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

My dad and I golfed today in the local chamber of commerce golf outing at Lincoln Hills Golf Club. Neither of us is able to golf often, but we seem to always laugh a lot when we do. I think other people laugh at us too. You can't take yourself too seriously in life! F6.3 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Looking like giant spray-painted hay bales, rolls of brightly colored drainage tube await installation in a farm field along US 10 east of Scottville. I am on my way to the Scottville Harvest Festival, which celebrates farming, so this picture seems appropriate for today's photo of the day. F8.0 at 1/320, ISO 200, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

Driving down Conrad Road my dad noticed some sumac that had started to change color. He already had his photo of the day so he called me. Twenty minutes later when I showed up with my camera, this beautiful butterfly greeted me. F2.8 at 1/60, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

I have made the picture I set out to make at Epworth Heights this afternoon

The Downtown Ludington Board has done an amazing job in the last couple of years improving the signage in Ludington. I love the logo and branding which now represent Ludington. We are the ultimate sunset town! F13.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

These pigeons are a bright spot in a sad day. Angel, our beloved cat, died today. The pigeons are on a barn roof at Country Clinic, which gave us Angel nearly 20 years ago when he was an orphan kitty convalescing from the loss of a front leg. What a gift he turned out to be! F5.6 at 1/2000, ISO 400, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

The contrast between the royal blue sky and the strikingly defined white clouds gets my attention as I step out of my truck at Cartier Park in Ludington. I have found my photo of the day! F2.8 at 1/2000, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Michigan State players and fans celebrate moments after Charlie Gantt caught a fourth-down touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone on a fake field goal play to defeat Notre Dame in overtime 34-31. F4.5 at 1/320, ISO 2000, 80-200 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 230 mm

My dad and I spent the entire day at Michigan State University. He showed me his old apartment and where he took most of his journalism classes. We capped the night off by watching one of the best MSU victories of all time. Go Green! F4.0 at 1/250, ISO 1250, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

I have admired these grasses in my neighbor's yard at Crosswinds for months. I am thinking they have never looked better than today so I am giving it my best shot to show how beautiful I think they are. F2.8 at 1/2000, ISO 400, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

My son Ethan walks along a small sand dune behind my dad and stepmom's house at Crosswinds along Lake Michigan. I follow behind with my camera to photograph his tiny footprints in the sand. F7.1 at 1/250, ISO 400, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Thistledown on a milk thistle plant looks especially soft and delicate this afternoon. The thistledown will soon catch the wind and spread the plant's seeds across our land along the Pere Marquette River. F4.2 at 1/250, ISO 400, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

Sheila Sulak has several unique lawn ornaments in her yard on Tinkham Avenue in Ludington. Tonight she let me photograph one of her favorites in her backyard. I used a slow shutter speed and a rear synced flash to get the look I wanted. F9.0 at 0.6, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

The Fredericks family farm is one of the most uniquely attractive farms in Mason County. Slowing down or stopping when driving by the South Amber Road property provides more time to appreciate all the handmade folk art on the barn and elsewhere in the yard. F22.0 at 1/6, ISO 400, 24-70 mm lens at 29 mm

Running out of daylight, I headed into our backyard and found these leaves and birch stump. Using a sturdy tripod and hoping the wind stayed calm, I made this six-second exposure. It turned out sharper than expected. F22.0 at 6.0, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

I am impressed by the affection a pair of mute swans display for each other while basking in the sunshine on Pere Marquette Lake with their offspring. It is clear to me they are mates for life. F4.5 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 145 mm

My dad and I are honored to be the co-chairs of this year's fundraising campaign for the United Way of Mason County. One of the slogans we are using is, "Give a hand up, not a hand out," so I made this photograph to represent that concept. F4.0 at 1/15, ISO 800, 18-50 mm lens at 24 mm

I have been watching leaves float by for 20 minutes on Hamlin Lake just above the dam at Ludington State Park. Finally, here is a fresh, colorful view that stands out immediately from all the others I have seen. F2.8 at 1/80, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 130 mm

Tonight at Waterfront Park in Ludington we had a Calvin College Alumni picnic. About 20 local Calvin graduates showed up for the event. At the end of the evening Betsy and I took Julia and Ethan to the playground to burn some energy before bedtime. F2.8 at 1/250, ISO 800, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Lake Michigan is angry this morning. It looked rough from my house. But now, up close to the waves at the base of the Ludington South Breakwater, I can really sense the power of this Great Lake. F3.2 at 1/1600, ISO 400, 300 mm lens at 300 mm