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Exploring Michigan

Falling

A mystic morning greets me. Fog bathes the Buttersville Peninsula outside our Crosswinds home. The scene looks subtly beautiful and makes waking up without our sidekick Beamer momentarily more bearable. Life without your lab is simply not as good. F5.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

This view from high atop Big Point Sable Lighthouse shows the layers of dunes and forest between Lake Michigan and Hamlin Lake and reveals the vastness and beauty of the remote northern area of Ludington State Park. Brad and I climbed to the top of the lighthouse on an early November morning and sat in the dark, anxiously awaiting sunrise. The light and atmosphere that appeared was well worth the chilly wait.

Stop the TRUCK! This is what I heard right before four of our workshop participants shot out the passenger side of my truck with their camera gear in tow. I quickly gave chase and we all ended up on a large dune ridge facing a brilliant rainbow to the southeast. The entire expanse of dune turned a vibrant gold.

I am running out of daylight when my 365 Picture of the Day appears right before me at the intersection of Iris Road and South Lakeshore Drive south of Ludington. To my eyes, this gated view looks heavenly. F22.0 at 25.0, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

Prince of the Forest

Shadow Waves

Autumn Eyecatcher

Speaking to God

As I made my personal journey of photographing the Ludington State Park, I relished the opportunity to explore areas of the park that I had never seen before. It seemed that over every dune and behind every pine row there was a whole new world to discover and photograph. I knew when I found this section of dead trees that there was a great picture waiting to be made. I sat on the small sand mound for 10 minutes waiting for the light to hit the trees and give them life again.

Just to the northwest of Ruckel's Bridge at the Silver Lake State Park, I came upon this miniature looking forest. I loved how the dappled light was highlighting a few of these beautiful plants. F9 at 0.3, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 23mm

Winter Therapy

Nikon D850. F13 at 1/20, ISO 100. 14-24mm lens at 24mm. March 17, 2020 at 5:53pm.

Brad and I are winter persons. We love being outside in the snow, photographing, hiking, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing; you name it. But on a winter day as magical as this, we'd better be shooting pictures. We were, and I am glad we were. Following a deer trail through the pines south of the dam at Ludington State Park led me into a winter world of white.

Todd Reed

Nikon D850. F22 at 1/10, ISO 100. 14-24mm lens at 20mm. April 1, 2020 at 5:02pm.

After a brisk 30-minute hike to the north end of the Island Trail at the Ludington State Park, I was very relieved to take a rest inside this old warming shelter. My camera bag weighs over 30 pounds and it traps a lot of heat as I walk. The 10-minute rest I took lying on my back almost turned into an hour-long nap. Once the magic light of the golden sunrise appeared though, I was instantly rejuvenated and quickly made this photograph. F8 at 1/30, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Weekend Workshop

Crisp Point Munising Taquamenon Laughuing Whitefish Falls