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It is amazing to me how often mirages or double images of the shoreline will appear throughout a given year. As I stood on the docks at the Sable Resort overlooking frozen Hamlin Lake, I noticed that the Hamlin Dunes were being reflected onto themselves near the waterline. As I was photographing, the sun appeared and turned the sky a brilliant gold color and the mirage looked even more mysterious.

Yesterday, while driving through Stearns Park Beach, I noticed a mixture of sand, snow, ice and rocks along the side of the road that looked very cat-like. I put my heavy cold-weather gear on and shot this photo. Seeing it today on the computer, I am shocked at how much it looks like a puma. F22.0 at 3.0, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

This scene would look very flat and two-dimensional most days. Except for a few fleeting moments today, the light and shadows cooperated and turned the Ludington shoreline into a beautiful arrangement of lines, shapes, textures, and colors that appears to be much more three-dimensional.

A short way from White River Light Station, a fox slinks between trees while on the hunt. I had come to photograph the historic lighthouse; the fox was an unexpected bonus.

I love making abstract art with my camera. With the limestone rock covered in ice, the gold sunshine danced in front of my lens. Moving one inch in either direction totally changed the look and feel of the photograph. I like how this composition feels.

I barely got in position in time to make my all-time favorite image of the Mackinac Bridge on March 20, 2012. It was the 12th Tuesday of 2012, and Brad and I were out early to photograph the foggy sunrise for our year-long project to showcase the beauty of Michigan all day every Tuesday of the year for our book, Tuesdays with Todd & Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute. Brad and the two other members of our Team Reed full-time staff at the time, Sarah Genson and Rachel Gaudette, shot out of my Suburban when we reached our preselected shooting spot in the Straits of Mackinac. They ran like jackrabbits to the shore’s edge and began shooting the fast-changing, gloriously atmospheric scene in front of them. As I was bringing up the rear, I spotted a cloud formation that looked a lot like a bear. The trouble was, my view of the cloud bear was partially obstructed by the south tower of the five-mile-long suspension bridge connecting Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. I know how fast cloud shapes change. I knew if I could get far enough, quickly enough, to the east I might have a shot at lining up the cloud bear right between the towers. I ran like I was being chased by a bear. I must have run 250 lung-busting yards before the bridge in the middle ground and cloud bear in the background lined up from my perspective. I slammed down the tripod and fired off a quick shot to capture what I saw while it looked almost perfect. Then I took a momentary physical and mental deep breath and began analyzing at warp speed how to improve the image. I quickly shifted my tripod less than two feet to the left to make the rocks in the foreground layer better balance with the middle and background layers. The cloud bear continued to cooperate. I have taught photographers for years “Clouds are your friends.” They become your very best friends when they are exactly the right shape in exactly the right place. I love clouds, and I love bears. Seeing this view, experiencing the chase and coming away with an even better image than I had envisioned is like winning my personal and private world series of Michigan outdoor photography. This image remains a winner for me. A lot of visitors to our gallery have appreciated it, even before spotting the cloud bear. Children, with their keen, fresh eyes excited about the world they see, tend to be quickest to spot the bear and other imaginary creatures. But once spotted by viewers or pointed out to them, smiles invariably follow. That makes me happy, particularly because I know how much of myself went into making the image.

Hamlin Lake is a great place to practice your sailing skills. For whatever reason, Hamlin Lake always seems to be windy. Today the wind was pretty strong and I had to motor our little Boston Whaler around quickly in order to keep pace with this beautiful little red sailboat. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 400, 10-17mm at 17mm

A fun group of friends were enjoying a warm morning ski on Bass Lake today. I tried to time it just right so that the boat and the skier lined up with the "three sisters" dunes in the background. F8 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 17mm

Turbulence in Paradise

Kay's Sendoff

Hamlin Lake Workshop and Northern Lights

Eben Ice Caves

Unbelievable

Growing up, I spent many hours along the Lincoln River banks with my older brother, Tad, and my uncle, Rod Marble. This photograph was taken while we were on one of our early spring adventures.

My dad and I try to dress for success when we are photographing in the winter. On this day I had all my gear except my fleece hood. Right before I made this photograph, a large clump of snow fell on my head and went down my back. It reminded me of the snowball fights I had with my brothers when I was a kid.

Big Point Sable Lighthouse has stood the test of time. The date above the exterior door tells the story of her age. The tower itself looks remarkably preserved during the 140th birthday celebration held on Oct. 27, 2007 by its caretakers

After photographing two other details of the carferry Spartan, I know I have found my picture of the day. Nature's work and man's work have combined to make what I find to be a very interesting sculpture. I don't think I will find the ice building up on the Spartan's bow and anchor chain to look more perfect again this winter. F16.0 at 0.4, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 120 mm

This little masked bandit stole a granola bar out of the open camera bag I left unattended on the ground about 10 feet from me. When I heard a crunching noise, I turned around to find him with his mouth filled with my granola bar. He quickly made his way up into a nearby tree to escape the hustle and bustle of the small campground in downtown Bear Lake, Michigan. As I switched lenses and got into position, the setting sun broke through the thick cloud layer and lit the thief's guilty face.

I don't have time to see the detail as I swing my camera, trying to follow and shoot this picture of a seagull. But I know that if I can fill most of the viewfinder with the bird and get enough exposure, there will be plenty of detail to see in the finished photograph. I choose to convert the image to black and white to focus on the patterns of the feathers without being distracted by color.

On a calm night on Lake Michigan with very little wind, it requires an experienced sailor to find the wind and keep a steady course. One of our local sailboats, Freedom, is up for the challenge most nights all summer long, no matter the weather conditions. F5.6 at 1/100, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 50mm