366 Days of Beauty in the Year 2020 by Brad Reed and Rachel Gaudette

Our wet spring has turned most places into a wetland. This spot was no exception. The straight trees surrounding the green triangle-shaped moss was a showstopper.

I made a family portrait of Sean, Betsy, and the kids today on our hike at the Ludington State Park. I used my external flash to light up their coats and faces. We don’t shoot portraits for hire at this point, but we might someday, and I enjoy practicing on my family.

My kids love our chickens. This is one of David Benjamin’s favorites. He suggested I make a portrait of the two of them for my photo of the day. How could I resist those beautiful faces?

Stained glass windows have always been one of my photography muses. I found this beautiful window at the Lakeview Cemetery in Ludington.

The maples are a favorite spot for my kids and their cousins. It is close enough to my parents’ house that they can venture out without supervision, yet the trees feel miles away. My mom enjoys sitting on their porch watching them play. They spend a lot of time exploring here under what I call “The Triple Trees”.

Betsy and Sean’s house on Riverview in Ludington has always had beautiful crocuses growing in the backyard. I used my 105mm prime macro lens to shoot a close-up photograph of one of the crocuses. I was attracted to the wild purple and white patterns on the inside of the flower.

I grew up with orchards, flowering bushes, and gardens surrounding our farmhouse. I was fortunate to purchase a home that also has apple trees and several flowering bushes in the yard. This is one of my favorites.

Do you see them? Look closely. Do you see them now? Two fawns lying in the wet leaves. I made this image in my Uncle Rod’s backyard. He had spotted them while standing on his deck. He called me and I came out and stood in the rain to make this image.

My front door has the most picturesque designs in the glass. I have always admired these types of doors, and now I have my own.

While on a hike with my cousin Ryan, I made this image south of the first curve at the Ludington State Park. I stood at the bottom of this steep dune and shot upwards.

My kids aren’t afraid of anything! Often, I must ask what is in their hand before they open their “surprise” to show me. Today it was a salamander. It brought back many memories of when I was little, and always squealed with delight at finding them, and I too rushed to show my mom and dad.

Have you ever seen a pelican in Michigan? I had only ever seen one in the past. Today we had over a dozen of them hanging out in the Ludington harbor. These fishermen got an up-close view of them as they took flight off the south pier in Ludington.

The kids and I spent the afternoon fishing down by “The Point”. The marshland was a brilliant green today. While they fished, I shot….photos that is. It was a great day full of wonderful memories!

While hunting for morel mushrooms today with Julia and Ethan at Victory Park, we found this delicate little flower. I used my 85mm portrait lens to isolate the flower and soften the background.

I admitted to my love of solar lights in an earlier caption. Here is yet another solar light that graces my deck. This one is a wind chime and provides me with beautiful music on windy days. Because it reminded me of the Earth, I decided to spin it while exposing my photo of the day.

Our home is surrounded by trees. I love all of them. Tonight, I made this image of a small section during the blue hour. The stars were just starting to show, so I worked to compose them around the treetops.

The dandelions are in full bloom and the bees are buzzing with excitement! I put on my macro lens and got on my hands and knees. I crawled around the yard until I was able to find a bee distracted enough by the pollen that I was able to get super close. These creatures are small but powerful and very important.

Until tonight, I had never seen purple sand at the Ludington State Park. Not far south of the first curve at the park, I was walking the shoreline when I spotted purple, magenta, and black sand all mixed together. When I went in for a closer look, I found this heart shaped rock sitting in the uniquely colored sand.

I cannot even estimate how many times I have driven past this farm in my lifetime so far. On my way home this evening, it stopped me. I pulled over and carefully composed my image. I made sure that the silo was completely showing, and that there was enough green grass in the foreground to pull the viewer into the image.

Golfing with Papa Bill is a favorite pastime of mine. Last year I was his golf partner on a league at Hemlock Golf Course, not far from his house in Ludington. Today we hit some balls for fun, and as usual, he beat me by 10 strokes.