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

I’ve always appreciated this large tree on Sugar Grove Road. Today, with the snow falling, the atmosphere it created was the perfect added ingredient.

The 410-foot carferry Badger was completely reflected in a small puddle near its dock tonight during a dramatic sunset. I slowly walked into the middle of the puddle and after the water calmed back down, I made this image. Notice the large triangle in the foreground that comes to a point at the reflected smoke stack.

A small shelf cloud rolled into Ludington off Lake Michigan today. I used that as a background to dune grass at the Ludington State Park instead of focusing on the shelf cloud itself.

Using my new macro lens and three stacked extension tubes, I was able to make the ice on a blue plastic chair behind the gallery look unique today.

My daughter Kasey’s ewe, Lady Glitter Sparkles, had a little girl last night. Kasey named her Princess Poppy.

Early this morning, my cousin Ryan and I met John Karakashian at Baldwin Bait and Tackle and then went salmon fishing with him on the Pere Marquette River. It was a beautiful day to float the National Wild & Scenic River.

Just as I was getting ready to photograph this pair of swans, they both decided to feed at the same exact time. Luckily the camera was ready to capture this funny moment.

The moon setting over the Ludington North Breakwater Light is a view that I never get tired of trying to capture. At first glance you would think this was another sunset photograph until you look at the amount of light hitting the front of the lighthouse. As the sun is coming up, the moon is setting in the distance.

This huge white oak on our family farm is a favorite to everyone, especially my brother, Jimmy. With my three kids and my arms wrapping around it, we barely touch fingertips..

It was a great sailing day in Ludington today. With a stiff and steady wind, I watched several sailboats cruising the lakeshore. I was geeked when one of the bigger sailboats decided to pass the pier heads under full sail.

I love finding heart shapes in nature. When I got home today from work and was walking towards my house, I spotted this deer print that looked like a heart. I knew I had found my photo of the day!

I was on my way to pick up my youngest from daycare, when this gorgeous black dog was running through nearby corn fields. I pulled my van over and quickly made this composition before he turned and ran back home.

A male mallard came in hot for a landing on the Sauble River at the Ludington State Park this morning. With a 1/500 of a second shutter speed, I was able to pan with the bird and make a sharp image. In the low light, I had to “rob” the ISO bank up to 12,800.

I have always enjoyed walking along this road, lined with giant pines. Today, I lay on my back, looking up at them like I would when I was a kid. I captured this so that it lives not only in my memories, but out in the world as well.

A bright red male cardinal was hanging out this evening in my front yard. A ray of nice light illuminated the bird just as I was getting my camera in place.

Mason County is full of creeks, streams, and rivers. I was out driving and found a pretty spot to stop and shoot. Sweetwater Creek is near Branch, Michigan.

I was on the hunt for beach glass on this chilly morning. I hiked a great distance, armed and ready with my camera and ring flash. Unfortunately, I didn’t find a single piece. Determined to make the trek worth it, I found this heart-shaped rock. I loved the bubbles of water as the waves receded.

Hiking to Big Sable Point Lighthouse is always one of my favorite pastimes. My family and I enjoyed many laughs and stories on the hike to and from the iconic lighthouse today.

After the Super Bowl last night, I decided to stay the night in Silver Lake at the hotel with Julia, Ethan, and the gang. On my drive back to Ludington this morning, I had to pull off the road and climb the observation tower near the corner of Conrad and Old US-31 in order to photograph the awesome clouds and colorful sunrise.

Driving towards Ludington this morning, I knew that I had missed the color that the sunrise brought, but the clouds in the sky were superb! With the calm morning, they would reflect in the water. I headed towards the Pere Marquette River Flats to quickly compose my shot. I didn’t know that Brad had shot near here almost an hour earlier. Such beauty in God’s work!