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

The Lamplighter Bed & Breakfast is one of several beautiful bed and breakfast homes on Ludington Avenue. Recently, many local innkeepers have formed an association and are working together to market their businesses. It is an exciting time to own a business in Ludington because everyone is working together to market the area and each other. F7.1 at 1/250, ISO 100, 14 mm lens at 14 mm

Being alone in the rain on a weather deck of the carferry Badger as the ship departs Ludington harbor takes me back 40 years to the days when I stood lookout duty in all sorts of inclement weather on the North Atlantic aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Unimac. Tonight I can make this picture and retreat to the comfort of the Badger's interior. F4.0 at 1/50, ISO 1600, 12-24 mm lens at 12 mm

Photography is like an action sport for my dad and me. Earlier today when I saw these clouds, I knew they were going to be the background of my photo of the day; I just needed to find a strong foreground and middle ground. Once I found this barn and old truck, I had to run and eventually army crawl in order to make a strong composition. F16.0 at 1/250, ISO 400, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Noah Penn throws a large wake as he screams across the surface of Lake Michigan while kite surfing south of Ludington's South Breakwater. The expert kite surfer wears a helmet and face shield for protection. He often allows the kite and wind to launch him more than 20 feet skyward. I wish I could do that. F4.5 at 1/3200, ISO 200, 500 mm lens at 500 mm

For the last couple of years I had heard from many of my friends that they loved taking their kids to Lewis' Farm Market & Petting Farm in New Era, Michigan so Betsy and I loaded the family up today to check it out. We had a blast. I think Betsy and I had as much fun as the kids. Julia's favorite animal was the very friendly camel named Jeffrey. F2.8 at 1/125, ISO 1250, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

I am on a scouting mission for a photography workshop Brad and I will be teaching this week. As I head out the Island Trail at Ludington State Park this red-headed woodpecker chooses to land on a tree right in front of me. I keep my body motions slow but my fingers moving fast to get the correct exposure. One good shot is all I need. Click. F2.8 at 1/1250, ISO 200, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

With huge telephoto lenses you can isolate the prettiest, most colorful parts of the sky in your photographs. The trick is to be patient and wait for something interesting to come into the viewfinder. After several minutes of enjoying the Lake Michigan sunset, a seagull flew into the scene. F5.6 at 1/6400, ISO 500, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 850 mm

Who would have thought when my wife Debbie provided a home to a three-legged, orphan kitty recovering at Country Clinic that he would still be with us 19 years later. Angel Tripod has attitude and gives me a little of it as I make this portrait. We are glad to still have his companionship and "Garfield" attitude. F2.8 at 1/60, ISO 800, 80-200 mm lens at 165 mm

I got to the gallery early this morning before we started our private workshop with a group of photographers from Charlevoix. I noticed air bubbles in the bottle of hand sanitizer on my desk. I used my telephoto macro lens and shot the photo at F57 so that I had great depth of field and could get as many of the bubbles as sharp as possible. F57.0 at 25.0, ISO 100, 105 mm macro lens at 105 mm

The clouds were spectacular today and the sunlight danced off the bright blue sky creating the perfect backdrop for almost any subject. I choose to make Little Sable Point Lighthouse the star of my photograph. F16.0 at 1/250, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 20 mm

This is the second day in a row that I have been up at 5:00 A.M. to be in position to photograph the sunrise around 6:15 A.M. It was totally worth it. This photograph was taken in the farm fields on our hunting property along Conrad Road near the Pere Marquette River. Again, I used a huge telephoto lens to isolate the most intense part of the sky. F10.0 at 1/5000, ISO 100, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 850 mm

I am dedicating this photo to my wife Betsy because she is always commenting on how beautiful a Michigan forest is in the springtime. The forest along Conrad Road near the Pere Marquette River flats is very layered and dense. I loved how the light was hitting the trees in the foreground and then appeared to slowly fade into the background. F22.0 at 0.8, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Turkey vultures are one of the ugliest birds on the planet when seen up close while perched or on the ground. But when they take flight, wow, are they beautiful fliers. This one soars over my head while I am searching for the $500 pair of glasses I lost yesterday while stalking deer and coyotes at our river property. F3.2 at 1/4000, ISO 320, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

With this 365 project I have been trying to shoot more atmospheric photographs. This is forcing me to shoot more on foggy days and hazy days. This scene is near the bird lookout on the corner of Conrad Road and Old US 31. F8.0 at 1/160, ISO 800, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

This softball-size wonder of nature stood out like a white stop light in the green grass along the roadside south of Ludington. I stopped my vehicle for a better look. The close-up view is far more impressive than the one from behind the steering wheel. F8.0 at 1/250, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

My daughter Julia did it again; she found my photo of the day. While I was busy doing yard work, Julia was exploring in her mother's flower garden and she came upon this tiny little bug. Her screams of excitement got my attention and as I was walking over to see what she had found, Julia was already telling me to go get my camera. F13.0 at 1/13, ISO 100, 105 mm macro lens at 105 mm

Flowers along the border of Harbor View Marina sway to the tempo of the brisk breeze. A long exposure allows the camera to paint the movement of the flowers. F11.0 at 1/5, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 165 mm

My favorite yard in all of Ludington is at Mrs. Graczyk's house on the corner of Loomis and Gaylord Avenue. Every inch of her yard is full of flowers and it has a natural look to it. I found this bumblebee while trying to make a photo of Mrs. Graczyk's flowers. F5.6 at 1/80, ISO 1000, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

This fawn was born near my home recently and I have been trying to get a good picture of it for days. Now here it is, right in front of me on the Buttersville peninsula in a beautiful quality of light with a nice wooded background. I savor the view and make the picture. F2.8 at 1/60, ISO 800, 80-200 mm lens at 138 mm

If you have not been to the new Sandcastles Children's Museum in Ludington then you are missing out on great family fun. The museum is as cool on the outside as it is inside. The mural on the side of the building is a great addition to downtown Ludington, too! F5.0 at 1/50, ISO 1000, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm