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

After dinner at Brad’s house, the kids played there while I ran to the Sauble River outlet to shoot the sunset. I liked seeing the different variety of waves lapping to shore.

After dinner the kids and I were in the backyard and we heard a strange noise coming from the woods behind the house. When I went to investigate, I found a family of baby raccoons walking across the ground. I ran to my truck and got my big lens. By the time I got back the babies had climbed part way up a very tall tree. This little guy was the only one in the sunlight.

The kids and I took a drive around the farm with my mom and dad tonight. I have always enjoyed the shape of this tree. In the far background, you can see our barn and farmhouse. It is a picture-perfect setting.

My brother and sister-in-law’s yard has a large variety of beautiful flowers and plants throughout. Today I worked at capturing this poppy in magic light. To me this flower looks like a strange bug with big eyes and a large mouth.

My mom’s yellow roses climb the wall of the farm’s garage. Each year we welcome their sight. I hope to transplant some of them to our home soon.

My dad called me early this morning to tell me that he thought it might be a good sunrise. I crawled out of bed and drove to Lincoln Lake. I made this image near the bridge on M-116.

After a dinner with family visiting from Cleveland, I noticed tiny daisies in the yard of their vacation home. It was covered in them! I crawled around until I saw a perspective I liked.

I inherited my Grandpa and Grandma Reed’s large grandfather clock. The kids and I have it in our dining room now. Tonight, I used my macro lens to shoot an up-close detailed shot of the face of the clock.

Kasey made this circular design out of putty. I liked the different shades and shapes. I knew before making this image at home tonight that I would make it into a black-and-white image for my photo of the day.

The kids and I drove with my dad to the front field looking for a jack-in-the-pulpit that he had seen earlier in the week. Unfortunately, it was past its prime. On our way back, a shelf cloud rapidly came upon us. I asked my dad to get us back to the farm as fast as he could. I knew the spot I needed to be to capture the massive cloud over the farmhouse and maples. We don’t typically get shelf clouds that big this far inland. It was fun to witness!

I photographed this toad on the back deck of my house. When I first spotted it, I was shocked by its size and its reddish-brown color. It had rained the night before so the deck was still wet. I used my new Sigma 105mm F2.8 macro lens that we had purchased recently from The Camera Shop in Muskegon. I manually focused the lens on the toad

The Badger’s maiden voyage each year is a really big deal in Ludington. For me it feels like the official kick-off of summer. The Badger had smooth sailing today to start its sailing season.

The Father Marquette Cross, recently repaired and re-erected, looks glorious today!

The sun was shining bright today, and I think the bees were enjoying the warmth because they were very active in my brother and sister-in-law’s garden. Using my 105mm macro lens and getting in close, I was able to capture this image.

While working up part of our garden at home, one of my nieces came across this nest in the ground. I carefully made my photo, and then we left the area in peace. You never know what you will find by getting outside.

I made this image today in my backyard in honor of my grandpa, Bill Marble. My Papa Bill has been a horse lover his entire life. This weathervane sits on top of one of my garages and I always think of Papa when I look at it.

David Benjamin had been looking forward to his First Communion for months! Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we had to cancel the original Mass. Father planned this special Mass just for them and a small gathering of family members. He was very excited to have his special day! This image of my mom and dad, along with David Benjamin was a heartwarming photo to make.

Rachel and I made the ten-hour drive south to visit my mom in Clarksville, Tennessee today. The house she is renting has a beautiful backyard full of flowers, birds, and critters. This stargazer lily greeted us as we pulled into her driveway.

Brad and I took a quick trip to visit his mom, Kay, in Tennessee. She has several flower gardens around her house. This one stood out above the rest.

Alice Allard, my Aunt Sue Marble’s mom, made this gorgeous quilt for my mom. I loved the patterns and bright colors and was honored to be able to photograph this wonderful piece of art.