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I have always loved this clump of trees inside Stearns Park, but I had never taken the time to photograph them. As Julia, Ethan and I were driving around looking for my photo of the day, I noticed the side lighting hitting the trunks of several of the large trees. After a few minutes of looking at the scene, I finally composed a photograph that I liked. F2.8 at 1/60, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 20 mm

Nikon D810. F22 at 1/6, ISO 100. 17-35mm lens at 32mm. On a tripod without a flash. February 11, 2020 at 5:17pm.

The quaint little village of Beulah, Michigan is surrounded by steep hills and tree lined ridges, but its most famous asset is Crystal Lake. This morning Crystal Lake was covered in thick ice and dotted with ice fishermen as far as the eye could see. I wanted a clean, simple feeling for this photograph so positioned myself to capture a scene in which no fishermen were in view.

My son Brad had already photographed these trees at various times of day and season. So credit goes to him for the composition. On this early September morning I feel compelled to photograph "Brad's tree" because the Queen Anne's Lace has given it a fresh look.

May

Lately, I have been looking at a lot of old black and white photographs of my great grandparents and other ancestors. I often imagine what their world was like living in Michigan in the late 1800's and early 1900's. For some reason, I always imagine that world in black and white. When I was making this image today on Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City,

Tuesdays With Todd and Brad Reed

Legends Ranch September 24 2015 Black and White

Some trees have personality. I love movies like Lord of the Rings where trees come alive and walk. This tree appears to be striding through the dunes at Ludington State Park. I like its posture. F8.0 at 1/10, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 92 mm

My dad and I drive four-wheel-drive pick up trucks for several reasons. We often end up on dirt roads, in deep mud, snow, or sand. We also have an unbelievable amount of photography gear, clothing, rope, and other adventure items with us at all times. My truck was pushed to the limits a few hundred yards past where I made this image today. I am glad my truck has skid plates on the bottom because I went over some pretty impressive boulders to get down Indian Hill Road between Honor and Empire.

I was deer hunting near the Pere Marquette River in Amber Township with my camera, waiting for Whitetails to appear in front of me and fall color behind. The deer never appeared where I needed them to, so I decided to switch gears and frame some of the color I had been looking at for several hours.

I had already made a picture I liked of the Centenary United Methodist Church steeple in Pentwater before finding this shadowy view of a massive tree at Snug Harbor Marina on Pentwater Lake. Both images featured sunshine, shadows and clouds. Brad thought both images had a spiritual quality; I agreed. F8.0 at 1/640, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 12 mm

Since August 2012, when I photographed this old McCormick-Deering tractor on Indian Hill Road for the Tuesdays project, I have been eager to come back and photograph it in the fall. Today the scene is even better than I could ever have imagined. My favorite part of this image is all the leaves stuck in the grass surrounding the tractor.

Lake McDonald

If I had a million dollars, I would buy the three-foot-square piece of land my tripod is sitting on along M-22. I would leave the tripod there for countless others to physically stand in this spot and take in the awe-inspiring view I am enjoying of the Arcadia Lutheran church immersed in a sea of fall color.

At one summer art fair when I was a young boy, I remember hearing a gentleman say to my dad, "That isn't art, it's just a photograph!" Well, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, and I enjoy the fact that art is subjective. I enjoy making images like this one, where an object that might go unnoticed takes on a new appearance.

A few minutes before making this image, my dad and I were forced back into the truck by pouring rain while photographing the Croton Dam. We decided to head toward Grand Rapids, but out of nowhere, the rain changed to a slight drizzle and the sun started shining. The earth around us lit up with electric light. We quickly spotted this tree and pulled off the road to make this image. Many of the leaves had large dark spots on them, but they still looked perfect to me.

It is a glorious morning and I am blessed to be traveling M22 today looking for fall color pictures and anything else that catches my photographic eye. Just north of Onekama I turn off the highway and find myself with a spectacular birds eye view of beautiful Portage Lake.

Tuesdays With Todd and Brad Reed

Trying to show the softness of these white pine needles, I decided to zoom my telephoto lens during a long exposure. I made several shots at different shutter speeds and varied the speed of zooming. This shot captured the essence of what I felt.