On the road again—this time heading west. We’re traveling a bit later in the season than usual, and I’m hopeful it brings a few new bird sightings along the way.

Our first stop is a campground wrapped in stunning live oaks, their presence timeless, as if they’ve been standing watch for generations.

There’s something incredible about the way these trees grow—their great limbs stretching outward, dipping low, and sometimes even meeting the earth, as if embracing it.

On the Road Again

Spring Flowers – I just love spring time. Fresh air after a spring rain. Vibrant colors.

My niece sent me a funny quote. The spring time meme is, April Showers brings May Flowers.

But my niece lives on a farm, She said April Showers brings, mudd, mudd and more mudd. With a smiley face of course. 🙂

Spring Flowers

Millie is the cutest little pup. She is the last dog I photographed at the campground before we started our travels. The leaves on the ground match her tan colors in her coat of gray.

Millie

Zeus – loves playing fetch. 🙂

Zeus

It is travel time once again—time to shake the dust off the RV after four quiet months and turn our hearts back toward the open road.

This past winter was a strange one. Our campground felt heavier than usual, with sickness making its rounds—colds and flu lingering longer than anyone expected. I had my own challenge with back issues, but I’m grateful to say that chapter has eased after finding the right chiropractor.

And truly, when I think about the record snowfalls up north and all that so many endured, it’s hard to complain about these smaller struggles while being blessed with the milder southern days.

Winter, though, was not without its deeper sorrows. We said goodbye to friends—two kind souls who will be missed in the quiet, everyday ways. And I also had to let go of my sweet little dog, who simply grew old as all living things do. She had a beautiful life, and I hold onto that with gratitude, even as I feel her absence.

But now, spring is here.

And with it comes renewal.

There is something about this season that gently calls us forward—new life unfolding, fresh adventures waiting just beyond the horizon. I feel that pull deeply this year. A need for new scenery, for wide skies and quiet places, for the kind of connection with nature that clears the mind and settles the soul.

So we go.

Back on the road, carrying memories with us, but also making space for what’s ahead.

From my heart to yours,
Sandra J’s Photography

It is Travel Time

Kite Festival – April Fun

Kite Festival Video Link Here

Kite Festival

Last Minute Dog Portraits before we hit the road again. Campground pups. 🙂

Last Minute Dog Portraits

Wide Angle Lens on my pet portraits. Always fun to use the wide angle lens close up on pet portraits. Especially on such a happy little dog like this miniature Schnauzer.

Wide Angle Lens

I set out for an early morning walk along a familiar path at the campground, one I’ve wandered down many mornings before. As I rounded a corner and stepped out of the woods into a small clearing, I glanced to my right—and stopped.

There it was. Perfect timing.

A man-made nesting box that the osprey return to each spring stood quietly in the morning light. Hovering just above it was the full moon, and nestled inside the box were two osprey.

I only had my phone with me, so I took the shot. Phone cameras don’t do their best work in low light—at least mine doesn’t—but I was grateful to have it with me to capture the moment.

I stood there for a few minutes, waiting for the moon to set behind the birds and took another shot.

Moments like this are reminders that you never really know what might be waiting just around the next bend. Sometimes, the most beautiful surprises appear when you least expect them.

Unexpected Moments

Have a great weekend.

This is Why I do it. I always have to throw away a small percentage of the photos I take. But the good ones keep me coming back. 🙂

Amazing Animals, have a great weekend.

This is Why

Editing Process, I also do pet portraits during these events. Not just the course jumps. First thing first, is the treats to get the dogs attentions.

I must admit though, most of the dogs here are so well behaved, they sit pretty good for their photos.

It takes a lot of work for the owners as well, especially when they want to get all their dogs in the shot. As we both try to get them all to look the same direction for some shots, and preferably their ears forward.

Once we master the look, I take lots of photos. The owners cannot take the collars and ropes off in most cases. We don’t need a loose dog on the grounds, That can be a problem.

So during the editing process I remove the collars and take away the ropes. Crop the photo so that the sides of the back curtain are not showing.

This is the result of all the editing process.

It is a lot of work, but I have been doing it for years. The process for doing all this is much easier these days. I work the show from 7 am to 5 pm, I go back to the RV, and edit as many as I can and print them out for the next days show. These are 3 day events.

I sell the majority of my shots when I can print them and sell them the next day so they can take a photo home with them.

Needless to say, by Monday I am exhausted. I stay up as long as I can at night doing this work and then start again the next day.

Editing Process

Behind the Scenes photographing a dog agility event. Most dog agilities are indoors these days For obvious reasons, weather mostly.

But, the issue is, it needs to be a big arena and that might mean poor lighting. Even though this photo below looks like it is really bright in this particular arena. That is the editing after I get the shot. I will say if the sun happens to be out when I am shooting at this arena, it does brighten it a bit.

As you can see on my camera screen, I am shooting at a shutter speed of 2500, I do adjust that depending on how fast the dog is running.

This year we did have better weather, more sun and no rain for once. This building faces north and south. The best locations to photograph is at each end where the sun filters in a little more, that helps a lot.

One of the dog owners wrote that she used to buy photos all the time years ago during her dog agility events. Photographers were willing to go to these events. But over the years, the photographers have quit going. Why? Because of the lighting in these arenas.

There is extensive editing that has to be done to make a good shot for the customers. It is not worth the time and effort for most photographers. Meaning, it doesn’t pay that well. We are not paid to be there, we only get paid if the customer buy’s the photos.

I completely understand that, I do this because I have the time, I love the challenge and I love providing this service for the folks.

Lets take a look at the issues. Example, dark colored dogs. So hard to get a good shot. This is how dark it really is in this big arena. My camera on this shot focused on the judge in the background. We are talking about fast moving subjects in a dark space.

This photo? 🙂 I see the collar on the dog and the mans face and hair really show up nice. 🙂

Panning with a moving subject, sometimes the camera just focuses on the closest object which results in a blurry dog.

Finding the right place to stand in this arena is also a challenge. I have to be far enough away to not be a distraction for the dog. Folks like to buy shots of their dogs going through the weave polls.

Every judge places the obstacles wherever they like. This one has a horrible background with people standing around and the sunlight blowing out the back of the shot.

Sometimes, it is just not a fast enough shutter speed for these unexpected moments. Still a fun shot even tho the eyes are blurry.

More about this and what keeps me coming back to these shows on the next blogs.

Behind the Scenes

The Jump – the concentration and confidence in this first picture is perfect as this boxer goes over the jump.

This next photo, the eyes are a little wider as if he is thinking, ” Oh no”,

This photo below, the eyes tell the story. 🙂 ” I don’t think I am going to make this one”, 🙂

The Jump

Have a great weekend.

Cuteness Overload

Cuteness Overload

As a morning person, I’m usually chasing first light, not the last. Sunrises feel like home to me — quiet, expectant, full of promise.

But the other evening, I chose something different. Instead of turning in early, I walked out onto a pier along the bay and waited for the sun to say goodnight.

The sky softened, the water held ribbons of gold and rose, and I was reminded that beauty isn’t reserved for the hours we’re most comfortable in.

Sometimes it’s found when we gently step outside our routine. The sunset felt like a whispered invitation — to slow down, to look up, and to remember that even endings can glow with breathtaking light.

Chasing First Light

Have a great weekend.

Beautiful Clouds

Beautiful Clouds

Have a wonderful weekend.

Today we took the backroads—our favorite way to explore when we’re out in the country. There’s something peaceful about wandering through farmland, seeing the quiet rhythm of rural life. Along the way, we came across this apple orchard, and I had to stop. I’ve never seen apple trees grown like this before—tall, thin sticks lined in perfect rows, each one loaded with bright red apples. It almost didn’t look real, more like a scene from a storybook.

Curious, I tried one of the apples… and it wasn’t very good. So now I’m not sure what variety they are or if they’re meant more for processing than eating fresh. Still, the sight of those rows upon rows of apples glowing in the afternoon light was worth the stop. Moments like this are why we love taking the long way around.

Taking the Backroads

Have a wonderful weekend.

The Doberman, who just happened to win best in show this year. Not this dog in my photos, I just finished making this portrait of this one when I saw it was announced that this breed one best in show. Beautiful dogs.

Have a great weekend.

The Doberman

Big Sable Point Lighthouse

As our travels carried us farther south along the shores of Lake Michigan, we found ourselves drawn once again by the quiet promise of another lighthouse. This time, it was Big Sable Point Lighthouse, waiting patiently at the edge of Ludington State Park.

We were camping within the park and decided, on one of our final days, to follow the trail marked for the lighthouse. What we didn’t fully grasp at first was just how much of a journey it would be. The hike stretched over two miles one way, winding through rolling sand dunes and stands of trees that seemed to hush the world around us. Each step felt intentional, the path both challenging and beautiful, inviting us to slow down and simply take it all in.

By the time Big Sable Point came into view, it felt less like a destination and more like a reward. Standing tall against the vastness of Lake Michigan, the lighthouse marked not only the end of the trail, but the closing of our time at Ludington State Park. This venture would be our last here, and it felt fitting that it led us somewhere so timeless and still.

With one lighthouse left to see along Lake Michigan, Big Sable Point became the fifteenth I have photographed—bringing me one step closer to sixteen, each one carrying its own story, its own light, and its own quiet calling.

Big Sable Point Lighthouse

Its February – Time is going so fast. I am starting the month where I left off last time. The unique landscapes around Mission point Lighthouse.

The day we got there it was raining so hard. It is like you can see forever at this point and the storm clouds made for beautiful images against the calm waters.

Such a beautiful location. Plus just because it is raining if you are visiting here, head up to the light house anyway. There were way less people and the storms move through pretty quickly.

Its February

Standing out at Mission Point Lighthouse, the landscape feels almost other-worldly. The water is unbelievably shallow for what seems like forever, revealing smooth stones and sandbars that look as if the lake has quietly pulled back its veil.

Yet just a little farther north, there’s that odd, straight line on the water where everything changes. Beyond it, the waves rise higher, rolling and breaking as if they belong to a completely different body of water.

On this side of the rock break, though—right where I took the photo—the water rests in a calm, glassy stillness. It truly feels like two worlds meeting.

What’s fascinating is that it’s likely not a tide at all. The Great Lakes don’t have true ocean tides because they’re too small to be significantly affected by the moon’s gravitational pull.

They do, however, experience something called seiches—wind-driven water sloshing that can raise or lower water levels for a short time and make it look like a tide.

Add in sandbars, man-made breaks, and sudden shifts in depth, and you’ve got these surreal patterns where one side of the lake is smooth as silk and the other is full of texture and movement.

Mission Point is one of those magical places where the lake loves to show off—and every time you visit, it tells a different story.

Standing out at Mission Point

Have a great weekend 🙂