Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute

Tonight my dad, Rachel Gaudette, and I made photographs of the Grand Haven lighthouses and we all had the same initial reaction when we looked at the backs of our cameras. To our eyes, the sky and water did not look that orange, but all three of our cameras were seeing the real color in the sky that our eyes couldn't pick up because our eyes were normalizing the color. Galen Rowell always preached that you have to learn to see like your camera sees. Tonight was the proof of that! F8 at 1/500, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

Long after sunset, and more than 45 minutes after making my first "sunset shots" at Grand Haven pier, I am still able to make good images. In fact, this "after dark" view is my favorite. I have learned to bring a tripod and continue waiting and shooting long after my mind thinks and emotions feel it is no longer bright enough to make a strong image. Wait, wait, wait! F2.8 at 0.6, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

I never get tired of listening to the music Lake Michigan makes every day. Tonight, her song is quiet, rhythmic, and soothing. I must admit, I can't wait to photograph her next rock and roll concert. F22 at 15 seconds, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 27mm

My dad and I are always looking for repetitive patterns. This morning on Grand Traverse Bay, the clouds, shoreline rocks, and the calm water combined into a gorgeous arrangement of blue, black, and white patterns that had me grinning from ear to ear. F13 at 1/125, ISO100, 14mm lens at 14mm

I was able to sneak up on a young mourning dove that thought it was totally hidden from me. My new Sigma 70-200mm Macro F2.8 lens came in handy because I could hand hold the lens in the thick bushy tree and get my camera within three feet of the beautiful bird. F5.6 at 1/320, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 200mm

My Great Grandma Benson always told us to make sure we looked down at the little things in life while we were walking outside. She spent the last 20 years of her life confined to a bed inside a nursing home. I shot this photo for her. F7.1 at 1/160, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 112mm

One of my don't-miss stops in charming Sutton's Bay is the Michigan Artists Gallery. This fish sculpture, by Michigan contemporary folk artist Jesse Hickman, lures visitors to see a myriad of Michigan artistic creations inside the always exciting, always surprising gallery. F20 at 1/60, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 19mm

There are a lot of beautiful wineries in Leelanau County, but I think Black Star Farms is hands down the most spectacular looking winery in Michigan. It reminds me of a smaller, red version of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Today was perfect lighting, especially with the dramatic Michigan sky in the background. F7.1 at 1/500, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

My dad and I each photographed this barn in a snowstorm for Week 7 of "Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed." We made our way back to the tiny Northern Michigan town of Omena this afternoon to photograph the majestic white barn with the fruit trees in blossom. F22 at 1/40, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

My son Brad and I knew this winter when we photographed this barn north of Omena, on Michigan's Leelanau Peninsula, that we had to return to reshoot the grand old structure during other seasons. Spring at the Cherry Basket Farm is turning out to be a far different but equally good visual treat. F22 at 1/30, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 112mm

Red admiral butterflies have been invading Northern Michigan this spring. This is one of dozens taking a liking today to an orchard on the Leelanau Peninsula. Butterflies are small and so my challenge is to find one willing to sit still on a blossom long enough for me to get close and in just the right position to make a good shot. F11 at 1/160, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

After emphasizing its detail in a much closer shot, I decide to create a looser image of a Red Admiral butterfly. In this case, I am attracted by the dynamic diagonal pattern of the branches and the oriental feeling conveyed by the branches and blossoms. F7.1 at 1/160, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

The large, mature forest at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore area along Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is my favorite forest in Michigan. With its massive trees and endless amounts of green foliage covering the forest floor, I imagine that this is what most of the great state of Michigan must have looked like 200 years ago. F5.6 at 1/30, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

The tropical blue waters of Glen Lake never cease to amaze me, especially when viewed from Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The white billowy clouds and gorgeous sunshine made this view even more spectacular than usual. F8 at 1/160, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

The God beams, bright blue sky, clouds below my feet, and the tropical-looking Lake Michigan water made me feel like I was actually floating on the clouds today when I made this photograph. I wish all of you could have been next to my dad and me experiencing this rare sight. F22 at 1/60, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Today was the first time I experienced being above the clouds along the Lake Michigan shoreline without being in an airplane. The scenic overlook at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is over 450 feet above Lake Michigan and was a great vantage point to photograph this rare phenomenon. The hike down the steep dune is fast and sometimes furious. The hike up is torturous, especially on your calf muscles. F16 at 1/100, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

A couple standing on the edge of a 450-foot-high Sleeping Bear Dunes bluff find themselves above the clouds as a cold front sweeps across Lake Michigan toward them. F10 at 1/800, ISO 400, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore area was voted the most beautiful place in America in August 2011 by ABC's Good Morning America. The view today from the top of one of the tallest dunes at Sleeping Bear helps prove why ABC was correct in their judgment. When you can stand above the clouds on a sand mountain and look down at the endless turquoise waters of Lake Michigan, you know you are experiencing a world-class view. F22 at 1/40, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

This is the view looking over the edge of the 450-foot-high Lake Michigan shoreline bluff at Sleeping Bear Dunes. My vantage point is from one of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore scenic lookouts along the 7.4-mile Pierce Stocking Drive. F16 at 1/320, ISO 400, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

A massive storm cloud rolled in quickly off Lake Michigan and devoured my dad, me, and several naive spectators this afternoon at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Being 450 feet above Lake Michigan allowed us a vantage point that was above the clouds. When the storm cloud finally hit us, we were lost in a freezing cold sea of white nothingness. It was a religious experience to say the least. F11 at 1/160, ISO 100, 18-50mm lens at 23mm