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Underway and making way, slow but sure, a turtle plodded along the beach near the Ludington State Park Beach House. The turtle’s slow pace gave me time to create an artistic composition that emphasized the beauty of its tracks. The highlights and shadows resulting from the bright, low-in-the-sky evening light raking across the beach made the tracks more distinct and more beautiful. This is one of my son Brad’s favorite images of mine. Brad was ecstatic when he saw the Fuji Velvia slide of this image after I dug it out of the slide storage box it had been living in for years.

Tuesdays With Todd and Brad Reed

The few secluded areas of the Silver Lake Sand Dunes strongly resemble whispering desert hills.

A compelling aspect of visual art is that different people may look at the same image and see different things. While I was composing this photograph, I noticed that the rocks, seaweed, and water resembled the face of an old man. I named this photograph with the hope that my viewers would enjoy the same illusion.

New Salmon Fishing Statue at Boat Ramp

Legends Ranch Bucks at Stump Blind Black and White

The beach at Little Sable Point looks like ice cream swirls today. Wind and waves and sand have worked together to create one of the most unique natural artworks I have ever encountered on a Lake Michigan beach. Little Sable Point Lighthouse and autumn clouds provide an appropriately beautiful backdrop. F32 at 1/125, ISO 400, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

Experiencing this view on the evening of July 3, 2019, was the visual highlight of my 4th of July weekend. When I climbed to the top of a high dune along the Hamlin Lake shoreline after landing our pontoon boat, I was immediately stunned by the expansive dune view and the way the shadows were playing upon the sand. Footprints left by daytime visitors who had long since departed added interesting design elements to the scene. I was in sand dune heaven.

Backseat Shooter

Old Barn Near Brethren

Warning mariners of treacherous shoal waters extending two miles into Lake Huron, Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse stands guard on a winter afternoon at the entrance to Saginaw Bay as it has for more than 150 years. The handsome lighthouse is located at the tip of Michigan's Thumb region.

The State Park Sand Dunes

After a quick drive in the dark to Little Sable Point Lighthouse, my dad and I were as excited (and loud) as middle-schoolers riding a school bus. We had both just made some fantastic shots of the Northern Lights over Ludington. Our goal now was to get a photograph of the Northern Lights over Little Sable Point Lighthouse. Neither of us have ever had any luck in making that shot before. We have both tried several times, but the Northern Lights either never showed up, or they disappeared before we could make the 35-minute drive. Our luck was about to change. The Northern Lights were much dimmer now and almost invisible to the naked eye. However, like Galen Rowell taught all nature photographers, you have to learn to see like your camera sees. I tried to line up the North Star right above Little Sable Point Lighthouse. I made a few test exposures and then set my camera to F8 at ISO 200. I used my cable release and my iPhone as a timer and took a 32-minute exposure. The stars in the night sky made a perfect circle around the North Star and my camera could easily pick up the color from the Northern Lights. What a magic morning along the shores of Lake Michigan. I made this image at 4:54 a.m. on our 17th Tuesday of 2012. F8 at 32 minutes, ISO 200, 14mm lens at 14mm

Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat 47225 heads out the Grand Haven Channel for a "heavy weather" training exercise during Superstorm Sandy. At the helm is Senior Chief Kirk McKay, a Coast Guard Surfman highly trained in extremely heavy weather rescue boat operations. F4.5 at 1/2000, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 300mm

Large waves on Stearns Beach in downtown Ludington made unique patterns in the sand. I liked the definite dark line in this one.

Deer Creek (Black and White)

DaVincis Dream

The sand hitting my face feels like shards of glass as I make my way to the water's edge at Stearns Park to photograph the Ludington North Breakwater Light. The winds over Lake Michigan at times exceed 60 miles per hour. Magic light, white clouds and dark blue sky behind are my backdrop. Now I just need a huge wave. Bingo! F5.6 at 1/1250, ISO 100, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

Sand Waves