2024

Grass Lake, Michigan

Capturing small towns around mid-Michigan is an ongoing project. A few weeks back, I grabbed a sunny morning in early September and went to Grass Lake, Michigan, a little village on the East end of Jackson County.

A powerhouse in local football, and an old railroad stop along the I-94 corridor to Ann Arbor and Detroit, Grass Lake has a quaint downtown district with some alleyways great for exploring. It was quiet the morning I was there – very few walkers or browsers on the square – but E Michigan Ave is always busy with traffic.

For this trip, I took the Canon M6 and a mix of 22mm and 28mm EF-M lenses.

This fall, I plan to try and visit more little towns around this area of Michigan. So far, I have visited Springport, Parma, Homer, and Brooklyn.

 

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Friday Night Lights

Small town Friday night? That means football this time of year.

With Aiden in marching band, that means we head to Jackson High for a beautiful September evening and watch our hometown Vikings win against Tecumseh. 

Shot on the Canon 5D and EF 50mm f/1.4.

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Marching Band

It’s a false summer night – part of a week full of those final warm days before autumn sets in.

Autumn means marching band season, so Aiden and I headed to Jackson High’s football field for his first practice session. It gave me a chance to catch some of the light and colors around the stadium. 

Shot on the Canon M200 with the EF-M 15-45mm kit lens.

 

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Flavor Fruit Farm

Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm is a local institution.

Think apple-cide-and-donuts orchard in the fall, and Meckley’s is the place to be.

But instead of trying to beat the gigantic crowd that gathers here in late September through October, we visited the farm in August to see the nearly-done apples and sunflowers in full bloom.

A warm summer night, the sun setting, and hard cider off the tap? Hard to beat in all its midwestern glory.

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Brooklyn, Michigan

I moved around a lot as a kid, but I call Brooklyn, Michigan, my hometown. It’s the place I lived the longest, went to school the longest, and really grew up.

Brooklyn is a small village in southern Jackson County – the home of Michigan International Speedway, the Irish Hills, and Hometown Pizza, my first jobby-job through high school and even into college when I came home for breaks.

My family still lives in Brooklyn, but not in town, so I don’t get to see the village square every day like I used to. That’s why I took a hot August night, grabbed some pizza at Hometown, and hit Main Street for a photo walk using my trusty Canon 5D and 40mm f/2.8 lens.

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Jackson County Fair

Even though I feel like it’s the same-ol’, same-ol’ each year, our local county fair never disappoints.

Shot on a mixture of EF-M 22mm and 32mm, with the Canon M200.

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Return to Door County

Every two years.

From 2018 to now, we head up to Door County, Wisconsin, for our annual family summer vacation. With no better idea this year, we made our way back in July.

Some familiar sites, some brand new. Just in time for cherry season. And beautiful weather along Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Lucky us.

Greens and blues, reds and browns. Maritime cities and rural countryside. Beach days and quick day trips.

Along the way: memories. 

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Vandercook Lake

We took the first day of August and hit the lake: paddleboards, swimming, and catching the last sunlight of the day.

From here, we’re off to Door County, Wisconsin, again for our summer holiday. That means more sunsets, more paddleboards, and more time on the water. 

Gotta love summer in the upper Midwest.

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Coyoacán

As opposed to Roma, a more modern neighborhood, Coyoacán is pure history to the south of Mexico City. 

A few coworkers took us down to explore the markets and chapel and walk the streets to Frida’s house. I also had the best popsicle I’ve ever had: pure, frozen lime juice with a bit of sugar. Amazing. I should’ve bought two.

This place felt like a classic Mexican neighborhood, filled with history and culture. Alive and ancient at the same time.

And just in case anything was stolen, I brought my classic Canon EOS M, paired with the 22mm f/2. She still runs like a champ.

 

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