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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.

Tuesdays With Todd and Brad Reed

With thousands of travelers a year on the trails at the Ludington State Park, it is easy to find your way through the woods and deep into the forest.

An outdoor photographer is dwarfed by the large Northern Michigan bog he is exploring on a winter morning. The bog lies along US131 north of Manton, Michigan.

Up until I graduated from college, my Grandpa and Grandma Reed lived on the Pere Marquette River near Walhalla at the very end of Budzynski Road. I learned to drive on this country road. I have always thought the road was more beautiful than most, but today it looks prettier than I have ever seen.

One of Michigan's best assets are the pristine forests that cover the state. I love watching how the forests change as you move farther north in Michigan. These trees at Wilderness State Park look more rugged and "Northern" than the trees to the south in Ludington.

Wilderness State Park near Mackinaw City is one of Michigan's best-kept secrets. With Lake Michigan as its border, the Wilderness State Park is a glorious glimpse of what Michigan may have looked like 100 years ago. Wild, pristine, diverse, and glorious are just a few words that come to mind when trying to describe Wilderness State Park. I look forward to spending quality time exploring more of the park in the future.

Exploring Michigan

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.

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.

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

Falling

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

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