When you hear “Todd and Brad Reed Photography,” you probably envision a favorite lighthouse, Lake Michigan, colorful wildlife, or other scenes of rugged, outdoor West Michigan. Or perhaps, if you are one of Brad’s more than 8,200 followers on Facebook, you think about the hearts he is known for seeking out in nature and posting, inspiring friends and spreading love. In fact, love — alongside immeasurable talent — is the ingredient that has brought the father-son team success over the last 26 years.

Long before Todd and Brad held cameras, Brad’s great-grandfather, Peck Reed — who founded Ludington Beverage after Prohibition — joined a progressive group of local citizens to stop a planned highway along the shoreline where M-116 sits today. Peck and others understood that keeping the waterfront public and pristine would benefit the entire community for generations to come. Little did he know then that his own family members would later showcase the very lakeshore that he fought to protect.

Todd helped carry on his grandparents’ and parents’ devotion to community and business while he and his wife, Debbie, raised sons Brad, Tad, and Willie. Todd worked 80 to 100 hours a week in photojournalism at the Ludington Daily News, served in the Coast Guard, and spent 25 years teaching photography as an adjunct professor at West Shore Community College. With his boys often in tow, Todd turned their childhood into a series of remarkable adventures.

“We grew up like rock stars,” recalled Brad.

He and his brothers experienced epic moments like steering the S.S. Badger on Lake Michigan, riding in Coast Guard helicopters, and even having dinner with the 1984 Detroit Tigers.

The boys spent many late nights with their dad at the Ludington Daily News, tucked into sleeping bags and their Winnie the Pooh pajamas outside the darkroom. They often played basketball in the hallways with the night janitor while Todd printed photos.

Despite growing up immersed in photography, Brad initially chose a different path, pursuing elementary education and social work. Looking back, though, he realizes those years alongside his dad had already given him an informal education behind the camera. “I think I was learning how to build pictures subconsciously from growing up, watching him do it,” said Brad. That foundation gave him the confidence to change directions in 2004.

After the September 11 attacks, Todd was activated full time in the Coast Guard, leaving the studio without daily management. Brad decided to leave graduate school and step in, taking over business operations and convincing Todd to transition from film to digital photography. The move modernized the studio, helped grow the business, and established the foundation for their eventual partnership.

Brad credits his then-wife, Betsy Reed-Henry, with making his transition to full-time photography possible. Betsy’s position at Community Mental Health provided health insurance and financial stability while Brad worked without pay for a full year to build the business. Betsy played a major role in their early success, even serving as their trusted copy editor. Likewise, Todd’s wife, Debbie, provided constant support, balancing a successful real estate career with managing their family, traveling to dozens of art fairs with the boys, and supporting Todd’s photography work.

For Brad, working alongside his dad was a natural choice. “We’ve always been best friends; everybody has their person, and my dad has always been my person,” Brad shared.

Todd and Brad became equal partners in 2005, building Todd and Brad Reed Photography on mutual respect, hard work, and friendship.

“I thank God every day that we get to work together,” said Todd.

Todd and Brad also credit their success to “Team Reed,” the employees who have worked alongside them over the past 26 years. From early manager Sarah Genson to current manager and talented photographer Rachel Gaudette — who manages business operations, design, and photography — the Reeds view every team member as a member of their extended family. Todd proudly notes that former employees have gone on to become doctors, teachers, physical therapists, veterinarians, and corporate leaders. But, says Todd, “Once a member of Team Reed, always a member of Team Reed.”

The team built a nationally recognized brand that showcases the beauty of West Michigan while being anchored in downtown Ludington. A central theme running through their career and artistic mantra has been the concept of “Point to Point,” exploring the shoreline from Big Point Sable down to Little Point Sable and the richness in between. Their early books featured “Point to Point” in the titles, and Brad even sports a custom “PT2PT” license plate on his bright red truck.

Todd and Brad have also photographed far beyond their backyard, often braving hazardous conditions for the sake of art. One of their most memorable shoots took place on a freezing March morning at the Grand Island ice caves on Lake Superior. Drawing on Todd’s Coast Guard background and knowing “no ice is safe ice,” the pair hiked with a small team nearly a mile across open-water ice in pitch darkness and near-zero cold. Linked by safety ropes in a V to distribute their weight and wearing helmets and life jackets, the group navigated severe conditions to reach glowing sea caves framed by massive 100-foot icicles.

Beneath the constant threat of falling ice, Todd and Brad worked in separate caves. Brad captured his famous “Krypton” image inside a blue-green cavern, while Todd worked on his knees and then his belly in a tight space to frame “Doorway to Heaven” and “Crystal Cathedral.” After finishing his work, Todd walked over to find Brad still focused on another formation. He stood back in quiet admiration to photograph his son at work. Soon, the morning sun started rapidly warming the ice, sending booming, freight-train-sounding expansion fractures through the caves as water streamed from above. Todd recognized the growing danger and suggested they had enough pictures. Brad agreed, and together they packed up their gear and made their way back across the ice, bound by yet another adventure.

The Reed family’s strong ties to Mason County and generous spirit naturally drew them to the Community Foundation. Todd’s parents, Bud and Dottie, were among the early investors who helped launch what was then known as the Ludington Area Foundation. Continuing that family tradition, Brad served on the Community Foundation board, established a family fund, and joined the Legacy Circle, while Todd, his brother Budde, and their wives established a community fund in their parents’ names.

Ever an ambassador for the Community Foundation, Brad enjoys explaining the Foundation’s endowment model. He likes helping fellow community members understand how protected dollars grow over time to permanently support local needs. Todd and Brad have also supported the Community Foundation over the years by donating their iconic imagery for use in annual reports, invitations, and other marketing materials. Their images warmly define “home,” reminding those who reside in Mason County why they are fortunate to live here, and encouraging others to find their own special connection.

After 26 years operating out of their historic downtown storefront — a building tied to photography for nearly a century — the physical gallery will close its doors on October 31. With supply costs having tripled since 2020, the team decided to shift to an online fulfillment model. Though the physical business is closing, Todd, Brad, and Rachel look ahead with optimism and gratitude for every customer, art fair visitor, and team member who supported them along the way.

The team will continue shooting photos, hosting workshops, and publishing books. Fittingly, their creative path comes full circle this fall with a three-generation ArtPrize entry featuring a collaborative work by Todd, Brad, and Brad’s daughter Julia that highlights three local lighthouses. The piece is displayed in the lobby of the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Grand Rapids and will remain there during ArtPrize, through October 9.

“We started with point to point, and we’re ending with point to point,” remarked Brad.

Knowing their journey as photographers and storytellers is not yet complete, Todd quotes a favorite line from Robert Frost’s poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”: “We’ve got miles to go before we sleep.”

Over the years, a repeat workshop participant would often press Todd and Brad for the secret behind their photos, adamant that they were hiding a trade secret. However, Todd and Brad always reassured him that there were no tricks or secret techniques. Brad would say, “It’s the love, dude. It’s the love.”

Looking back across 26 years of vivid gallery walls, Brad’s response to the workshop participant resonates.

The true heart of Todd and Brad Reed’s work has never been technical equipment or shutter speeds. It has always been love. It is the love in a father-son relationship between two best friends who grew a business together. It is the love for family — from the wives who anchored their dreams to the children who will carry on the Reed legacy. It is the love for “Team Reed,” treating every staff member who passed through their doors as extended family. And above all, it is love for their community — a multigenerational devotion to protecting, celebrating, and giving back to the place they call home.

As the Ludington Avenue storefront doors close and a new online chapter begins, the love that has defined Todd and Brad Reed Photography will remain unchanged, carrying them forward into all the miles ahead.

To learn how you can follow the Reed family’s lead and support the community you love through the Community Foundation for Mason County, reach out to Andrea Large at alarge@cffmc.org or 231.845.0326.