Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute

I never tire of the adrenaline rush I get when I see a great sunset forming, especially when I am not in position to shoot it yet. When I first realized that I needed to get to the shoreline of Lake Michigan tonight to shoot the sunset, I was standing on the tarmac at the Mason County Airport. I knew I only had about 15 minutes to get into position. I rushed off to the second curve at Ludington State Park and this was my reward. F13 at 1/15, ISO 100, 10-17mm lens at 16mm

People willing to walk a mile for a sunset get the best front row seats possible for watching another Lake Michigan light show. With every sunset episode being different, many of us never tire of heading to the Lake Michigan waterfront to watch the sun dip into the lake or the clouds. F4 at 1/320, ISO 400, 500mm lens at 500mm

Family times around a bonfire are one of the best Michigan summertime traditions. Residents of Crosswinds at Ludington relax around the fire after taking in a Lake Michigan sunset. F4 at 1/30, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

I am not a big fan of scary movies, but it occurs to me as the moon rises past an ominous-looking cloud that this would be a perfect shot of the moon to use in a horror show. F4 at 1/160, ISO 800, 500mm lens at 500mm

Displaying their pride in Indian traditions and in being Americans and Michiganders, Indians take part in the Native American Pow Wow at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. The public pow wow was presented by the local Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. F8 at 1/500, ISO 400, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

Native American Todd Brewer showcases his traditional Indian attire and his dancing skills at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. Brewer works in Northern Michigan as a paramedic and fireman. I admire his devotion to his heritage as well as his dedication to helping others in times of need. F10 at 1/500, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

One of the features I enjoy at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City is the booths featuring Michigan cherry products. The sight of these sweet and tart cherries at the Cherry Connection, Edmondson Orchards booth is making my wife and me very hungry as we make this picture. Summer in Michigan is never complete for us without eating Michigan sweet cherries and cherry pie. These sweet and tart cherries were grown on the Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City. F13 at 1/60, ISO 400, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

I am looking through my viewfinder at one of the most color-rich scenes I have ever seen as Native American children dance toward me at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. I love that these children are learning to carry on the traditions of their ancestors. F10 at 1/500, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 120mm

I would like to be as wise about birds and as in sync with them as so many Native Americans have learned to be through generations of careful observation and the passing on of knowledge of their ways. This gull seems to me to be a free spirit as it passes right over my head at the Native American Pow Wow at the National Cherry Festival. I am sure some of the Indians who saw the bird found meaning in its appearance. F10 at 1/500, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

I have fished for bluegill on Hamlin Lake since before I could walk, but I have never tried to photograph one. Today my cousin Logan Sanzeri and I went on a photographic hunt for bluegill on Indian Pete Bayou. Within a few minutes, this beautiful fish swam right up to my underwater camera and posed for this photograph. F5 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 10mm

I love to eat perch, especially at Scotty's restaurant in Ludington. Today was the first time I have tried to photograph a perch. It proved to be more difficult than photographing a bluegill, but the hunt was equally thrilling. F4.5 at 1/640, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 10mm

Mike and Nancy Banninga have a beautiful home on upper Hamlin Lake. The home is actually built out over the water. The lower level of the home is a two-stall boathouse and the upper lever is the living area. I have fond memories of spending time in their house as a kid while playing with their son Adam and their daughter Heidi. This photograph shows part of the view that the Banningas get to enjoy year round. F4.5 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 10mm

Over the last 15 years the number of new houses and cottages built on the north shore of Hamlin Lake has exploded. Most of the homes border Hamlin Lake on one side and the Manistee National Forest on the other. F6.3 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 17mm

I am struck while watching this duck swim on Round Lake in Charlevoix how much it seems as if the female mallard is floating over a sea of giant emerald gems. Round Lake is certainly one of the most beautiful harbors in Michigan. I never tire of spending time here. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

If you love boating, you have to love Charlevoix. From ships, to small craft to charming old homes and boathouses to classic-styled new ones, Round Lake in downtown Charlevoix looks and feels like a boater's paradise. My wife Debbie and I rented a 13-foot Boston Whaler like our own 30-year-old Whaler, so we could ply Round Lake and Lake Charlevoix as part of our 25th wedding anniversary trip to relive our first anniversary Whaler voyage in Charlevoix. F8 at 1/500, ISO 200, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

As I stand on the drawbridge at Charlevoix watching boats ply the Pine River Channel leading to and from Lake Michigan, it strikes me how interesting the iron draw bridge railing is as the bright July sun strikes the side opposite my position. The graphic image is not the picture I previsualized but I am delighted to discover it. F13 at 1/500, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 112mm

My wife Debbie and I celebrated our first anniversary in Charlevoix, Michigan. Now, on the eve of our silver anniversary, we stand on the drawbridge at Charlevoix together as I make this image of golden light striking the Charlevoix lighthouse. I look forward to celebrating our golden anniversary together in Charlevoix 25 years down the path of life. F3.2 at 1/500, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 280mm

Sometimes it is the totally unexpected view that we need to be ready to capture. While photographing boats cruising the Pine River Channel between Lake Michigan and Round Lake in Charlevoix, a rabbit appears right in front of me to feast on grass and clover in a sunny spot. I am struck by the rim lighting of the hare's face and especially its sunlit ears. F3.2 at 1/320, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 280mm

Ah, the plants of summer. I love it when the various roadside plants of Michigan begin blooming. I have already spotted many colors and varieties of these plants while traveling the byways between Ludington and Traverse City. But the hundreds of tiny flowers of this big Queen Anne's Lace have caused me to stop my vehicle to appreciate their beauty close up. F7.1 at 1/800, ISO 200, 105mm lens at 105mm

As the sun rises over the Northern Michigan countryside, I find myself mesmerized by the sight of corn waving lazily in the morning breeze. It makes me crave Michigan-made Kellogg's Corn Flakes. F2.8 at 1/640, ISO 200, 80-200mm lens at 200mm