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Tonight, I drove to my Grandpa and Grandma Reed's house to photograph some of the birds that frequent their beautiful yard. As I pulled into the driveway I spotted this male cardinal. Luckily for me, he stayed put for about 10 minutes, which allowed me to get in just the right spot to make this photograph. F4.0 at 1/200, ISO 1000, 600 mm lens at 600 mm

Cherry blossoms stand out in the springtime near the DeZwaan Windmill at Windmill Island Gardens in Holland, Michigan. I used a large lens aperture to feature the blossoms, separate them out from the windmill and to give the image a soft, painterly feeling. F4 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

Tulip time! My Grandpa Benson, who lived with our family when my brother and I were young, planted a lot of tulips in our yard with help from my mom. Spotting these brilliant red tulips makes me think of how much my grandpa and my mom enjoyed watching those tulips come up every spring. F2.8 at 1/640, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

The repetitive pattern in this photograph intrigues me. I like how the sunlight is shining through the petals at different angles, making the tulips look somewhat transparent. I also like the subtle s-curve going through the photograph starting with the first tulip in the lower right corner. F8 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens 34mm

It is becoming harder and harder to find old barns to photograph. So many of them have succumbed to Mother Nature. The kids and I found this barn on Inman Road south of Ludington.

Today was my first time at Windmill Island Gardens in Holland, Michigan. The historic village near downtown replicates what life was like in the Netherlands a few hundred years ago. Each year, hundreds of volunteers help plant thousands of tulips in Holland for their annual Tulip Time festival. This year, the tulips have bloomed a month early because of the unseasonably warm weather in March. F8 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 35mm

While photographing geese on a small pond near my home, I suddenly hear the familiar jackhammer sound that can be made by only one living thing: a pileated woodpecker. I swing my 500 mm lens around and there he is atop a power pole. Fortunately for the power company, the woodpecker soon moved on to find a better place to peck. F4.5 at 1/1000, ISO 400, 500 mm lens at 500 mm

Holland, Michigan has dozens of different varieties of tulips that bloom every spring throughout the downtown. Today we saw hundreds of thousands of tulips in bloom and this variety, called "Aleppo" was one of my favorites. F8 at 1/2000, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

It is always nice when Rachel and I can get out to shoot photos together. Unfortunately, it happens very little. Tonight, we made the most of it and had fun shooting the subtle Lake Michigan sunset near Ludington.

On my daily drive through Stearns Park, I noticed the mix of sunlight and a snow fence creating a graphic shadow on the pavement. I pulled over, grabbed my camera and made this photo. The entire process took less than one minute. I love when everything comes together that quickly. F10.0 at 1/30, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

A 600-millimeter lens and camera appear to be floating in a sea of tulips. Actually, it is such a gorgeous, warm April afternoon that my son Brad (whose head is barely visible) could not resist catching a catnap between rows of flowers after finishing a shot. F5.6 at 1/1000, ISO 200, 500mm lens at 500mm

We are driving to Calvin College in Grand Rapids to see an exhibit of famous National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry's work and hopefully to hear him speak. Heading south on Pere Marquette Highway I sight my first dandelions of the year in an apple orchard. This one looks perfect; it brightens my day. F16.0 at 1/60, ISO 100, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

Shooting at ground level is one of Brad's favorite techniques for getting close to his subjects. Using a big lens to magnify his subject and make it become the only thing sharply focused is another of his favorite techniques for photographing small objects like these tulips in Holland. F5.6 at 1/640, ISO 200, 500mm lens at 500mm

Sometimes the sky and clouds are so beautiful and colorful that it is best to leave Lake Michigan out of the frame. The water tonight looked dark and boring, so I aimed my camera higher into the sky and made this image.

Earlier today I got to meet one of my greatest idols in the photography world, Mr. Steve McCurry. Steve came to speak at Calvin College for the Festival of Faith & Writing and we went down to meet him. After one of his talks, Steve noticed a tattoo of one of his famous photographs on the leg of our friend, Shelby Dusseau, and he photographed it. F2.8 at 1/100, ISO 1000, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

This is the first photograph I have made of Holland's "Big Red" Lighthouse. This is a decent daytime photograph, but I can't wait to come back to this spot to shoot a glorious Lake Michigan sunset. F8 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

For the second time in less than a week I am back at Summit Park rock hunting along the Lake Michigan shoreline. I am looking for that picture perfect wet rock to photograph in the golden light just before sunset. I find two I really like but this one stands out as the clear choice. F3.3 at 1/30, ISO 100, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

I attended Lakeview Elementary School from kindergarten through sixth grade and now I live across the street from the school. Even as a young child, I remember loving this tree that is located next to the playground. F7.1 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

The stanchions supporting the catwalk to the Grand Haven lighthouses look to me like a line of Star Wars mechanical soldiers. After making this composition and locking the camera in place on the tripod, I wait to push the shutter button at peak moments when seagulls are prominent and well placed in the scene. F14 at 1/400, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 145mm

I love seeing the red-winged blackbirds in the Pere Marquette River flats south of Ludington. This male sings what I imagine is a springtime love song while swaying in the breeze atop a cattail. F5.6 at 1/2500, ISO 800, 500 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 700 mm