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Today is Christmas Eve. Everything is still and calm. It is nice to enjoy this quiet view of the Silver Lake Sand Dunes all by myself this morning because I know the next week will be crazy busy with Christmas celebrations and a lot of eating. I take time to reflect on what an eventful year 2014 has been and all the good times I have had with my family and friends. Life is good! D800, F22 at 1 second, ISO 100, 24-70mm lens at 70mm

I stood in one spot on a dune above the beach in Pentwater while waiting over an hour for the magic light to appear. In that time, I used a spherical perspective to imagine what different compositions would be in nearby locations. I knew that once the light appeared, I would try to make one of my shots from the water's edge and would have to lie on my stomach to capture it. My previsualization paid off. In two minutes, I made four strong images from four different spots that were all within 40 yards of my original spot on top of the dune.

Northern Reflections

Northern Reflections - Panoramic

The brilliantly colored rocks along the Lake Michigan shoreline at Point Betsie Lighthouse make the perfect foreground for our photographs. Today, with several workshop students, we found a storm pool just south of the lighthouse. I lay on my stomach and put my tripod very low to capture the reflection of Point Betsie Lighthouse in the storm pool. The light rain we had a few minutes earlier made all the rocks wet, which in turn made them more colorful.

Ordway Reflections

I have photographed mute swans hundreds of times and now try to look for peak moments that will produce more original and interesting pictures. This proud swan rose up as I was observing it on the Sauble River at Ludington State Park.

Silver Lake Reflections by Brad Reed Today is Christmas Eve. Everything is still and calm. It is nice to enjoy this quiet view of the Silver Lake Sand Dunes all by myself this morning because I know the next week will be crazy busy with Christmas celebrations and a lot of eating. I take time to reflect on what an eventful year 2014 has been and all the good times I have had with my family and friends. Life is good! D800, F22 at 1 second, ISO 100, 24-70mm lens at 70mm

 In the fall of 2013 Todd and Debbie Reed, Brad and Betsy Reed, Sarah Genson and I headed north on a shooting adventure. After a long day of traveling on our way to the Porcupine Mountains, starting off with a trip across Lake Michigan on the SS Badger, and a drive through Wisconsin, we stopped at Bond Falls to shoot, arriving at sunset. It was incredibly beautiful and we had great light. After getting the shots they wanted, most of the group headed back to the car, and Sarah and I weren't far behind, when we were stopped by this scene. We stayed behind for one last shot. It was worth it!!

My dad has taught me how to use my camera to convey different emotions within the same scene. To portray a peaceful summer evening mood, I stood in the puddle and positioned my camera and tripod inches above the water’s surface. The angle resulted in a mirror-like reflection of the sky and clouds. I also set my shutter speed to 15 seconds to make the water appear more like a painter's palette of colors than a cloudy storm pool.

Today on the Little Cedar Creek near the Muskegon River, the golden light hitting the trees created a beautiful reflection. The hardest part of making this image was avoiding my own reflection.

My dad has taught me how to use my camera to convey different emotions within the same scene. To portray a peaceful summer evening mood, I stood in the puddle and positioned my camera and tripod inches above the water

Beautiful Reflections

It was the calm after the storm. Following a spring "southwester" that heaved waves onto the Lake Michigan shoreline, a giant puddle remained trapped on shore in front of Little Point Sable Lighthouse. I delighted in discovering this short-lived, but alluring, natural phenomenon.

I have only seen the SS Badger carferry perfectly reflected on the calm water one other time in my life and that was almost 20 years ago. Twenty years ago I was only 14 years old and, of course didn't have a camera with me. This time I was armed and ready. F6.3 at 1/640, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 12mm

Just a few miles west of Alpena, Michigan on M32 my dad and I discovered an old abandoned shale quarry. A good portion of the quarry is now full of water and trees, many of which appear to be dead. The fantastic clouds and low wind made this quarry picture-perfect today. F11 at 1/125, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

Fall color can be so fun to photograph in the fog. The vibrant colors of the leaves are muted by the fog, but still help define the lines in a photograph. I made this photograph of Epworth while standing on the Lincoln River bridge. F22 at 1/6, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

I used my external Nikon flash to light up the foreground in this image that I made along the Island Trail at Ludington State Park. Without the flash, the foreground would have been completely black. I always have my external flash mounted on top of my camera so it is nearby when I need it. F22 at 1/4, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm