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

Several times during the 366 Project, Brad and I shot subjects very similar to each other. Tonight takes the cake though. We each shot the Badger, lighthouse and clouds, seconds apart from each other! I was on the south side while he was on the north side of the channel. It wasn’t until we downloaded our files the next day that we realized our photos matched.

The kids and I were driving back from Hart via Little Sable Point Lighthouse. I left them warm in the van, while I ventured out to capture one of my first ever shots of this lighthouse.

Todd, Brad, Julia, and I set out on the hike tonight to Big Sable Point Lighthouse. Their main goal was to shoot the Comet NEOWISE over the lighthouse. My goal was to make my first image of the state park’s 112-foot, black-and-white centerpiece. After making the image I had envisioned for years, I sat back and enjoyed the experience of the comet with a night full of laughter and memories.

Mufasa, our outdoor cat, enjoys playing in the snow. We played chase the snowballs for a while before I made this image of his long fur blowing in the wind.

The air was cold, the water was frosty, the clouds were subtle yet beautiful. What a fantastic day to be capturing the Lake Michigan shoreline and Point Betsie Lighthouse! I was glad to have my waterproof boots on as I worked hard to compose this image. The ice-covered stump made an interesting complement to the lighthouse in the background. Now it’s just waiting for the right wave to complete the photo.

I have only ever witnessed one better particle ray in my lifetime. That was back in 2004 when I shot “Sunburst.” Tonight, was a close second! I made this image off Uncle Budde and Aunt Sheryl’s deck. I was out of breath from running as fast as I could with my gear to get in position before the light show started to fade away. I could see Rachel down the beach at the water’s edge at Stearns Beach.

While trying to photograph some ducks on the Sauble River at the Ludington State Park today, I decided to shoot the colorful water ripples instead. The key to shooting good water ripple photographs is to raise your ISO so you can put that added light into your shutter speed. I robbed the ISO bank up to 6400 on this image so I could get my shutter speed up to 1/3200 of a second and totally freeze the moving water.

A very old shipwreck was uncovered recently near the north edge of Epworth’s property on Lake Michigan. The record high water levels of Lake Michigan this year have uncovered a lot of old secrets along its shores.

Cameras do lie! This lawn ornament is a small, but working, windmill at the Greene Farm on Conrad Road. The super dramatic sky and cool blue light this morning really added the drama I needed to get the feeling I wanted for this image.

My dad and my Uncle Budde have always loved to race each other on foot or by car, truck, or boat. To say they are competitive is an understatement. Today they raced their tritoons on Hamlin Lake. The best part was seeing the devilish grins on both their faces.

I could see the makings of a colorful sunrise as my kids got on the bus. I drove quickly to “The Point”, one of my favorite spots on our family farm. Hesitating slightly at the thought of getting my minivan stuck in the snow, I decided it was worth the risk. The Pere Marquette River glowed pink, just as I had envisioned.

While shooting photographs out at Legends Ranch today, I noticed an old canoe up near a tree in long grass. The texture of the grass, the warm sunshine, and the shadows created by the tree, turned this ordinary scene extraordinary.

Becky Scott, our neighbor at Cherry Hill Farm, called me and asked if I would photograph their newest horse on their farm. I got in the corral as the young horse ran circles around me.

One of the indicators that my dad, Rachel, and I use to help us determine the difference between a really good sunset and an excellent sunset is if the sunlight gets so intense that it appears to be making the beacon of the Ludington North Breakwater Light glow red, orange, or gold. Tonight, the sunset turned the beacon red and orange for less than one minute.

Little Sable Point Lighthouse was shining bright tonight. I always love when the bright sunlight hits the Fresnel lens inside the top of the lighthouse and reflects in unique ways. I also love looking at Little Sable on nights like these where one side is brighter, and the other side is in the shadows. The details of the red brick on the brighter side are visually stimulating to me.

Home feels good tonight. I took time to explore around the yard after unpacking the camper. I have always thought Queen Anne’s lace does not get the attention it deserves. I decided to use her for my star.

My aunt and uncle and his family own this barn on Conrad Road. Ron Soberalski keeps his two large draft horses on their property. On this foggy morning, Ron’s horses were the perfect added ingredients that this scene needed.

Snowy owls like to visit Mason County between Scottville and Manistee. Driving along US-31, I always try to keep a lookout. Perched upon an old metal fence, this owl was just waiting to be photographed. The subtle color in the sky and weeds added just the right touch.

The wind was whipping along the Lake Michigan shoreline during a vibrant sunset tonight from the north end of Stearns Beach. Using a wide-angle lens, I used the distortion that the lens creates to make a stronger composition.

My kids had their first day of downhill skiing today! They crashed hard asleep in the van on our way home from Crystal Mountain when I spotted this stunning silhouette. The flow of the tail was the finishing touch.