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For several years I have wanted to make a nighttime shot of downtown Grand Rapids from one of the upper floors of the Bridgewater Place building. The skyscraper sits on the west side of the Grand River and is the perfect vantage point for the photo I had previsualized. It feels great to have finally made this image. F18 at 30 seconds, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 46mm

Grand Rapids is a spectacular city to behold any time but I especially love the view from Bridgewater Place at dusk as rush hour traffic becomes ribbons of light. I had seen the view from the 11th floor office of UBS Financial Services Senior Vice President B. J. Palmore in the daytime so I knew it would be good at night. I got a far better return on my investment of time at UBS than I expected. Thanks, Bill. F10 at 30 seconds, ISO 800, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

The exquisitely decorated Christmas tree outside the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum drew my attention earlier as I looked down from one of the Grand Rapids skyscrapers in the background. Now, standing in front of the museum, I get to see the tree and its reflection in the museum's mirrored windows and reflecting pond. F25 at 20 seconds, ISO 800, 24-70mm lens at 24mm

My good friend, Amy Seng, recently moved from Ludington to take a job in downtown Grand Rapids. Her new office sits across the street from Rosa Parks Circle. Amy suggested that we should photograph the ice skaters and Christmas lights here at nighttime. I wish every town in Michigan had a lighted ice rink in the middle of downtown. I am going to work on making that happen in Ludington! F2.8 at 0.3, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 32mm

I don't have to drive far from my Ludington home to make the first of three photographs I have planned to take on Christmas Day. The Father Marquette Memorial cross on Pere Marquette Lake silently heralds Jesus as the "reason for the season" for Christians around the world. F22 at 6 seconds, ISO 200, 24-70mm lens at 70mm

I have driven by this star of evergreen trees along the US31 freeway near Shelby, Michigan dozens of times during our "Tuesdays" project but there either was not enough snow to make the pattern stand out or the American Flag was not flying. I decided to give the patriotic star maker a new American Flag for Christmas. After placing the flag, I have taken up position high atop a hill on the opposite side of the freeway to wait for an opportune moment. F7.1 at 1/250, ISO 800, 24-70mm lens at 70mm

I enjoy looking at the Norwalk Lutheran Church every time I pass by it on US31 between Manistee and Bear Lake, Michigan. Today a fresh coat of snow on the steeple and roof has decorated the classic country church for Christmas. F9 at 1/400, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 165mm

I have long admired the simple, beautiful style and upkeep of this whitewashed barn near Bear Lake, Michigan. Today the roof of the barn and surrounding trees are whitewashed with snow. I envision the scene as a sketch of winter in the Michigan countryside. F7.1 at 1/500, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 135mm

The branches of two giant spruce trees are so laden with snow on Christmas Day that the trees appear symmetrically interwoven. Of the hundreds of snow-covered evergreens I have to pick from today, this pair near Benzonia, Michigan looks the most uniquely photogenic. F8 at 1/200, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

After spending Christmas morning at home with my mom, wife, and kids, I headed out around 1:00 p.m. to finish shooting the last Tuesday of our year-long project. My first stop was my in-laws' backyard on Lavinia Street in Ludington. Don and Shari feed the birds all year long and I knew several cardinals were frequenting their yard. F4 at 1/640, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 600mm

As is true for many other bird species, the female cardinal is much more muted in her coloring. They are harder to spot in the wild compared to the flaming red male cardinals, yet they are equally as beautiful. F4 at 1/2000, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 600mm

This blue jay certainly thought he was the king of the hill while keeping a close eye on my in-laws' bird feeder. Every time another bird would land on the feeder or the ground below, this blue jay would get very loud and swoop over to scare the other birds away. Blue jays might be bossy, but they sure are pretty. F4 at 1/4000, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 600mm

I first spotted this bald eagle on the newly formed ice on Lincoln Lake right in front of Mount Epworth. By the time I stopped my truck and attached my big lens to my camera, the eagle had flown into this tree above the tennis courts at Epworth. I love how the eagle's head and the snow on the trees stand out as the only white objects in the photograph. F4 at 1/800, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 600mm

From this angle, this eagle looks like the largest eagle on the planet. The eagle was soaring over Lincoln Lake looking for a Christmas feast. F4 at 1/800, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 600mm

I never tire of watching and photographing seagulls soaring through the air. Seagulls rarely get the credit they deserve for being one of Michigan's most beautiful and graceful birds. F4 at 1/2000, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 600mm

The Sable River at Ludington State Park is one of my favorite places in the world to photograph. While driving through the park I found these two geese taking a leisurely Christmas stroll along its bank. F4 at 1/2000, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 600mm

I think the common merganser is one of the stranger looking birds in Northwest Michigan. They are harder to photograph than a lot of other Michigan ducks because they are more skittish of people. Having a huge telephoto lens helps when trying to make strong images of these elusive birds. F4 at 1/640, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 600mm

This is the view from the very end of North Lakeshore Drive where it dead-ends at the North Bayou on Hamlin Lake. Today I parked my truck at the North Bayou Resort and Marina and grabbed my camera and tripod to document the beautiful swans swimming in the open water in front of the snow covered Hamlin Dunes. F7.1 at 1/500, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 185mm

My very first shot of Week 1 of the Tuesdays Project was of wind-blown sand sculptures at Silver Lake State Park. So it felt fitting that my very last shot of the Tuesdays Project would be of wind-blown sand at Stearns Park in Ludington. Thanks for following along each week and for making "Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute" a wonderful journey to complete. F22 at 2 seconds, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

Something about the look of this stand of snow-coated poplar trees near Crystal Mountain reminds me of a Bev Doolittle painting. I find myself looking for the hidden Native Americans or horses often elusively portrayed in her famous paintings. I can't spot anything but trees; the scene intrigues me just the way it is. F8 at 1/200, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm