Summer

It feels like fireworks! When I saw this Scentsy fireworks wax warmer, I knew it was a must have.

Today my dad and I and our associate Greg Dunn put on our first-ever workshop on Adobe Photoshop. For the evening session of the workshop, we all headed to Ludington State Park to photograph the sunset. The "magic light" was gorgeous, and as usual, very fleeting. F8.0 at 1/320, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

I could spend hours exploring the pedestrian area of the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, especially when I have a camera in my hand. The light and shadow this morning played nicely on the sand ripples and created a dramatic scene with this old stump.

The calendar still says it is spring but this mid-June view through my large telephoto lens at South Haven beach sure looks and feels like summer to me. It is a splendid day to be on the Lake Michigan shoreline photographing Week 24 of "Tuesdays with Todd and Brad Reed: A Michigan Tribute." F6.3 at 1/1000, ISO 200, 300mm lens at 300mm

My goddaughter, Kayla, celebrated her confirmation tonight in Holland, Michigan. I was glad that I was able to be part of it as her confirmation sponsor. On my drive back home, I stopped in Grand Haven. I don’t visit this lighthouse often, so it was fun to watch the sunset here.

Tonight, we took the Lake FX film crew by boat out to the Hamlin Lake Sand Dunes to shoot some footage on the documentary we are making about my dad and his 50 years of photographing Michigan. It was another glorious night with warm shadows and great light.

Todd, Brad, and I explored the Hamlin Dunes today. It was fun climbing portions that I haven’t visited before. The bright sun created some fun shadows in the sand.

We had a college reunion tonight with my two roommates from Calvin and our families. It was so fun watching the kids all playing together and enjoying the animals and slip-n-slide at Jonathan and Shannon Ray’s house south of Ludington in Riverton Township.

Yes, purple loosestrife is an invasive species. And, yes, it is beautiful. This year it has invaded the wetland area along the north side of Ludington South Breakwater. I will enjoy it until someone sees fit to eliminate it. F2.8 at 1/800, ISO 200, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

I stand atop a dune at Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan, looking northward into the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area. More than 170 acres of rolling, open dunes, wetland, and woods are now accessible to the public for non-motorized recreation as a result of a $19 million land acquisition made through grants and donations to the West Michigan Land Conservancy. F6.3 at 1/6, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

We had a fun gathering tonight with two of Brad’s high school friends and their families. Jonathan and Shannon own two Friesian horses. My kids were over the moon at the opportunity to brush them and give them treats. I worked to compose and expose this photo to show off their wonderful barn and the crew inside.

They had an old-fashioned tractor ride today from Scottville to Ludington in honor of Duane Cooper. Duane loved restoring old tractors. One of the riders was our good friend Roger Thurow. Roger is who makes all the custom stretcher bar frames for our gallery wrapped canvases. I was glad I captured this image of Roger on one of his tractors as the parade of tractors passed me on Conrad Road.

Hoary puccoon flowers stand out amidst the rolling dunes of the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area. These flowers are among the many natural gems waiting to be discovered here by hikers and photographers. The Natural Resources Trust Fund provided more than half the $19 million needed to purchase and preserve the 173 acres of prime real estate for the public. More than 900 families and individuals have pitched in to help make the land acquisition possible. F5.6 at 1/60, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

Clyde Butcher, famous for his black-and-white photographs of the Florida Everglades, often photographs huge cumulus clouds passing over the wetlands. Though I am standing in an overgrown asparagus field in Michigan, this scene on Conrad Road reminds me of some of Clyde's landscape images that often include a tree connecting land and sky. F13.0 at 1/80, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 14 mm

A wave bursts over one of the pilings left from a dock that once jutted out into Lake Michigan at Oval Beach in Saugatuck. I like the repetitive patterns of the worn pilings and the way the waves and light play on them at sunset on a June evening. F8 at 1/320, ISO 800, 24-70mm lens at 32mm

Brad and I and the kids spent the afternoon in the Pere Marquette River. The kids were swimming, while Brad and I had the underwater camera housing out. I had previsualized a photo of half underwater and half above, showcasing the lily pads. I made an image that day, but the water wasn’t as clear as I would have liked to compete with these clouds and reflections!

Today my wife Betsy and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary. I was in a hurry to find my photo of the day so I could get home and spend time with Betsy and the kids. I headed to Ludington State Park and climbed the dunes to the east of the First Curve along M-116. A few minutes later I had my photo of the day. F8.0 at 1/60, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

While looking out my bathroom window tonight, I spotted this goldfinch on our butterfly bush. I grabbed my camera gear and quietly snuck around the side of my house to capture this image before the tiny, beautiful bird flew away.

The roadside along Pere Marquette Highway at Kibby Creek looks like a garden this morning. I love watching to see what is going to grow next from spring to fall along Michigan roads. F4.0 at 1/400, ISO 200, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

I have tried to make a photograph of the grapes up in Bespop’s grape arbor for several years. Either I was too late, or the animals had already eaten them when I have tried before. This year, I was determined. I made almost daily visits to the arbor and finally decided the time was right.