Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute

My dad and I always shoot a lot of pictures of each other while out photographing. I got up on a hill and used my 600mm lens to get this shot of my dad with a field of tulips behind him. Holland, Michigan this time of year is a must-see. I promise it will bring a smile to your face! F4 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 600mm lens at 600mm

The bright sunlight combined with some large billowy clouds was casting the perfect light to photograph the endless fields of beautiful tulips in Holland, Michigan today. After an afternoon of shooting, this is my favorite photograph that I made of the gorgeous tulips. F4 at 1/800, ISO 100, 600mm lens at 600mm

It strikes me that the lives of these two tulips appear intertwined like a pair of swans. They are part of the splendid display of tulips in one of Holland's city park gardens. F5.6 at 1/1000, ISO 200, 500mm lens at 500mm

If you like the feeling of this photograph with the soft background and shallow depth of field then I recommend using your largest telephoto lens and getting as close as possible to the subject while still being able to maintain a focus. Then set your aperture to the largest opening. In this photo I used a huge 600mm lens wide open at F4 and I was only about 18 feet away from the tulip that is in the sharpest focus. F4 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 600mm lens at 600mm

Cherry blossoms stand out in the springtime near the DeZwaan Windmill at Windmill Island Gardens in Holland, Michigan. I used a large lens aperture to feature the blossoms, separate them out from the windmill and to give the image a soft, painterly feeling. F4 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

The repetitive pattern in this photograph intrigues me. I like how the sunlight is shining through the petals at different angles, making the tulips look somewhat transparent. I also like the subtle s-curve going through the photograph starting with the first tulip in the lower right corner. F8 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens 34mm

Today was my first time at Windmill Island Gardens in Holland, Michigan. The historic village near downtown replicates what life was like in the Netherlands a few hundred years ago. Each year, hundreds of volunteers help plant thousands of tulips in Holland for their annual Tulip Time festival. This year, the tulips have bloomed a month early because of the unseasonably warm weather in March. F8 at 1/200, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 35mm

Holland, Michigan has dozens of different varieties of tulips that bloom every spring throughout the downtown. Today we saw hundreds of thousands of tulips in bloom and this variety, called "Aleppo" was one of my favorites. F8 at 1/2000, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

A 600-millimeter lens and camera appear to be floating in a sea of tulips. Actually, it is such a gorgeous, warm April afternoon that my son Brad (whose head is barely visible) could not resist catching a catnap between rows of flowers after finishing a shot. F5.6 at 1/1000, ISO 200, 500mm lens at 500mm

Shooting at ground level is one of Brad's favorite techniques for getting close to his subjects. Using a big lens to magnify his subject and make it become the only thing sharply focused is another of his favorite techniques for photographing small objects like these tulips in Holland. F5.6 at 1/640, ISO 200, 500mm lens at 500mm

This is the first photograph I have made of Holland's "Big Red" Lighthouse. This is a decent daytime photograph, but I can't wait to come back to this spot to shoot a glorious Lake Michigan sunset. F8 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

The stanchions supporting the catwalk to the Grand Haven lighthouses look to me like a line of Star Wars mechanical soldiers. After making this composition and locking the camera in place on the tripod, I wait to push the shutter button at peak moments when seagulls are prominent and well placed in the scene. F14 at 1/400, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 145mm

Pier catwalks are a photographer's friend. They add interest to lighthouse photographs and sometimes can be an interesting main subject. Standing close to one of the catwalk stanchions, I compose a picture that has immediacy, dynamic angles, and leading lines. It is also a fresh view of the Grand Haven pier and lighthouses. F5 at 0.3, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

One of my photography obsessions involves photographing life rings, wherever they appeal to my eye. Lake Michigan is relatively calm this evening but this life ring and others hanging on the Grand Haven pier catwalk are ready and waiting for any time they are needed. Lake Michigan waves are a force to respect and, at times, fear. F22 at 1/60, ISO 400, 14-24mm lens at 19mm

As a young boy I used to come down to Grand Haven with my dad every summer for the Coast Guard Festival. As I have gotten older and busier with life and my dad has retired from the Coast Guard, we haven't been down to Grand Haven much in the last few years. Tonight was a quiet night along the shores of Lake Michigan, but I am looking forward to a busy summer night in Grand Haven when hundreds of people are walking the pier. F6.3 at 1/500, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

By using my external flash unit, I was able to partially freeze the motion of the small breaking wave right in front of my camera while using a slow enough shutter speed to show motion in the water in the distance. The flash also allowed me to shoot at F22, which in turn, allowed my photograph to be sharp from front to back. F22 at 1/4, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

I wish Ludington had a cool lit catwalk on top of its breakwall like Grand Haven does. The lights on the catwalk definitely add a romantic feeling to the photographs. I bet that Grand Haven has a lot fewer boats hit their breakwall every year because it is so well lit. F22 at 4 seconds, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 30mm

Lined up in the sand like beached sailboats, frozen sand sculptures created by the wind catch my eye along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Looking down as you walk often leads to interesting discoveries that might easily be missed. F22 at 1/60, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 165mm

One of Michigan's most beautiful economic success stories is the renovation and adaptive reuse of many of the buildings of the former Traverse City State Hospital as shops, offices, restaurants, and more. As an artist, I appreciate seeing many of the historic buildings on the grounds of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons restored to their 19th century and early 20th century architectural grandeur. F9 at 1/800, ISO 200, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

A Michigan fruit grower has probably invested a small fortune in planting and caring for this orchard, hoping it will yield dividends this year and for many years to come. My dividend today is being able to see, appreciate, and photograph these trees planted on a ridge overlooking Grand Traverse Bay. F22 at 1/80, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 120mm