Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute

An oak tree clinging to life by the tips of its roots rises toward the sky atop a sand dune along the Hamlin Lake shoreline. I have long marveled at this tree's will to live near the north end of the Ridge Trail at Ludington State Park. This view is my reward for hiking an hour in the dark to be at this spot by sunrise. F10 at 1/50, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

Sweet cherry blossoms form a perfect circle that makes them look picture perfect to me. The fruit farmer is not as happy about this picture as I am. It is March and the sweet cherries south of Ludington are blossoming three weeks ahead of schedule, putting them at great risk of frost damage. F9 at 1/200, ISO 400, 105mm lens at 105mm

Spring has come early this year and caused an early-blooming Eastern Redbud ornamental tree to bloom in March. The early arrival brightens my day as I head home on Iris Road south of Ludington. F6.3 at 1/320, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

Waves generated by a fresh spring breeze rush ashore along the Lake Michigan shoreline north of the Ludington city beach. The seasonal cottagers at Epworth Heights have not yet arrived and are missing a spectacular day on the waterfront. F8 at 1/800, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 100mm

Rays of light break through bands of altocumulus clouds. Brad and I teach our photography workshop students: "Clouds are your friends." I am thinking of these clouds as best friends as I stand on the Ludington beach on a late March evening. F7.1 at 1/640, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

Wearing a backpack full of camera equipment, my son Brad reminds me of a Storm Trooper from a Star Wars movie as he photographs a storm front approaching the Ludington shoreline. F8 at 1/400, ISO 400, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

Bands of altocumulus clouds remind me of a giant striped beach umbrella as they form a canopy over the Ludington beach on a spring evening. F5.6 at 1/640, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

I wish everyone could experience the rush my dad and I feel when we are photographing an approaching Lake Michigan storm front. The power, drama, and beauty that is created when the sun is shining and a storm is approaching from the west is what I dream about photographing all year long. F9 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

The ripples in the water, combined with the reflections of the sky and clouds make this photograph of Hamlin Lake look like blue and silver grains of wood. I never tire of making compositions like this one. Someday I hope to do an entire book on ripples and reflections on water. F2.8 at 1/400, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

The peach colored sky with the pink, purple, and light green rays in this photograph is one of the most unique light shows I have experienced on Lake Michigan. I stood a few feet into Lake Michigan to get a sense of immediacy in this photograph so the viewers can feel like they are in the water with me. F4 at 1/100, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 20mm

With the warm sun hitting my face and the cool Lake Michigan breeze blowing through my hair, I feel like I am having a conversation with God as I watch the colorful rays of light dance through the clouds and on the water. This is my sanctuary. I am at peace in my hometown of Ludington. F11 at 1/80, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

One of the coolest aspects of the Ludington North Breakwater Light is how you can see the sunset through the portholes, especially when you photograph it from the Loomis Street boat ramp. Someday I hope to make a photograph from inside the lighthouse by shooting through one of the many portholes. F2.8 at 1/640, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

Spring is in the air early this year. I hope we have a very warm spring and summer because that will really help our local economy, and it just puts people in a good mood. The sun is a powerful drug! F4.5 at 1/125, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

My friends, Mike and Kerrie Cooper, live on a small farm south of Ludington that is surrounded by fruit trees. I used their dark red barn as a backdrop in order to make the blossoms on this tree stand out. F4 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 600mm lens at 600mm

As I behold the beauty of just a portion of one branch of a sweet cherry tree on Lister Road south of Ludington, I cannot imagine a more beautiful work of art than what nature and the growers at Hackert Orchards have created. F8 at 1/250, ISO 400, 500mm lens at 500mm

Using my wide-angle macro lens, I was able to get underneath this beautiful sweet cherry blossom and shoot straight up in the air. This allowed me to have a clean simple background with the clouds, blue sky, and just the tips of a few other blossoms in the distance. I set my exposure manually for the sky and then used my fill flash to brighten the blossoms. F5.6 at 1/250, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Tulips and the 250-year-old DeZwaan Windmill are longstanding symbols of Holland's Dutch heritage and the famous Holland Tulip Festival. I placed my wide-angle lens amidst the tulips to make them stand out. The historic windmill, undergoing renovations for this year's festival, becomes a secondary yet highly visible subject. F7.1 at 1/500, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

With my Wimberley tripod head on my Gitzo tripod, I slowly panned my 600mm lens as I looked at an endless field of tulips in Holland, Michigan. I didn't push the shutter until the scene inside my viewfinder felt great. As I panned over this lone tulip I knew I had found my winning composition. F4 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 600mm lens at 600mm

As it rises above other tulips and opens to receive more sunshine, this tulip stands out among hundreds the same color in one of the public parks in Holland, Michigan. The tulips have bloomed weeks early this year due to record warm weather in March. F8 at 1/1000, ISO 200, 500mm lens at 500mm