Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute

“Bad” weather days can quickly change into a photographer’s dream. First, I spent more than an hour on this rainy day working to make good images of Marquette Harbor Lighthouse. Then “magic light” broke out beneath the clouds near sundown and lit the lighthouse and trees like Christmas. Just before sunset, sunlight bounced off from clouds cast a diffused, soft golden light on the lighthouse, McCarty’s Cove shoreline, and Lake Superior. I love “bad” weather.

I followed this immature bald eagle in my truck all the way from the Sable River at Ludington State Park to just south of the First Curve on M116. The beautiful young creature finally came to rest near the top of some trees between Epworth and Lincoln Hills. The eagle definitely had a bird's eye view of the world from atop the blowing trees.

The SS Arthur M. Anderson steams through the Straits of Mackinac after passing under the Mackinac Bridge. The classic Great Lakes freighter is well known as the sturdy ship that survived the storm that sank the nearby SS Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975 on Lake Superior in one of the worst ever Great Lakes storms. F10 at 1/1250, ISO 800, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

The graphic view in front of me at the entrance to St. Joseph Harbor reminds me of those perspective drawings we learned to make in grade school. Everything appears smaller as it recedes into the scene. Shooting the sailboat at just this spot in its voyage makes all the lines and imaginary lines line up in triangular fashion. F10 at 1/400, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 130mm

Today for Week 15 of "Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute," our gallery managers, Sarah Genson and Rachel Shoup Gaudette, and I shot photos at Rachel's parents' farm on First Street, east of Custer. As Sarah and I were driving to the farm, we spotted these two horses in the Shoup's field. Right away I thought about our photographic concepts of "the little object in the big world" and "clouds are your friends." F9 at 1/160, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

After I waited over an hour for this immature bald eagle to fly, it finally took flight and headed the wrong direction. Luckily I was using my 600mm F4 Nikkor lens with a 1.4 teleconverter on my new Nikon D7000 camera body so I could still show a little detail of this young raptor as it looked for food along the shores of Lake Michigan. F6.3 at 1/8000, 6400 ISO, 600mm lens at 840mm

One of Michigan's most distinctive and attractive lighthouses, White Shoal Light, has helped guide mariners safely into and out of the Straits of Mackinac for more than a century. I passed by this lighthouse at a distance on a Coast Guard ship a few winters ago but today the Shepler's Lighthouse Cruise boat Captain Mike Rossman brings me close enough to fill my Nikon's viewfinder even with a wide-angle lens attached. F8 at 1/800, ISO 400, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

Meet my new friend, Bud. Bud is one of the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales. The Clydesdales are in the Ludington area for a week to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Ludington Beverage Company. My Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Reed started the business and it has been in the family ever since. F2.8 at 1/80, ISO 3200, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

Red pine trees are known for growing tall and straight in Michigan but one or more severe windstorms has obviously impacted this forest near Free Soil, Michigan. Many of the trees have been left bent to varying degrees. F10 at 1/500, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

The new treetop-level observation deck at Nordhouse Dunes Federal Wilderness provides a bird's eye view of a Great Lakes freighter steaming northward between Big Sable Point and Manistee, Michigan. This spot also provides panoramic views of thousands of acres of woodlands. I can't wait to return during peak fall color. F8 at 1/2500, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

A setting full moon greets us as Brad and I wait for dawn's early light. The light of the moon should give us a jump on spotting a snowy owl we know is hanging out in a West Michigan field.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Shepler's Lighthouse Cruise is the expert lighthouse history narration provided by volunteer members of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association. Dick Moehl and Terry Pepper tell us of the ongoing extensive efforts to restore St. Helena Island Light, its outbuildings and boathouse. They are always looking for more volunteers and donations to assist with the project. F7.1 at 1/1000, ISO 400, 300mm lens at 300mm

With the Detroit skyline in the background, a fishing boat speeds northward up the Detroit River. The cold of an early November morning cannot deter the avid fisherman from his pursuit. F7.1 at 1/2000, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

The 630-foot Calumet is being guided through the narrow waters of the Detroit River near Wyandotte, Michigan by two small tugs. The tug pulling from the bow is the Idaho and is just out of view in the photograph. The twin tug Wyoming is assisting the Calumet from the stern. F11 at 1/800, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 70mm

The rolling hills and seemingly endless rows of fences of the meticulously maintained Waltons horse ranch south of Traverse City, Michigan has always caught my eye. A gorgeous horse and spectacular sky make the view picture perfect on this August Tuesday of "Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute." F5.6 at 1/1250, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

Frost backlit by the rising sun highlights the shapes and shadowy forms of milkweed pods. I know the extreme range of tonal values will enable me to expose for the highlights and render the shadows darker and more dramatic than my eye is seeing.

Long since abandoned, the medieval looking Waugoshance Light has endured since 1851, with the help of its iron plates. Its birdcage lantern is a rarity among Michigan's surviving lighthouses. F8 at 1/800, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 165mm

Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat 47225 heads out the Grand Haven Channel for a "heavy weather" training exercise during Superstorm Sandy. At the helm is Senior Chief Kirk McKay, a Coast Guard Surfman highly trained in extremely heavy weather rescue boat operations. F4.5 at 1/2000, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 300mm

The 630-foot-long Great Lakes ore carrier Calumet gets two helping hands negotiating the Detroit River at Wyandotte from the Great Lakes Towing tugboats Idaho (in the lead) and Wyoming. The Calumet can carry nearly 20,000 tons of ore. F11 at 1/500, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 120mm

Built in 1840, the Old Presque Isle Light is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses on the Great Lakes. The charming structure served as an active lighthouse until 1871 when it was replaced by the nearby, far taller New Presque Isle Light. F10 at 1/60, ISO 100, 24-70mm lens at 24mm