goal to photograph the city lighthouse, located at the end of a long pier that juts out into lake Michigan. The lighthouse is visible from many angles, making it easy to line it up with sunset. On this particular trip, I sat and waited each night for good light, but we only had one sunset worth photographing during those four nights.
I could tell it was going to be a good sunset due to the low-lying clouds. Clouds help reflect the light and add drama to the sky. As the sun dropped below the horizon, the sky turned a beautiful orange yellow color. After a few minutes, a red glow appeared where the sun had dipped below the horizon. As time went on, the glow spread upward into the clouds. I lined the lighthouse up with this light, and shot this photo:
I used a small aperture (F20) to put the foreground into focus. The rocks are part of a breakwater. I’ll have at least one more photo to share from this trip. Plus, I spent nearly two weeks in Italy in September, and I have yet to post any of those photos.
