365 A Year in the Photographic Lives of Todd and Brad Reed

Today was our first full day on the island of Maui. We took our rented Mustang convertible for a nice drive to the Iao Valley State Park. The peak on the left hand side of this photograph is the Iao Needle. The famous Hawaiian landmark is covered by dense rain forest and measures 2,250 feet above sea level. F7.1 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 24 mm

Some clouds just feel good. These popcorn clouds make my day brighter than anything else I have seen to photograph today. Brad and I say: "Clouds are your friends." Some are friendlier than others. F3.5 at 1/2500, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 130 mm

Betsy and I went snorkeling today for the first time at Kapalua Beach on the upper west edge of Maui. Kapalua Beach is often rated as one of the best beaches in the world. This is also the place where I lost my wedding ring while snorkeling, so a piece of me will always be in the coral reef off this beach! F7.1 at 1/500, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Hiking with my West Shore Community College advanced photography students, I spot trilliums in the woodland along the Pere Marquette River. Trilliums are simple in color and design, yet their simplicity is what makes them beautiful. F10.0 at 1/125, ISO 100, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

Today we took the winding road trip to Hana. Along the way we stopped at the Honokalani Black Sand Beach. The incredible beach is made up of varying sizes of black rock. I saw a large wave deposit the red plant or piece of coral onto the black rocks and had a split second before the next wave came and took the spot of color back to sea. F5.0 at 1/125, ISO 250, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

No lifeguards are on duty; the ice-cold water is still keeping all but the hardiest swimmers away. On this evening the shapes of the lifeguard tower on the Ludington beach look interesting to me empty, framed against sand, lake and sky. F8.0 at 1/250, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 14 mm

About two hours before shooting this photo I heard that one of my greatest role models died unexpectedly back home in Ludington. Tex Smith was my childhood soccer coach, he was the father of my best friend and college roommate Chris Smith, and he was our business consultant for our photography business. Most of all Tex was my friend. F14.0 at 1/125, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

It is the first day of my wife Debbie's vacation from nursing school and also my birthday. As we drive north to see what we can see and just get away together, these lambs playing on a farm along US 31 near Charlevoix cause us to make a U-turn for a closer look. What a nice present! F2.8 at 1/400, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

Standing above the clouds at the peak of the Haleakala Crater on the island of Maui this afternoon was awesome. The crater has changed shape greatly over the last hundred thousand years, but I am certain it has always been breathtaking. F14.0 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Holy cow! This must be Michigan. I can't believe my eyes as my wife and I drive inland from Petoskey to find the source of all that snow we have been seeing on some cars. Soon we are in the midst of the biggest, wettest snowflakes I have ever seen. I spot this red barn high atop a hill. It is a better background than I could have dreamed for. F2.8 at 1/1000, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

Tonight I took Betsy to dinner at I'O Restaurant in Lahaina. The restaurant is right on the ocean and the food is locally grown or caught. I took this photo from our dinner table. Now I know why this is one of the highest-rated restaurants in all of Hawaii! F3.2 at 1/2500, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

A newborn foal rests in the sunshine and partially in the shadow of its mother in a pasture on the Schultz farm on Iris Road south of Ludington. I take great pleasure in seeing the Schultz family's horses almost daily as I pass by to and from home. F8.0 at 1/400, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 130 mm

Today was our last day in Maui. It took me a week to build up the courage to get close to these crabs and make the photograph I wanted. They moved so fast that it was hard to get them in focus while making sure none of them were crawling up my legs. They looked like hard-shelled spiders to me, which is about as freaky as it gets. F2.8 at 1/400, ISO 100, 70-200 mm lens at 200 mm

The Pere Marquette River Flats south of Ludington is a mecca for waterfowl. As the sun rises this morning, the river and marsh come alive with Canada geese. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 100, 80-200 mm at 200 mm

It is good to be home. Maui was beautiful, but I still don't think the beaches there hold a candle to our beaches in West Michigan. Our flowers are just as beautiful too. I realized that I take our natural beauty for granted. This tulip in my front yard helps remind me of how blessed I am to live in Ludington. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

Lilacs send me back in time to the backyards of my grandparents and parents. I wanted to make this picture look like a nostalgic dream of times past so I placed the camera on a tripod and zoomed the lens during the exposure. F20.0 at 1.6, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 80 mm

I wanted to try something new with my camera so I went down in my basement late at night and turned off all the lights. With the camera on a tripod, I took a 30-second exposure and then turned on a flashlight that had two red lights on it. I slowly moved the flashlight around as the camera exposed. After several attempts, this was my favorite. F11.0 at 30.0, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

I start out shooting the young spring leaves on this birch tree along Lincoln Lake but then I notice the patterns on the bark of the tree. I am drawn to the bold, dynamic shapes. F20.0 at 1/6, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 130 mm

I love living near Oriole Field in Ludington and hearing Dennis Genson announce soccer games from my front yard. It takes me down memory lane. Tonight, I heard that familiar voice and headed to Oriole Field with my camera. This photo is of Megan Kokx, who is a sophomore on the Ludington High School varsity soccer team. F5.6 at 1/400, ISO 1250, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 850 mm

Brad and I are both scurrying to find a picture of the day before speaking to the Alpha Graduates of Ludington High School. We have been frantically busy all day at the gallery so have little time to shoot today. I make a couple images on the Lincoln Hills Golf Club grounds I don't especially like. Then this robin appears just in time! F4.0 at 1/200, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm