Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute

Of all of the bayous on Hamlin Lake, I have spent the most time on the Middle Bayou. My grandma, Linda Scott, and her husband Scotty had a restaurant and home on the Middle Bayou. The restaurant, Wren's Roost, burned down before I was born, but she still had her home there for several more years. My mom, dad, and older brother Tad used to live on the Middle Bayou as well, but moved into town when they found out I was on the way.

From an airplane, you quickly realize how large Hamlin Lake's North Bayou is even though from the ground, it doesn't seem very large. That may be because it is so shallow and full of stumps and has very little public access. I really appreciate its more rustic, natural, and undeveloped look and feel.

Today was the first time I have been able to fly fairly low over my family's hunting property on the Pere Marquette River near Ludington. With the fresh snow on the ground and the mid-morning sunlight, I love how the shadows of the trees give this photo such a three dimensional feel. I hope to make this same composition in the spring, summer, and fall as well.

Crystal Lake looks to me like a pastel painting on this winter evening as the moon rises shortly before sundown. This "wine shot" view from the southwest shore of the lake looking eastward is a quiet one meant to be savored like good wine.

This is the first good sunset on a Tuesday that I have gotten to witness since the start of "Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed." My dad captured two decent sunsets earlier this year, but for the most part the Tuesday sunsets of 2012 have been pretty disappointing. That made me appreciate this sunset even more. I look forward to many more stunning sunsets along Lake Michigan on Tuesdays this year.

Reflections on the hood of my Suburban give me a doubly good view of the sunset afterglow as I see the "USA in my Chevrolet" at Frankfort, Michigan during a winter drive along M22.

Do you remember when movie theaters in most small towns in America had beautiful marquees similar to this one? Those times are back in Frankfort, Michigan, where the charming lakeshore community's movie theater has not only been kept alive but both its interior and exterior have been restored. It seems fitting that a black and white silent picture is being featured at the beautiful old theater.

My dad and I always call the clumps of grass in the foreground of this image "Cousin Its" because they remind us of the character Cousin It from the Addams Family. This is the first good photo I have ever taken of Ruckel's Bridge at the Silver Lake State Park. Even though it is March, this photo definitely has a fall feel to it.

Looking down at these grasses near the Silver Lake Outlet at Silver Lake State Park, I can't help but laugh. They look like bad hairdos to me. I decide to zero in on them. F5 at 1/50, ISO 200, 14-24mm lens at 18mm

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

Two Canada geese flew in tandem next to me this morning as I stood on the side of Long Bridge Road near the Pentwater River flats. I love the graphic nature of this image and it shows the power and beauty of these giant birds. F7.1 at 1/2000, ISO 2200, 600mm lens at 600mm

A windmill near Stony Lake catches the afternoon sunlight on its beautifully rusted blades and wind vane. I love discovering old windmills still functioning and still in place in their original farm settings. I find this one especially beautiful. F6.3 at 1/800, ISO 140, 300mm lens at 300mm

Miles of rolling dunes await visitors to Silver Lake State Park. This hiking path at the Ruckel's Bridge Day Use Area near the south end of the state park leads visitors to what I like to call a "big sky country" view of thousands of acres of dunes and Lake Michigan. F22 at 1/13, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

I think it is so cool how the dune in the foreground of this photograph looks like a porcupine. This is a new vantage point my dad and I discovered today at the Silver Lake State Park. I am certain we will be back here many times in the future with our cameras and I can't wait. F8 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

Views like this remind me how blessed I am to live along the Lake Michigan shoreline. I am standing atop a high dune near the south end of Silver Lake State Park only a half-hour from home looking north over thousands of acres of dune lands in the park. F22 at 1/4, ISO 140, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

It is shocking to me that my dad and I have never been to this spot at the Silver Lake State Park before. We have driven our trucks within 100 yards of here, but we have never taken the time to get out of the vehicles and explore the other side of the creek at Ruckel's Bridge. Finding hidden treasures like this is a photographer's version of winning the lotto. F8 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 27mm

Dune grasses barely move on a nearly perfectly still evening at the Silver Lake Outlet to Lake Michigan. A florist could not have arranged the dune grass more perfectly for me. All I have to do is position the camera in just the right spot. F22 at 0.6, ISO 140, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

I love the simplicity of this mid-twilight view of Little Sable Point Lighthouse and the planets Venus (brightest) and Jupiter close together. The sky is still bright enough that bright stars are just becoming visible. F8 at 5 seconds, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

The horizon glows gold and the lights of Wisconsin cities, airport beacons, lighthouses, and vehicle headlights show up across Lake Michigan as bright lines and dots. I am standing on a dune beside Little Sable Point Lighthouse and the atmospheric conditions are enabling me to distinctly see the lights more than 50 miles away. F2.8 at 30 seconds, ISO 3200, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

In the Fall of 2011, I stood in the water in this same spot and photographed a double rainbow over the Mackinac Bridge during a rainstorm. This morning is a very different type of atmosphere. The foggy, still morning and muted pink and blue colors are picture perfect. F22 at 3 seconds, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 34mm