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Since August 2012, when I photographed this old McCormick-Deering tractor on Indian Hill Road for the Tuesdays project, I have been eager to come back and photograph it in the fall. Today the scene is even better than I could ever have imagined. My favorite part of this image is all the leaves stuck in the grass surrounding the tractor.

The light of a beautiful June evening making its way into the forest beautifully lit this deer. The deer did not flee, causing me to suspect it might have a fawn nearby. I quickly made this portrait and moved on. The doe was still lingering along the trail watching me as I made my way around the next bend.

Legends

Tonight I had a chance of a lifetime. My good friend, Brian Flannery, invited me to photograph some world-class whitetail deer at the Legend Ranch near Bitely, Michigan. People from all over the world travel here to hunt on this beautiful ranch. I wasn't in the blind for more than five minutes when this big boy walked out. It was the largest buck I had ever seen or photographed. Little did I know, he was one of the smaller deer I would see in the next two hours.

Tuesdays With Todd and Brad Reed

Male whitetail deer in the fall will do the dumbest things when they are looking for love. I was able to crawl on my hands and knees within 30 yards of this small four-point buck. I just acted like another invading buck. I stomped the ground, grunted, and lifted my head up and down as I slowly made my approach. Just before I made this photograph, a female whitetail deer came down from the ridge and got this guy's attention.

This alpha doe was protecting her family from a hungry wounded coyote near the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Leelanau County. To get a little closer to this scene, I used a 1.4 extender on my 600mm lens. That made my lens 840mm and with my cropped sensor my lens became 1260mm at F5.6.

Sometimes respecting wildlife means leaving it alone. When I spotted this fawn 75 yards below me as I hiked the Piney Ridge Trail, I wanted to move closer. But I knew if I took even a few steps downhill, the fawn might be scared away from the hiding place where its mother had tucked it away. Instead I quickly made this environmental portrait with the 500-millimeter lens Brad and I purchased for making wildlife pictures like this without threatening the wildlife. I was pleased with the image I quickly made. I was even more pleased to see the fawn still in the same spot when I passed by again a couple hours later.

Visitors at the Ludington State Park often give my dad and me tips on where to find certain flowers, birds, and animals. On this hot August afternoon I was busy trying to make a photograph of a robin when I heard someone whistle behind me. When I turned around I was face to face with a spotted fawn. I don't know who was more surprised, the fawn or the photographer. Needless to say, all the helpful hints were priceless.

Deer are one animal that you can count on seeing during almost every visit to the Ludington State Park. I made this photograph deep in the park just off the Coast Guard Trail.

My photography partner Brad loves this image. My middle son has a very keen eye and I respect his opinion that this picture must be in this book. He loves how pretty the doe looks standing on a grassy dune crest on a summer evening. But I think most of all, the deer's beautiful face and expression make us feel respect and affection for the deer. Photography is so much about feelings and connotations.

Prince of the Forest

Welcoming Winter

We have three different deer in our backyard daily with white spots in random places on their bodies. This beauty has one between her eyes. Our deer are not afraid of humans which allows me to get very close to them with my camera.

This little six-point buck acted as if he was the king of the forest tonight. He marched right up to me and responded to my fake grunts in our backyard. If you are looking to make a new photography equipment purchase, I highly recommend the Sigma 60-600mm lens. You can get it with different camera system mounts. Rachel and I love ours. I can handhold this lens in low light and get sharp photos, even at 600mm.

Winter Coat

I had hiked through heavy snow for several hours on a January morning, occasionally finding a picture worth taking. On my way back from making the image I had pre-visualized on Lost Lake, I got an added bonus when these deer peered out from their snow shelter. The bonus shot was an example of what we preach to our workshop students: look for what you expect or plan to shoot, but be alert and ready for the unexpected shot.

Legends Ranch