Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute

I am intrigued by this spot high atop the tallest dune on the Lake Michigan shoreline north of Ludington. For me, the patterns of the grasses, dead trees and sand are uniquely interesting in themselves. The view of Lake Michigan from a couple hundred feet up makes it one of my favorite area vantage points.

I love the iconic nature of this photograph. A gorgeous sailboat, a person fishing off the pier, and a beautiful Lake Michigan Lighthouse all bathed in blue and silver light. I captured this photo today 7:15 p.m. on the shoreline at South Haven, Michigan. F20 at 1/640, ISO 100, 70-200mm lens at 160mm

One of the high-performance sailboats from the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac looks fast even while made fast to a dock at Harbor Springs a few days after finishing one of the longest fresh-water races in the world. I am attracted to the shadows made by some of the many people attracted to the sleek vessel. F7.1 at 1/125, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 21mm

More and more often I find myself lying on my stomach to make my photographs. Getting extremely low to the ground or water gives me a fresh perspective on the world and it ensures that my photographs have immediacy which adds emotional impact and drama to a photograph.

After nearly 14 hours of driving, boating, and photographing, I decide I have earned my favorite Northern Michigan dinner, planked whitefish. Miraculously, I somehow get an outdoor table at Stafford's Pier House, 10 feet from the water and right in front of one of the most beautiful classic yachts I have ever seen. Fantastic summer evening, fantastic meal, and world-class Michigan view. It doesn't get any better than this. F4.5 at 1/80, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

This seagull has to be in its glory, bathing in sunshine and near 50-degree temperatures as it soars along the Lake Michigan shoreline on one of the warmest January 31sts in Ludington's history. The sun is lifting my spirits too.

James White, a 15-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan, gets some serious air on his wake board as he is pulled behind his dad's 18-foot Sea-Doo jet boat. James has only been wake boarding for five years, but already appears to be ready for the big leagues. F8 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 17mm

By using the full manual exposure mode on my camera, I set my shutter speed to a half second so that the motion of the rolling waves would show up in my photograph. With the camera on a sturdy tripod, the rocks and snow in the foreground are both razor sharp because they never moved, but the rolling ice in the channel showed motion.

I barely got in position in time to make my all-time favorite image of the Mackinac Bridge on March 20, 2012. It was the 12th Tuesday of 2012, and Brad and I were out early to photograph the foggy sunrise for our year-long project to showcase the beauty of Michigan all day every Tuesday of the year for our book, Tuesdays with Todd & Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute. Brad and the two other members of our Team Reed full-time staff at the time, Sarah Genson and Rachel Gaudette, shot out of my Suburban when we reached our preselected shooting spot in the Straits of Mackinac. They ran like jackrabbits to the shore’s edge and began shooting the fast-changing, gloriously atmospheric scene in front of them. As I was bringing up the rear, I spotted a cloud formation that looked a lot like a bear. The trouble was, my view of the cloud bear was partially obstructed by the south tower of the five-mile-long suspension bridge connecting Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. I know how fast cloud shapes change. I knew if I could get far enough, quickly enough, to the east I might have a shot at lining up the cloud bear right between the towers. I ran like I was being chased by a bear. I must have run 250 lung-busting yards before the bridge in the middle ground and cloud bear in the background lined up from my perspective. I slammed down the tripod and fired off a quick shot to capture what I saw while it looked almost perfect. Then I took a momentary physical and mental deep breath and began analyzing at warp speed how to improve the image. I quickly shifted my tripod less than two feet to the left to make the rocks in the foreground layer better balance with the middle and background layers. The cloud bear continued to cooperate. I have taught photographers for years “Clouds are your friends.” They become your very best friends when they are exactly the right shape in exactly the right place. I love clouds, and I love bears. Seeing this view, experiencing the chase and coming away with an even better image than I had envisioned is like winning my personal and private world series of Michigan outdoor photography. This image remains a winner for me. A lot of visitors to our gallery have appreciated it, even before spotting the cloud bear. Children, with their keen, fresh eyes excited about the world they see, tend to be quickest to spot the bear and other imaginary creatures. But once spotted by viewers or pointed out to them, smiles invariably follow. That makes me happy, particularly because I know how much of myself went into making the image.

Hamlin Lake is a great place to practice your sailing skills. For whatever reason, Hamlin Lake always seems to be windy. Today the wind was pretty strong and I had to motor our little Boston Whaler around quickly in order to keep pace with this beautiful little red sailboat. F6.3 at 1/1600, ISO 400, 10-17mm at 17mm

A fun group of friends were enjoying a warm morning ski on Bass Lake today. I tried to time it just right so that the boat and the skier lined up with the "three sisters" dunes in the background. F8 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 17mm

I love making abstract art with my camera. With the limestone rock covered in ice, the gold sunshine danced in front of my lens. Moving one inch in either direction totally changed the look and feel of the photograph. I like how this composition feels.

On a calm night on Lake Michigan with very little wind, it requires an experienced sailor to find the wind and keep a steady course. One of our local sailboats, Freedom, is up for the challenge most nights all summer long, no matter the weather conditions. F5.6 at 1/100, ISO 400, 18-50mm lens at 50mm

I don't have time to see the detail as I swing my camera, trying to follow and shoot this picture of a seagull. But I know that if I can fill most of the viewfinder with the bird and get enough exposure, there will be plenty of detail to see in the finished photograph. I choose to convert the image to black and white to focus on the patterns of the feathers without being distracted by color.

I love to catch those real moments when people are reacting to something around them. As a family emerged in their little boat from under the Bass Lake Channel Bridge, they were captivated by something they saw along the shore. For me, that moment reflects the essence of what is so great about family adventures in the Michigan outdoors. F6.3 at 1/400, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 92mm

Looking at the dozens of boats gathered on a Tuesday afternoon at a favorite spot for boaters on Torch Lake, I wonder how many boats would be there on a nice weekend boating day. Any pleasant summer day is a great day for boating on one of Michigan's most beautiful and biggest inland lakes. F7.1 at 1/250, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 92mm

After running four blocks to my vehicle to grab the lens that earlier I had decided I was not going to need, I get my telephoto lens mounted just in time to capture this image at Harbor Springs. I should know better than to leave one of my main lenses behind. I would hate to have lost my chance to record this view in one of Michigan's most picturesque harbors. F3.5 at 1/60, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 80mm

Wearing my life jacket and ice grippers on my boots this morning, I slowly walked and crawled my way out to the Ludington North Breakwater Light to photograph. My local knowledge and experience had taught me that if I got close enough to the lighthouse, I would probably see a reflection of it on the ice. As expected, the reflection was there. Now all I had to do was wait for the big splash. As you can imagine, I got very wet and cold.

While standing inside the gallery this afternoon and looking outside towards Ludington Avenue, I noticed that our American flag we put outside everyday appeared to be glowing. I grabbed my camera and patiently waited for the wind to gently blow the flag in a rolling pattern of red, white, and blue. In less than three minutes, I had made the best American flag photograph of my life.

The City of Algonac steams across the St. Clair River toward Canadian waters after departing Algonac, Michigan. The Walpole-Algonac Ferry Line has been in operation for over 100 years. Automobiles and passengers are transported between Algonac and Walpole Island in Ontario, Canada in seven minutes. F8 at 1/640, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 157mm