Other Trees

Wednesday December

This morning my dad and I drove to the middle of the state on US10 so we could photograph Dow Gardens in Midland. As the sun was rising we found this tree between Reed City and Evart. The fog mixed with intense sunlight created a beautiful scene in front of us. I stopped my lens down to F22 in order to make the rays of sunlight show up more distinctly.

Sumac growing along Pere Marquette Highway reminds me of the flower patterns on some loud Hawaiian shirts. I am attracted to the color but on closer inspection am blown away by the patterns.

Sumac looks like it is on fire as it "dances" in the breeze on an October day. When we head out fall color touring in Michigan, we are usually anticipating the color show provided by the maple leaves turning color. Sumac puts on its own show.

Florida Palm Trees

Florida Palm Trees

Florida Egret or Herron

Florida Palm Trees

 

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.

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

Something about this dead tree attracted me to it when I spotted this snow-covered bog along US131 north of Manton, Michigan, and decided it would be a good place to make some early morning images.

At first glance, a dead tree is not a pleasant sight, certainly not a beautiful one. But when a person spends enough time in the forest and comes to appreciate the natural evolution of life and death, one can actually look for and see the beauty in natural things that have died. I felt that way as soon as I saw this scene. Flooding years earlier in this dune valley swale had killed this tree and many others nearby. New life was all around.

My dad found this photograph for me. He called and said he had the perfect shot for our 366 Project, we just needed magic light. I drove straight to his location on M-116 inside of the Ludington State Park. Just as I was grabbing my tripod and camera, the sunlight broke through the clouds. Thanks for the tip, Dad!

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.

While on a hike on the Ridge Trail at the Ludington State Park with Betsy, Sean, and the kids, I noticed this graphic scene before me. We often remind our workshop students to remember to turn their cameras vertical and to not just see the world in horizontal photographs.

This scene greeted me on South Lakeshore Drive near my home upon my return from Georgia. It reminds me of the Bible story in Exodus of the burning bush Moses encountered. F8.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 135 mm