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Todd Reed

Park Effect

Spouting Offshore

Photographers who remain distant from the edge of the shoreline when shooting in the morning or evening when the light is low in the sky miss the magic light that often appears where the water meets the beach and washes back and forth with the waves. When I saw these spectacular clouds over Lake Michigan, I hustled to the water’s edge, knowing those clouds would be reflected on the wet sand. These clouds were magnificent. Seeing them reflected, doubled their impact.

Another concept that my dad, Rachel, and I try to use in our compositions is to make sure that the different layers of our images overlap. With this scene, I tried to make sure that the top of the dune overlapped visually into the water. I then made sure the dune grass was high enough into the background layer of the clouds, but not appearing to merge. The tips of the grass fit just right.

Workshop at LSP

I am always trying to find x’s in nature because they naturally create dynamic diagonals in my images as well as triangles. This wave breaking over the jetties at the first curve along Lake Michigan at the Ludington State Park made a perfect x

Lake Michigan Sunset in Ludington

Emerald Sea

Epworth Volcano

Man, I love nights like this on the Lake Michigan shoreline. A few minutes earlier this dune grass all looked dull, boring, and ordinary. Then with God’s magic light, it all suddenly came to life.

Waves generated by a fresh spring breeze rush ashore along the Lake Michigan shoreline north of the Ludington city beach. The seasonal cottagers at Epworth Heights have not yet arrived and are missing a spectacular day on the waterfront. F8 at 1/800, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 100mm

I made this image of the northern lights last night while standing next to my dad on a tall dune near the Beach House inside the Ludington State Park. The lights were barely visible for several hours, but they erupted for less than one minute near midnight. I have never seen as many stars in the sky as I did that night.

Ludington State Park

Bands of altocumulus clouds remind me of a giant striped beach umbrella as they form a canopy over the Ludington beach on a spring evening. F5.6 at 1/640, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

Purple Passion

Best Place to Be

When I looked out over Lake Michigan from my truck at the first curve inside the Ludington State Park, I chuckled to myself when I realized this huge storm cloud looked like a dragon. This photo reminds me of Smaug from The Hobbit.

I originally had chosen a different image for my photo of the day, but I kept going back to this one and decided to swap them out. After I made my initial photo at Stearns Beach, I headed back to my van. Before putting my gear away, I decided to try an abstract shot. I placed my camera on my tripod and zoomed in on the spot of color above the horizon. Panning my camera side to side while exposing gave it a very painterly feel.

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