Search

Titan is the most beautiful animal I have ever seen. He is a Friesian, a horse breed that originated in Friesland, in the Netherlands. My friends, Jonathan and Shannon Ray, own Titan. Like a lot of Friesian horses, Titan is well trained to be able to move gracefully, yet powerfully, in circles around his trainers.

A mare and its foal look like they are attached at the hip as they graze in their pasture north of Fremont. I am struck by how synchronized they graze, walk ahead a few steps, then resume grazing side by side.

Tom and Yvonne Beatty own Trillium Creek Gardens on Conrad Road between Ludington and Scottville. Today, a beautiful double rainbow appeared to land in the farm field just behind the Beatty's historic red barn. I love when it is raining, but the sun is shining

Shoup Family Farm Weldon Creek Farms

Shoup Family Farm Weldon Creek Farms

My dad and I enjoy photographing these Scottish Highland Cattle south of Hart, Michigan. This one stared me down and looked as if he might charge at me at any moment. I know that little wire fence would have done nothing to protect me, but I couldn't resist trying to make this image. I love his swagger.

On several past visits to Fremont, I was struck by the "Out West" look of the rolling hills in the farm and ranch lands between Hesperia and Fremont. This morning Brad and I started scouting for shots along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Holland. But when billowy cumulus clouds began decorating the eastern sky we knew if we drove 100 miles northeast to Fremont we could find a foreground like this to put in front of such a "big sky country" backdrop.

Shoup Family Farm Weldon Creek Farms

I grew up learning how to drive a tractor on our Allis Chalmers WD. I spent many hours in the hay fields, driving the tractor and wagon as my older siblings threw the baled hay up on the wagon. It was how we spent our summers. We would also use the tractor and wagon to haul wood in to heat our farmhouse. I hope to teach my children how to drive a tractor on the same one I learned to drive.

Today for Week 15 of "Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute," our gallery managers, Sarah Genson and Rachel Shoup Gaudette, and I shot photos at Rachel's parents' farm on First Street, east of Custer. As Sarah and I were driving to the farm, we spotted these two horses in the Shoup's field. Right away I thought about our photographic concepts of "the little object in the big world" and "clouds are your friends." F9 at 1/160, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

I don't know who was smiling bigger when the sun finally came out today, this sunflower or me. As the famous National Geographic photographer Sam Abell might say, I was "in the presence of a picture."

Meet my new friend, Bud. Bud is one of the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales. The Clydesdales are in the Ludington area for a week to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Ludington Beverage Company. My Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Reed started the business and it has been in the family ever since. F2.8 at 1/80, ISO 3200, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Maple trees planted when horse and buggy traveled a country lane now tower over anything or anyone passing their way. The stretch of Decker Road, between Ludington and Scottville, is one of the few country roadways in the area that remain more of a lane a road. Because of its natural look and the magnificent maples, it has long been one of my favorite spots to drive through and to photograph.

I love seeing the Michigan countryside flowers. Sweet pea along a farm fence line looked as pretty to me as any flower arrangement I can imagine. I am glad that I took a less-traveled road on this July 2017 day while meandering between Whitehall and Hart.

Traveling byways instead of freeways and highways is slower but gives me more new places to discover and more time to appreciate the views. After years of traveling byways throughout Michigan, I was stunned on January 31, 2017, during a meandering back roads drive through Oceana County to discover a barn I had never seen before. My view through snowflakes of this distinctive old barn made it seem to me like I could have been looking at an Andrew Wyeth painting. I had been an Andrew Wyeth fan for years; I think he could not have resisted painting this barn on this winter’s day if he had been there instead of me. The falling snow and blanket of snow on the barn roof and ground added to and emphasized the limited color palette of the scene. I loved the muted color of the grasses sticking out of the snow. I had only to find the best position from which to fit the layers of the scene perfectly together and “paint” the arrangement with light on the sensor of my Nikon D800 digital camera.

I thank God for this glorious view from the Lake Michigan bluff high above Arcadia. After years of looking, I finally found a vantage point that gave me an unobstructed view of this church steeple amidst a sea of hardwood tree canopies in full fall color.

The rolling hills and seemingly endless rows of fences of the meticulously maintained Waltons horse ranch south of Traverse City, Michigan has always caught my eye. A gorgeous horse and spectacular sky make the view picture perfect on this August Tuesday of "Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute." F5.6 at 1/1250, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

Dreamscape

I thank God for this glorious view from the Lake Michigan bluff high above Arcadia. After years of looking, I finally found a vantage point that gave me an unobstructed view of this church steeple amidst a sea of hardwood tree canopies in full fall color.