Ask to Stay
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Sharing more of my (rare) black and white work on Flickr this month.
michigan
The Coldest Day
It’s cold out there.
Parts of the U.S. are facing an arctic blast – one of those goofy named weather phenomena. In the past few winters, we haven’t had much winter action in Michigan. So on this occasion, I laced up my snow boots and walked around the neighborhood to see what five degrees felt like.
The bright sun and crisp air were nice for a brief minute. But then the wind would pick up and I felt like my face was stinging.
Not much moves on mornings like this.
Shot on the Canon 5D classic and EF 40mm f/2.8.
Christkindlmarkt
One of my favorite kinds of street photography is to show up in a busy place where a bunch of people are gathered.
It’s probably a dash of event photography, and a splash of being somewhere where you know it’ll be busy.
And ’tis the season, right? So I stopped by St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church’s Christkindlmrkt – a European-style Christmas market with delicious German treats and lots of merriment. I had to do some Christmas shopping, and last year I visited a Christmas market in Ann Arbor and really enjoyed it. This year, I figured it’d be fun to try something new.
Knowing it may get pretty crowded, I brought along my Canon M6 and a few lenses. I snapped on the 22mm, 32mm, and 56mm on each consecutive lap around the church, opening up my aperture as it got darker.
Lots of kids, lots of families, and tons of gifts for Catholics. And all around, the smell of bratwurst on the grill. Perfect.
While the rain melted all the snow, and the temperature was getting warmer, it was still festive enough to feel the Christmas spirit – and enjoy a beer and a brat.
She’s A Beaut
You know what time of year it is.
Time to drive out to the country, pick the best of the best, shake it off, wrap it up, and drive it home to decorate.
It’s Christmas tree time. Red and green time. Fresh air and pine sap scent time.
We finally got some snow time.
Shot on the Canon M6 and EF-M 22mm f/2.
Picking Up a Fallen Star
Spring Arbor, Michigan – shot on the Canon M and the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 lens.
Let’s Go Blue
It’s tough being a University of Michigan football fan this season.
Last year? Easy. One of the best years ever.
This year has been challenging, with key wins, disappointing losses, and a lot of inconsistency. So when the number one team in the country, Oregon, came to visit, our expectations were easy to set: we probably weren’t going to win.
Instead, my buddy Don and I went for the atmosphere. We and 110,000 other fans descended on Ann Arbor on a beautiful autumn afternoon in November.
It was us and the big corporate sponsors, apparently. Mt. Dew set up a station a few blocks from Michigan Stadium, complete with velcro walls and a DJ. We popped in and grabbed a few (free!) BBQ sandwiches, and watched the college students come and go.
Inside the stadium was as festive as ever, and we got to watch the sunset on both the game and evening.
Shot on the Canon M200 and EF-M 22mm f/2.
Disgust For All
Not much to say on this, the day after the U.S. election, but a few thoughts I had this morning waking up to the news:
- Info bubbles are bad—it’s so important to step outside of what you normally read about or hear and listen to other echo chambers.
- “Vibes” alone aren’t enough to sway people who have legitimate concerns about the country’s direction.
- Who shows up matters and ultimately determines the outcome. If you don’t have the votes, you don’t win – simple, but hard to execute.
- America is a tough place to understand sometimes, and it’s getting tougher.
I’m sad and nervous. I’m also dumping my usual sources for information (Twitter – deleted my account, and Reddit for general browsing) and am committed to casting a weary, skeptical eye on news media reports that seem confident.
In the meantime, we all have feelings to process and art to make. Let’s get back to work.
Through the Ghastly Blank
Foggy fall mornings in Jackson, Michigan.
Shot on the Canon M200 and EF-M 15-45mm lens.