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"This Is Ludington" by Brad Reed My girlfriend Rachel texted me tonight that the northern lights were out. I rushed to my truck and drove down to Stearns Beach in Ludington. I walked as fast as I could out the pier hoping the dancing northern lights would last long enough for me to get the picture I had pre-visualized. Luckily for me, the light show lasted over an hour, and at times, was spectacular! Nikon D850. F5.6 at 91 seconds, ISO 800. 14-24mm lens at 14mm. On a tripod without a flash. 11:22pm on September 18, 2023.

The White River Light Station near Whitehall, Michigan is a beautiful lighthouse. It also has a very informative museum inside.

I have always enjoyed taking photographs that may not feature identifiable subjects but show the beautiful colors and patterns that light creates on water. This photograph was taken on the Lake Michigan shoreline at sunset and is one of my favorites.

A puddle left by an overnight rainstorm mirrors the tugboat Edward E. Gillen. Perhaps it is because of my nautical background, but tugboats tend to attract my photo eye. Maybe it is simply that so many of them seem to have such character.

When autumn arrives and visitors retreat from the Lake Michigan shoreline, nature's magic light appears more often. On this autumn evening Little Point Sable Lighthouse was glowing with magic light.

As the sun rises above Hamlin Lake and the birds start singing, a new world is awakening, a world that is begging to be discovered. Whether exploring her by land or by sea, Ludington State Park: Queen of the North will not disappoint.

It is often hard for people to believe that photographs like this can be "real" and not just a bunch of computer manipulation. You have to train your eye to see where the color is really hiding. Tonight, I found the intense color on a small area of water on Hamlin Lake near the Middle Bayou. I used a large telephoto lens to show the viewer the real color. F9.0 at 1/8000, ISO 100, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 850 mm

I have tried for over six years to make a photograph that I was pleased with at this spot on North Lakeshore Drive along the shores of Hamlin Lake. Finally, today my wait is over. The real secret to the success of this photo is the immediacy of the snow and bushes in the foreground and the clouds in the distance. F8.0 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

Just in four days the 365 Project has already been forcing me to get out of my comfort zone and try to explore and photograph some new locations. Standing on the old train depot in Ludington, I could imagine my great-great-grandparents and other relatives working on the railroad here almost 100 years ago. F22.0 at 0.3, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

This looks like a picture from the Great Lakes' past. The Madeline, modeled after historic lumber schooners, sails into Pentwater harbor. Aboard on this Lake Michigan voyage are the ship's crew and Pentwater Yacht Club sailing students. The original Madeline sailed the waters of Lake Michigan more than 150 years ago. F4.0 at 1/800, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 12 mm

It has been interesting watching this old abandoned home near Silver Lake change over the last 20 years. My guess is that within the next year or two a good portion of it will collapse.

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.

If you look closely at this image, you can see a large splash of water between me and the fog building at Point Betsie Lighthouse. The ice-filled wave hit the sea wall first and then went airborne, drenching me, my camera, and everything else in its path.

I tend to prefer sharp light and haze-free skies at sunset. But I have learned that the softness and toned-down colors of a hazy sky sunset sometimes look and feel better.

As I was standing at the water's edge of Lake Michigan at the Ludington State Park with a workshop student, I saw one single leaf wash ashore. I quickly grabbed my camera and made this image. A moment later, a wave came and took the leaf back to sea. Nikon D800. F5.6 at 1/50, ISO 3200. 14-24mm lens at 24mm. Handheld without a flash. October 14, 2017 at 7:06pm.

I have always been drawn to the color blue, especially when it is mixed with shades of green. The tropical looking waters of Lake Michigan and the golden dune grass blended together perfectly through my large telephoto lens in order to create the warm, calm feeling I was looking for.

After nearly two hours of shooting stormy seas battering the Manistee pier, a little sunshine finally finds its way partially through the clouds, providing a wider range of tonal values for the black and white image I want to make of this lakeshore drama. Good light is worth waiting for. The added light also enables me to close my aperture by two more stops to render more of the scene in sharp focus while still stopping action. F11 at 1/800, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

The tug Undaunted pushes the fully loaded Pere Marquette 41 barge toward its homeport of Ludington after passing Big Sable Point. It is a delightful day to be a Lake Michigan sailor or a waterfront observer of this Great Lake and the big ships that ply its waters. F8 at 1/6400, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

Electric Beach