Pictures of the Month (10.2007)

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"Wise One" -Todd Reed
The porcupines of Ludington State Park had eluded our cameras for months. On this particular day, after scouting for a spot to set up a portable blind to shoot some wood ducks (with my camera), I made up my mind to spend the rest of the day on the trails looking up in the trees as much as possible. Several hours and one sore neck later, I finally spotted a porcupine. I was rewarded for finally concentrating on seeing--really seeing--wildlife in the trees. The porcupine wisely stayed perfectly still and blended his body into the tree trunk and branch as well as it could. I spotted the beautiful creature high up in the tree only because I was so carefully and thoroughly searching. The telephoto lens showed he was aware of my presence. His only body movement during the time it took to make a portrait of him was the occasional opening or closing of its eyes.

"Sly Fox" -Brad Reed
A great wildlife photographer friend of my dad and mine told us several years ago: "If you don't get off the couch, you will never be able to make good photographs." Our friend was right; the more time you spend outdoors shooting the better your odds are of capturing a great moment in nature. On a warm October afternoon in 2007, I was tired of looking at the computer all day and drove out to the Ludington State Park for a mental health break. Twenty minutes into the shoot, a curious fox crept very close to the tree I was resting against. The fox held still long enough for me to make two photographs. I was never so glad in my life that I had gotten off the couch.