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

Some trees have personality. I love movies like Lord of the Rings where trees come alive and walk. This tree appears to be striding through the dunes at Ludington State Park. I like its posture. F8.0 at 1/10, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 92 mm

My favorite new lens is my Sigma 18-50 mm F2.8 EX DC Macro. I love that this lens is a wide angle, but also a macro. Wide-angle lenses capture a large degree of the scene in front of you and macro lenses allow you to get close to a subject and focus very finitely. I used that lens to make this image of some grass at the entrance to Stearns Park. F3.5 at 1/500, ISO 1000, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

I love the view of Lake Michigan as you crest the hill leading to the Buttersville Peninsula. Today it is spectacular. As I compose this shot I am reminded of many Coast Guard boat rides on days like this. I can almost hear my former shipmate, Chief Doug Lee, smiling and declaring on the wildest of those rides: "Gotta love it, boys!" F3.2 at 1/200, ISO 100, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

I love the view of Lake Michigan as you crest the hill leading to the Buttersville Peninsula. Today it is spectacular. As I compose this shot I am reminded of many Coast Guard boat rides on days like this. I can almost hear my former shipmate, Chief Doug Lee, smiling and declaring on the wildest of those rides: "Gotta love it, boys!" F3.2 at 1/200, ISO 100, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

I had already made a picture I liked of the Centenary United Methodist Church steeple in Pentwater before finding this shadowy view of a massive tree at Snug Harbor Marina on Pentwater Lake. Both images featured sunshine, shadows and clouds. Brad thought both images had a spiritual quality; I agreed. F8.0 at 1/640, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 12 mm

I love photographing the morning light as it hits the Lake Michigan shoreline. Today the lighthouse clearly has a bright side and a shadow side, making the photograph more dimensional. F5.6 at 1/320, ISO 500, 600 mm lens at 600 mm

I photographed two deer in a stand of sumac and was pleased with the shot until I saw this view of the Ludington South Breakwater Light right after sunset. The tube-shaped light tower is usually unattractive but tonight it looks like a lit candle dripping wax. I concentrate on keeping my biggest lens still on the tripod. F4.0 at 1/50, ISO 800, 500 mm lens at 500 mm

Songbirds have a way of making everyone smile. This little guy is so round and cute, and he gives me hope of a nearing spring. F3.5 at 1/250, ISO 640, 70-200 mm lens at 200 mm

I am unhappy I have not found a Valentine's Day picture yet when it dawns on me that this Kubota tractor looks happy as can be. Sometimes pictures appear when and where you least expect them; the smiling plow tractor works throughout the winter at Crosswinds, where our home is. F8.0 at 1/160, ISO 800, 80-200 mm lens at 185 mm

What the heck is that?!?! That would be my mom's hairless cat Grub. Isn't he cute? F6.3 at 1/125, ISO 640, 18-50 mm lens at 38 mm

I spot turkeys almost daily along Iris Road south of Ludington but this morning they look more splendid than ever. Hold that pose while I grab that camera off the car seat. Thank you, turkeys! F8.0 at 1/60, ISO 800, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

The Rieth-Riley asphalt company in Ludington always has large piles of crushed up material behind their headquarters. I have always thought they would make an interesting photograph, but never took the time to do it. Today the giant pile of black asphalt looked strikingly beautiful against an all-white sky. F11.0 at 0.3, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Driving from Michigan to Georgia makes for a long haul, but the journey does have its benefits. Spectacular views

My stepmom's mother, Marjorie Brye Vyse, attended this old school house in her youth. The school sits vacant today on the corner of Hawley Road and Old US 31. I find it fascinating how Mother Earth is slowly reclaiming this building. F8.0 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

My stepmom's mother, Marjorie Brye Vyse, attended this old school house in her youth. The school sits vacant today on the corner of Hawley Road and Old US 31. I find it fascinating how Mother Earth is slowly reclaiming this building. F8.0 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

My son Tad and I have teamed up to scramble across some rocks with my camera gear to get up close and personal with this waterfall at Flat Rock Park in Columbus, Georgia. The light is quickly fading but my trusty tripod enables us to make a sharp time exposure that captures the beauty and speed of the falling water. F8.0 at 1/6, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 145 mm

The red ice inside the channels of Tamarac Village on Hamlin Lake caught my eye as I drove down North Lakeshore Drive. After a closer inspection, I realized the red color was probably coming from the tannic acid in the leaves that were now on the channel bottom. F14.0 at 1/13, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 34 mm

Brad and I have learned that winter is one of the best times of the year to photograph sunsets. I am savoring this Lake Michigan sunset on a brisk evening on the Buttersville peninsula. F2.8 at 1/200, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

Brad and I have learned that winter is one of the best times of the year to photograph sunsets. I am savoring this Lake Michigan sunset on a brisk evening on the Buttersville peninsula. F2.8 at 1/200, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

Yes, Ligers do exist. Being face to face with this largest of all cats makes me an instant believer. The hybrid cat is a cross between a male lion and a female tiger. This one grabs your attention when you visit Wild Animal Safari at Pine Mountain, Georgia. F2.8 at 1/640, ISO 100, 300 mm lens at 300 mm