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Workshop at Ludington State Park

My friend, Aubry, texted me that she had just seen two bald eagles perched on a branch near Crossroads Church on US-10 between Custer and Scottville, Michigan. I loaded up my kids and headed that way. We ventured out in the snowy field to each make our own images of these two beauties.

Seeing one bald eagle on a perch from 30 yards away is a rush; seeing a pair of eagles from that distance is breathtaking. It is no wonder why the founding fathers of this great nation chose the bald eagle to represent the pride of America. Eagles are majestic and powerful looking creatures, and when you see how large their talons are, you quickly respect them as well.

Appearing to be huddling together against the cold, or perhaps just having a conversation about the "just ducky" weather, two male Mallards endure some fowl weather on the Sable River.

Mute swans use their wings as sails to cruise the Sable River in perfect symmetry on a winter afternoon. Though not as rare as the trumpeter swans that are occasionally spotted at the park, the mute swans with their telltale orange bills are equally beautiful and awe park visitors wherever they appear.

Like pairs dancers, these gulls fly over Lake Michigan in perfect symmetry. I love watching their precision and control. They are amongst nature's most naturally graceful performers.

I enjoy visiting my Grandma Reed after work and having a drink with her. We sit in her kitchen and watch the different birds come to her feeders and chit chat. Every August she gets several humming birds that frequent her yard. I made it my mission to capture a photograph of one of the ruby red hummingbirds for her. After several failed attempts, I finally captured a moment that I was proud of.

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.

This seagull has to be in its glory, bathing in sunshine and near 50-degree temperatures as it soars along the Lake Michigan shoreline on one of the warmest January 31sts in Ludington's history. The sun is lifting my spirits too.

A great blue heron remained motionless while waiting for his fish dinner to swim past his position along a bank of the Pere Marquette River. I have long admired the stealth and patience of these beautiful birds. As an outdoor photographer, I have learned to be more stealthy and more patient to increase my chances of capturing wildlife magic moments

A highlight of a summer day at the Lake Michigan shoreline is when the sun reflects on waves in the late afternoon. It is a golden hour for looking lakeward. One of those lazy days, a shallow sandbar created a wading pool where wave currents and gulls played upon the surface near Ludington State Park Beach House.

I don't have time to see the detail as I swing my camera, trying to follow and shoot this picture of a seagull. But I know that if I can fill most of the viewfinder with the bird and get enough exposure, there will be plenty of detail to see in the finished photograph. I choose to convert the image to black and white to focus on the patterns of the feathers without being distracted by color.

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.

Rain Dance by Brad Reed The rain rarely stops my dad and me from getting outdoors to photograph. Today, we stood in the freezing rain and fog along the shores of Mona Lake near Muskegon, Michigan, to photograph bald eagles. Our good friend, Louise Olson, had told us several eagles congregate near the lake's east edge by some open water. Sure enough, we were not even out of the truck yet and could see several eagles. The rain and fog are what make this photograph more unique. D7000, F5.6 at 1/2000, ISO 3200, 600mm lens at 850mm

On an icy February morning, the eye of a female Golden Eye provides the lone spot of bold color in an otherwise monochromatic winter scene. The duck's brown head and grayish body distinguish it from its male counterpart, which is largely black and white with green head.

Ludington State Park

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.

After cresting the first massive sand dune near the end of the Ridge Trail in the Ludington State Park, my dad and I were blown away by the number of canvasback ducks that congregated on Hamlin Lake below us. As we stood catching our breath, a pair of large geese flew overhead and startled some of the ducks. With a thunderous roar, several hundred birds took to the air at once. The partially frozen lake and the fog amplified the sound and also created a gorgeous backdrop for this photograph.

It looks like anything but winter through my viewfinder as I photograph seagulls basking in the sun on a January morning along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Ludington State Park