Detroit Sock City
Detroit, Michigan – Shot on the Canon M6 and EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3.
michigan
Michigan Rocks
Took the kids to the Michigan Gem and Mineral Society‘s rock show at the event center this weekend.
One of my favorite photography topics in people showing off their niche. In this case, the stone people were all around us.
I’m more into geology—the study of the Earth’s crust and history. My family? They’re rock nerds.
Shot on the Canon M6 and Viltrox 23mm f/1.4.
False Spring
This early in March? We Michiganders know better.
Shot on the Canon EOS M and EF-M 22mm f/2.
A Thousand Times
I often drive by perfect scenes or interesting settings and add them to my mental “I have to photograph that” list.
My list is pretty long, and the geography of it stretches across counties and even states.
When I’m on the highway, I must drive by this little one-room schoolhouse a thousand times on my way to work. When I do, I think, “I have to grab that little building out in that field.”
Sometimes, the light isn’t right, or I don’t have time on my commute. But on this day I did, so I grabbed an old Nikon D700 we have at work and tromped out into the snowy field to photograph the little schoolhouse around sunset.
One by one, I check these little scenes off my list.
No Pressure
Do you want to know the benefits of being a hobbyist photographer?
No pressure.
No client to please. No money to make. No expectations. No deadlines.
If I’m working on a big portrait project, the only deadlines or expectations are the ones I put on myself. And I do, but no one else knows that. It’s just me.
I can go out on a foggy winter morning, after dropping off the kids at school but before heading to work, and explore. Just me and my own desire to make something, see something, photograph something.
There’s no pressure. And it means everything.
Talking Musicians In Jackson on JTV
I’m kissing Squarespace goodbye and moving my two portrait projects to my blog. Instead of sending web traffic somewhere else, Artists In Jackson and Musicians In Jackson—as they’re updated—will live here, where visitors can learn more about my other projects.
As I was putting together the project landing pages, I remembered JTV’s Bart Hawley Show featured Musicians In Jackson late in 2019, but I never shared that conversation on this blog.
So here it is. And many thanks to Bart for having me on to talk about my musicians and artists portrait projects.
Painting
Nothing like winter to add a little more color into our lives.
This was the girls’ doing: a new bed, new paint, and new, big-girl furniture.
Shot on the OG Canon EOS M and EF-M 22mm f/2.
Ask to Stay
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Sharing more of my (rare) black and white work on Flickr this month.
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.
Artoberfest
A smaller, much more manageable version of the behemoth Art Fest during the summer, Ann Arbor’s Artoberfest had us downtown on a lovely October afternoon, exploring Corktown and grabbing some prints from local (sometimes snoozing) artists.
It was my first time walking around downtown Ann Arbor since last year’s holiday season, and I had a chance to do some street work with the Canon M6 and trusty EF-M 22mm f/2.
And unlike the giant summer Art Fair, this festival had top-tier art worth checking out. Spending money on area artists’ work feels good – an easy way to freshen up our decor at home and shop locally.
Stockbridge, Michigan
On our way up north this summer, I took the scenic route (as I often do) through the little towns of Stockbridge and Perry, Michigan. Along the way, I made a mental note to stop by both towns and take photos.
I picked a foggy morning on the first day of autumn to head up to Stockbridge. I’m glad I did, because the mist gave the town square a vibe. I made a whole morning out of it, shooting along the way and back home, and it ended up being a really productive (and fun) day out.
Shot on the Canon 5D with a combo of the EF 28mm and 40mm.
Around the Block
Quiet fall evenings are a chance to get outside, get some fresh air, and end the day on a high note.
Shot on Canon M6 and EF-M 32mm f/1.4.
Parma, Michigan
Parma, Michigan is a little burg on the west end of Jackson County – quiet and empty the day I was there.
Shot on the original Canon M with the EF-M 22mm f/2.