Ludington State Park

Ludington State Park

Ludington State Park

Workshop at Ludington State Park

Fountain For Youth Black and White

Fountain For Youth

Workshop at Ludington State Park 2023

First Curve

A small shelf cloud rolled into Ludington off Lake Michigan today. I used that as a background to dune grass at the Ludington State Park instead of focusing on the shelf cloud itself.

Dune Grass Light

“Invigorating Light” by Brad Reed Only a few times in the last 21 years of photographing Michigan have I had an adrenaline rush while shooting photos as powerful as I did tonight at Big Sable Point Lighthouse. For eighteen minutes before sunset, the sun was casting magic light onto the dunes and historic lighthouse inside the Ludington State Park. After the sun had set, the sky started to turn different colors over Lake Michigan. Eleven minutes later, I was witnessing one of the most colorful sunsets I have ever seen in my entire life. Everything, including the grass, lighthouse, sand, water, and of course the sky, were glowing different colors. I waited about thirty seconds before shooting another shot so that the moving clouds would align correctly behind the tower of Big Sable. By waiting and by shooting less and seeing more, all of the lines in the photograph ended up directing the viewer’s eyes right at the lighthouse. This was a night I will never forgot. Nikon D850. F6.3 at 0.6 seconds, ISO 31. On a tripod without a flash. 5:17pm on November 30, 2021.

Big Sable in September Light - Black and white

On the walk back from Big Sable Point Lighthouse around 12:40am on Sunday, May 12th, my dad, Ethan, and I turned around and finally saw the northern lights show we had been waiting for all evening. The pillars shot straight up from the ground to above our heads. It was unbelievably bright and visible to the naked eye. Of course, the camera sees the colors even better than we do. This shot was just before the pillars shrank and disappeared. This is my dad’s photograph.

I am intrigued by this spot high atop the tallest dune on the Lake Michigan shoreline north of Ludington. For me, the patterns of the grasses, dead trees and sand are uniquely interesting in themselves. The view of Lake Michigan from a couple hundred feet up makes it one of my favorite area vantage points.

The 45-minute hike to Big Sable Point Lighthouse is rewarding even on those rare occasions when a good picture seems nowhere to be found. On this evening dune grass framed against the twilight provided a still life that stood out even more than the famous lighthouse.

Sunset at Stearns Beach on a Thursday

Ludington State Park Workshop

One day a sand dune can appear smooth as glass; the next day the wind can create rows of sand. Nothing remains constant with sand dunes. Only the camera freezes the time.

Ludington State Park Workshop

Dune grass, that a week earlier blended in with a sand dune, stood out against the snow that painted the dune along the Lake Michigan shoreline near the Ludington State Park Beach House.

One of the highest dunes in Ludington State Park offers a bird's eye view of one of the forests tucked between dune ridges at the park. Lake Michigan lies beyond as I look west.