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After emphasizing its detail in a much closer shot, I decide to create a looser image of a Red Admiral butterfly. In this case, I am attracted by the dynamic diagonal pattern of the branches and the oriental feeling conveyed by the branches and blossoms. F7.1 at 1/160, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

The large, mature forest at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore area along Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is my favorite forest in Michigan. With its massive trees and endless amounts of green foliage covering the forest floor, I imagine that this is what most of the great state of Michigan must have looked like 200 years ago. F5.6 at 1/30, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

My front yard has several large bushes that are near the house. I was excited to see that many beautiful bright pink and purple azaleas bloomed this spring.

So many wishes have been made over the years. As I blew these dandelion seeds into the wind after making this photo, another wish was made.

Tonight I headed to my Uncle Budde and Aunt Sheryl's house on Lake Michigan to photograph their beautiful flower garden. I manually exposed for the sky and set that exposure about two stops of light to the minus side because that would bring detail back into the sky. I then used fill flash to illuminate the flower, creating a moody photograph. F20.0 at 1/250, ISO 1000, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

I love living so close to Cartier Park now. The kids and I can walk there pretty quickly from home. Tonight, we walked there together and we spent time enjoying the beauty of the dame’s rocket flowers.

My brother and sister-in-law’s yard has a large variety of beautiful flowers and plants throughout. Today I worked at capturing this poppy in magic light. To me this flower looks like a strange bug with big eyes and a large mouth.

My mom’s yellow roses climb the wall of the farm’s garage. Each year we welcome their sight. I hope to transplant some of them to our home soon.

After a dinner with family visiting from Cleveland, I noticed tiny daisies in the yard of their vacation home. It was covered in them! I crawled around until I saw a perspective I liked.

Rachel and I made the ten-hour drive south to visit my mom in Clarksville, Tennessee today. The house she is renting has a beautiful backyard full of flowers, birds, and critters. This stargazer lily greeted us as we pulled into her driveway.

Flowers along the border of Harbor View Marina sway to the tempo of the brisk breeze. A long exposure allows the camera to paint the movement of the flowers. F11.0 at 1/5, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 165 mm

My favorite yard in all of Ludington is at Mrs. Graczyk's house on the corner of Loomis and Gaylord Avenue. Every inch of her yard is full of flowers and it has a natural look to it. I found this bumblebee while trying to make a photo of Mrs. Graczyk's flowers. F5.6 at 1/80, ISO 1000, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

Sweet peas still wearing the morning dew create a colorful pattern along Iris Road. I make the picture and then discover my Suburban has a dead battery. Oh well, more time to smell the flowers while waiting for a Good Samaritan. F5.6 at 1/320, ISO 100, 500 mm lens at 500 mm

Wild mustard grass grows all over Michigan and is one of our favorite "added ingredients" in our photographs. Today I wanted it to be the "special of the day," so I got in close and isolated one plant that looked particularly beautiful. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 44mm

For probably a century or more, wild iris flowers have been popping up along Iris Road south of Ludington. Backlit by the morning sun, this iris looks especially glorious to me. I position my camera so that the shaded side of some dark pine trees provides a clean, simple, contrasting background. F5.6 at 1/500, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

As I am walking along the marshy shore of Lincoln Lake at Epworth Heights, I notice how some pink daisies are catching the light as they sway in a gentle breeze. I work hard to time my exposure to a moment when several of the daises are sunlit. F5 at 1/400, ISO 200, 300mm lens at 300mm

Daisies make me smile. This little cluster in my backyard made me happy tonight as I searched for my photo of the day.

This wild tiger lily is one of dozens of these colorful roadside attractions lining Meyers Road between Ludington and Scottville. It is a bit breezy so I will have to shoot at a fast shutter speed and bump up the ISO to make a sharp image, but I like the way the picture looks in the viewfinder. F3.2 at 1/250, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

A monarch butterfly takes off from a milkweed flower along the west shore of Pere Marquette Lake. The scene reminds me of my childhood enjoying such natural wonders in the fields that bordered our Ludington home. F3.5 at 1/500, ISO 160, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

I am thinking I am in the Land of Lilacs as I hike across Mackinac Island en route to makes some images of the Grand Hotel. A horse coach from the Grand Hotel passes by as I pause to smell some lilacs and make an image that makes the flowers appear never ending. Brad and I are finding ourselves in lilac heaven today as we photograph Week 22 of "Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute." Now we know why so many people flock to the island for the annual Lilac Festival in June. F9 at 1/80, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm