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Grains

Spring Meadow

I loved the two-toned sunset this evening. The contrast of the golden tones with the black. The tree line across from my drive was inviting as I arrived home for the evening.

I have always loved this clump of trees inside Stearns Park, but I had never taken the time to photograph them. As Julia, Ethan and I were driving around looking for my photo of the day, I noticed the side lighting hitting the trunks of several of the large trees. After a few minutes of looking at the scene, I finally composed a photograph that I liked. F2.8 at 1/60, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 20 mm

May

Florida Palm Trees

Florida Palm Trees

Florida Palm Trees

My son Brad had already photographed these trees at various times of day and season. So credit goes to him for the composition. On this early September morning I feel compelled to photograph "Brad's tree" because the Queen Anne's Lace has given it a fresh look.

The quaint little village of Beulah, Michigan is surrounded by steep hills and tree lined ridges, but its most famous asset is Crystal Lake. This morning Crystal Lake was covered in thick ice and dotted with ice fishermen as far as the eye could see. I wanted a clean, simple feeling for this photograph so positioned myself to capture a scene in which no fishermen were in view.

May

I have a deep connection with trees. Their unique shapes and purposes. I can visualize farmers using this shade tree on hot summer days, while working their fields.

Tonight my eight-year-old daughter, Julia, went on a photography adventure with me. She got to experience climbing on top of the roof of my truck to make an image and she also witnessed first hand what magic light is. As it was lightly raining and the setting sun broke through the clouds, Julia spotted this rainbow. I gave her the camera first. Once she was done making her art, I made this image of Julia's gold.

Lately, I have been looking at a lot of old black and white photographs of my great grandparents and other ancestors. I often imagine what their world was like living in Michigan in the late 1800's and early 1900's. For some reason, I always imagine that world in black and white. When I was making this image today on Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City,

Tuesdays With Todd and Brad Reed

I hiked up and down a lot of sand dunes and through several swales before finding this picture in a cedar swamp area between dune ridges. It was a warm June evening and I was hot. As I tried to photograph this bluebell, my glasses kept steaming up. Finally, I gave up trying to repeatedly wipe the glasses and set them aside. I made the picture and happily set off back over the dunes and through the woods. I was almost back to my car on M-116 when I realized I was not wearing my glasses. It was not such a happy walk retracing my steps. I did find them, thanks to the flowers beside them. Had I not, I still think the shot

Two minutes before I made this image of Sutton's Bay, the shoreline was dark and in the shadows. The magic light of October instantly transformed this scene into a powerful and graphic photograph. I set my ISO to 3200 so that I could "borrow" that light and put it into both the depth of field with the aperture and into the shutter speed so I could freeze the ripples in the water. By freezing the motion in the water, the reflections of the building, boats, and trees became more distinct.

There is something special about coming back day after day to check out the progression of growth of wildflowers on your own land. Today these wild daisies on family land along the Pere Marquette River look splendid. I linger to study them and try to build an image that honors how good they make me feel.

Legends Ranch September 24 2015 Black and White

Today was a busy day. I didn’t have a chance to think about a photo until well after sunset. For Christmas I had received a potpourri dish from my brother and sister-in-law. One of the ingredients was a dried orange. The textures and tones called for a macro black-and-white image.