Summer

While photographing two baby skunks playing about 25 yards away, my peripheral vision senses movement on my left. I look up to see this baby skunk no more than 15 yards away emerging from a barn. Attracted to its gorgeous white coat, I swing the camera to shoot, hoping the skunk is not repelled enough by me to spray. Baby skunks have scent glands from the day they are born and can spray when only eight days old. F4 at 1/1000, ISO 800, 500mm lens at 700mm

The view from the Jebavy bridge looking east has always intrigued me, but I have never been able to make a good photograph from that vantage point. Tonight, while Ethan and I were driving home from our weeklong vacation in Manistee, Michigan, I saw the reflection of the house in the Lincoln River and knew I had found my photo of the day. F9.0 at 1/40, ISO 320, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

When I think of Bespop, I often picture him in this area of his yard, near his grape arbor. Of course, he would be leaning on his cane, wearing his straw fedora hat, and smoking his pipe of cherry tobacco. I miss his smile. I miss his laugh.

I don’t know what kind of strange fungi this is in my front yard, but it is very large and super cool looking. My new yard never ceases to amaze me with all of its fun surprises.

After I wait an hour for a break in the clouds, magic light falls upon the beach and beach house at Ludington State Park. Time to shoot! F22.0 at 1/6, ISO 200, 12-24 mm lens at 24 mm

It feels like fireworks! When I saw this Scentsy fireworks wax warmer, I knew it was a must have.

Today my dad and I and our associate Greg Dunn put on our first-ever workshop on Adobe Photoshop. For the evening session of the workshop, we all headed to Ludington State Park to photograph the sunset. The "magic light" was gorgeous, and as usual, very fleeting. F8.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

I could spend hours exploring the pedestrian area of the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, especially when I have a camera in my hand. The light and shadow this morning played nicely on the sand ripples and created a dramatic scene with this old stump.

The calendar still says it is spring but this mid-June view through my large telephoto lens at South Haven beach sure looks and feels like summer to me. It is a splendid day to be on the Lake Michigan shoreline photographing Week 24 of "Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute." F6.3 at 1/1000, ISO 200, 300mm lens at 300mm

My goddaughter, Kayla, celebrated her confirmation tonight in Holland, Michigan. I was glad that I was able to be part of it as her confirmation sponsor. On my drive back home, I stopped in Grand Haven. I don’t visit this lighthouse often, so it was fun to watch the sunset here.

Tonight, we took the Lake FX film crew by boat out to the Hamlin Lake Sand Dunes to shoot some footage on the documentary we are making about my dad and his 50 years of photographing Michigan. It was another glorious night with warm shadows and great light.

Todd, Brad, and I explored the Hamlin Dunes today. It was fun climbing portions that I haven’t visited before. The bright sun created some fun shadows in the sand.

We had a college reunion tonight with my two roommates from Calvin and our families. It was so fun watching the kids all playing together and enjoying the animals and slip-n-slide at Jonathan and Shannon Ray’s house south of Ludington in Riverton Township.

Yes, purple loosestrife is an invasive species. And, yes, it is beautiful. This year it has invaded the wetland area along the north side of Ludington South Breakwater. I will enjoy it until someone sees fit to eliminate it. F2.8 at 1/800, ISO 200, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

I stand atop a dune at Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan, looking northward into the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area. More than 170 acres of rolling, open dunes, wetland, and woods are now accessible to the public for non-motorized recreation as a result of a $19 million land acquisition made through grants and donations to the West Michigan Land Conservancy. F6.3 at 1/6, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

We had a fun gathering tonight with two of Brad’s high school friends and their families. Jonathan and Shannon own two Friesian horses. My kids were over the moon at the opportunity to brush them and give them treats. I worked to compose and expose this photo to show off their wonderful barn and the crew inside.

They had an old-fashioned tractor ride today from Scottville to Ludington in honor of Duane Cooper. Duane loved restoring old tractors. One of the riders was our good friend Roger Thurow. Roger is who makes all the custom stretcher bar frames for our gallery wrapped canvases. I was glad I captured this image of Roger on one of his tractors as the parade of tractors passed me on Conrad Road.

Hoary puccoon flowers stand out amidst the rolling dunes of the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area. These flowers are among the many natural gems waiting to be discovered here by hikers and photographers. The Natural Resources Trust Fund provided more than half the $19 million needed to purchase and preserve the 173 acres of prime real estate for the public. More than 900 families and individuals have pitched in to help make the land acquisition possible. F5.6 at 1/60, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

Clyde Butcher, famous for his black-and-white photographs of the Florida Everglades, often photographs huge cumulus clouds passing over the wetlands. Though I am standing in an overgrown asparagus field in Michigan, this scene on Conrad Road reminds me of some of Clyde's landscape images that often include a tree connecting land and sky. F13.0 at 1/80, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 14 mm

A wave bursts over one of the pilings left from a dock that once jutted out into Lake Michigan at Oval Beach in Saugatuck. I like the repetitive patterns of the worn pilings and the way the waves and light play on them at sunset on a June evening. F8 at 1/320, ISO 800, 24-70mm lens at 32mm