Downtown Mt Pleasant by Rephotographing Michigan
Nine years ago I featured Rephotographing Michigan, Paul Evans’s photographic exploration of the environmental and economic changes Michigan has experienced. I’m happy to report that Paul is still going strong and to share a few of his excellent yesterday & today photos.
Check out yesterday & today scenes from Bay City, Petoskey, Calumet, Lansing & Mackinac Island below and follow Rephotographing Michigan on Facebook for lots more!
Lion Cub Cuteness by Detroit Zoo
Another year is in the books for the Detroit Lions, and fans are once again left watching as the top teams head to the playoffs. Will 2026 be our year? True Lions fans know the answer is: probably not, but we will damn sure be ready to believe again 😉
The Detroit Zoo shared these photos at the end of December writing “Mamma Amirah cuddled up with her trio of cubs warm your winter heart. At five weeks old, we can now determine that she has two girls and one boy. Her cubs are healthy and growing fast – gaining almost a pound each in just four days! They have also started to venture out of the den to other spaces. Amirah is being a very attentive mother and seems eager to show off her cubs to the rest of the pride. Stay tuned for more lion cub love from the Detroit Zoo.“
More from Michigan zoos (including a baby gorilla) on Michigan in Pictures and you know I’m gonna compare cougar & lion cubs…
Not gonna lie, I’m not feeling good about the “plan” for Venezuela. Also, while I actually have a degree in the geopolitics of the Caribbean basin, I don’t plan to argue the logic of starting a conflict with a Chinese ally because of “drugs” but then switching to “oil & regime change” before the fires are even out. Is Maduro a good guy? Unquestionably not. Is invading a nation of 30 million people for vague & shifting reasons a good idea? Also no.
Gary shared this photo last week. See more in his Woodlands gallery on Flickr and view & purchase his work on his website.
Tough to be a bird by Watermark Photography
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service shares that birds of all shapes and sizes have special adaptations for living in cold climates:
SHIVERING Birds have much higher metabolic rates and burn more energy to stay warm than we do. Black-capped chickadees weigh less than half an ounce and can maintain a body temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit – even when the air is 0 degrees! They do this by having great insulation, being very active and remembering where they store their food. A steady supply of food is essential, because chickadees eat more than 35 percent of their weight every day! Compared to many other birds, chickadees have a large hippocampus – the part of the brain that’s responsible for spatial memory. In the fall, this part of their brain gets even bigger.
FLUFFING FEATHERS All cold-climate birds pack on body weight in the late summer and fall in anticipation of the long, cold winter, but feathers also play an important role. All birds stay warm by trapping pockets of air around their bodies. The secret to maintaining these layers of air lies in having clean, dry and flexible feathers. The cleaning process, generally known as preening, depends on the species of bird. While all birds produce a special oil from a gland near the base of their tails, some cold-tolerant birds use this oil to weatherproof their feathers. Other birds like egrets, herons and mourning doves grow special feathers that disintegrate into a powder that they use to waterproof their feathers. Regardless of what weatherproofing method they use, preening helps birds keep a water resistant top layer and a toasty warm inner layer.
ROOSTING & CUDDLING Similar to people who may cuddle for warmth, small birds like tree swallows crowd together in shrubs, vines and evergreen trees to share body heat. They can also slow down their metabolic rate to conserve energy. Cavity nesters like nuthatches, titmice and downy woodpeckers use tree cavities and nest boxes to stay warm. Cavities and boxes provide protection from the weather and help birds hide from predators. Larger birds like American crows and ring-billed gulls are also known to flock together for warmth.
Read on for ways you can help including providing high energy foods like suet, peanuts and black oil sunflower seeds & a heated water bath.
Jeff of Watermark Photography shared this photo of a snow-covered blue jay earlier this week. See more on his Facebook & see more (and purchase photos) in the Birds & Wildlife gallery on his website.
This passage from a 1907 letter from the famed German poet Rilke to his wife Clara is often paraphrased, but even though it is kind of an awkward translation, I thought that it did a better job of conveying the enormity of possibility and urgency of making every moment and every person matter in your year to come. May 2026 bring you health, happiness, and good things that have never been.
Stephen took this photo of the Tobacco River on the Keweenaw Peninsula way back in 2013 and added his wishes for a fresh start and a Happy New Year to all. Check it out on his Flickr photo map and see more in his Geotouring gallery.
Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of Michigan in Pictures, and thankfully I realized that trying highlight the best of what is now 4,638 posts was a little crazy even for a dyed in wool webhead like me! Thank you all for being a part of this!! You can check out part one featuring 2005 through 2015. Now let’s get busy with the top pics for every year from 2016 through 2025!
Blizzard of ’78 – Somerset, MI by Bill
The Great Blizzard of 1978 featured over 30″ of snow in some places & around 100,000 cars abandoned on Michigan roadways!
Crazy Times on Torch Lake by Drew Shaffer
Torch Lake is Michigan’s second largest inland lake & at 19 miles, our longest lake. In addition to being the top pic of 2017, Drew’s photo was featured in an excellent mLive profile of jaw dropping Michigan locations.
Pantheos put together an incredible list of 87 Michigan’s ‘skyscraper’ Coastal Dunes that he could verify at 100′ or more in height. He climbed a lot of them including the tallest: 526-foot Empire Bluff Dune in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Ice Cave Evening by Mark Miller
The Lake Michigan ice cave hype machine fired up again in January with the year’s most popular photo which was taken in March of 2014.
Comet Neowise by Lake Superior Photo
2020 was a tumultuous year in many ways, but one (actual) bright spot we could all enjoy was Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) that Shawn captured so well in this July photo.
Frozen Lake Michigan & the Mighty Mac by Shelbydiamondstar Photography
MaryBeth’s photo of cracks in crystal clear ice with the mighty Mackinac Bridge was the top shot of 2021 with over a quarter of a million views here & on Facebook!
Southern Flying Squirrel Showing Biofluorescene by Lee Rentz
In 2022, Michigan in Pictures went on hiatus, but not before sharing Lee’s incredibly cool shot of a southern flying squirrel exhibiting biofluorescence which became the year’s most viewed photo.
Sunrise Greilickville Harbor Park by Jeff Hudson
I took the whole year of 2023 off, and the “taking a break” photo by Jeff did the heavy lifting on letting folks know.
Gordie Howe’s Last Girder by photosbyjoeyd
Joey’s incredible drone shot of workers laying the last girder in place to connect the deck of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge to the Detroit Port of Entry was not only the most popular post in 2024 — with 2.9 MILLION views it also became the most popular post ever on Michigan in Pictures!
Holiday Train Rolling through Detroit by Craig Hensley Photography
Craig’s photo along with his information about how to see the CPKC Holiday Train when it passed through southeast Michigan was this year’s most popular photo. Even better, I know for a fact that his information along with updates shared by Montez Miller helped a ton of people see the train in 2025!
Twenty years ago this morning on December 30, 2005, I started Michigan in Pictures to share some of the great photos I was seeing on Flickr along with some of the Michigan stories & events we were putting out on Absolute Michigan*. By way of celebration, here are some highlights from the first decade with the second to follow tomorrow!
The top two posts of 2006 were also my favorite: the Michigan Photographer Profiles of Ann Arbor Huron High senior Marjorie O’Brien and Matt Callow, a British born and bred photographer with a penchant for pinhole photography & unique cameras. I had so much fun exploring the motivations and techniques of some of my favorite photographers that I am honestly wondering why I stopped 🤔
Ryan’s photo of the William Livingston Mansion in Detroit’s Brush Park neighborhood in Detroit has remained one of the most popular of all time. Slumpy has also served along with with Michigan Central Station as a centerpiece for the discussion of “ruin porn” photography.
The top two pics of the year took us to the Rothbury Music Festival (now Electric Forest) and high above the earth with the first of very many posts about predicting the aurora borealis.
Lake Michigan Stones via bldgblog
The post about a stone circle underneath Lake Michigan in Grand Traverse Bay near Traverse City is the second most popular of all time.
Menominee County Cougar, June 2010 by Michigan DNR
While cougars in Michigan are a given in 2025, they were very much a question 15 years ago when we shared this trail cam pic.
The comments are kind of hilarious ;)
Marquette Northern Lights, October 24, 2011 by Shawn Malone
This isn’t the first of the many photos I’ve shared by Lake Superior Photo’s Shawn Malone, but it is one of my faves!
Mt Arvon – Michigan’s Highest Point by Gowtham
Gowtham took us all the way up Mount Arvon as part of my Michigan’s Tallest series.
I’m Posing for the Camera by capcbd
The most popular post of 2013 is also the most popular of all time: Know Your Michigan Turtles. It’s also the hub for information about Michigan’s 10 native turtle species so check it out!
In the same way that I thought it was fascinatingly cool to have bridge photos as 4 of the 6 top photos in my 2025 Michigan in Pictures Year in Review, I think it’s pretty darn nifty that the top photos of 2014 & 2015 both reflected the hold that ice caves had on Michigan winter discourse. Check out Ken’s Ice Caves of Leelanau and Heather’s Ice Caves Return to Lake Michigan, and I will see you tomorrow!!
* Absolute Michigan was my Michigan supersite that was put out of business by the $10-30+ million per year behemoth that was Pure Michigan. Here’s a look courtesy the Wayback Machine of absolutemichigan.com in its prime.
It’s time for the annual roundup of the most popular photos of the year on Michigan in Pictures. Instead of the usual top 5, I’m doing a top six because baby cougars. Thanks everyone for being a fan!
Also, I am going to go ahead and declare 2025 the Year of the Bridge because 4 out of the top 5 were bridge photos. I will also be wondering what that says about me … and all of you!! ;)
Holiday Train Rolling through Detroit by Craig Hensley Photography
The most popular post of 2025 with well over half a million views was this post of Craig’s photo with information about how to see the beloved the CPKC Holiday Train as it passed through Southeast Michigan. The train has collected over 5 million pounds of food and raised more than $26 million dollars for community food banks in Canada and the US, and – thanks in large part to Detroit photographer Montez Miller – our post and the one on Facebook with updates became important resources for folks to see to the train!
Craig Hensley has been shooting the Holiday Train for years & put together a sweet Google Map of the Holiday Train’s route through Michigan that includes suggested viewing locations. Head over to his website to view & purchase his work.
Canadian & US Flags on Gordie Howe International Bridge
The second most popular photo of the year was from the Gordie Howe International Bridge who reported that the Canadian & US flags have found their permanent home at center of the bridge deck, adding “Soon you’ll be able to see the flags for yourself from the multi-use path as you walk or bike across the bridge.” Just missing the Top 5 was another pic of the bridge in a post about the fact you’ll be able to bike to Canada across the bridge!
Freighter passing under Gordie Howe Bridge by Ryan Jake Jakubowski
We don’t have to go far at all for the third most popular photo which is Ryan’s excellent drone shot of a freighter making its way up the Detroit River under the Gordie Howe along with the news that the planned 2025 opening of the Bridge might be delayed, which it was! Ryan shared that this is one of his favorite shots of the new bridge. Click the pic to follow him on Facebook & head over to J&C Photography to view & purchase his work and to hire him for photographic services including drone photography & 360 degree panoramas.
Canadian Wildfire Smoke by Mackinac Bridge Authority
On June 4th the Mackinac Bridge Cam shared this photo writing, “Unfortunately, what you’re seeing today is not fog surrounding the Mackinac Bridge but smoke coming from the wildfires and our neighbors to the North.” Head over to the Mackinac Bridge Cam if you’d like to take a look at how things are today. (spoiler alert: so windy & snowy that you can barely see anything!!)
Big Penny Scoreboard by Stupid Lansing
In May we met Big Penny, Lansing’s twelve foot titan of truck termination that was completed in 1928 with the apparent purpose of destroying as many trucks as possible. There’s lots more Big Penny news this year including the 100th truck munched! Follow Stupid Lansing for updates!
Baby Cougar via DNR Michigan Cougar Page
Rounding out the top photos of 2025 was a report from the DNR that 2025 was a banner year for Michigan cougars! In addition to being the 3rd straight year of record numbers of cougar sightings, the fact that a pair of cougar cubs was spotted at the same time March 6 in Ontonagon County confirms we have breeding populations here in Michigan.
Fishtown Christmas by Michigan Nut Photography
I’d like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas & happy holiday season that brings you and those you love as much magic & love as possible. The two photos below are from Fishtown Preservation, and I encourage you to support them in their work preserving this iconic Michigan location if you can!
I’ve been waiting to post this photo since the moment John shared it exactly one year ago today! Head on over to the Michigan Nut Facebook to give him a like, check out his calendars as possible gifts, and for sure check out the Northern Lights & Night Skies gallery on his website to view & purchase this and other fantastic photos!
Cougar Cub Trailcam via Michigan DNR
Remember the cougar cubs we met last month? The Michigan Department of Natural Resources shares this December 2025 trail cam photo of the cougar kits & mother saying:
Nine months after two cougar kittens were documented in the Upper Peninsula, a new trail camera photo indicates the elusive animals are still alive and living with their mother.
…“This is a historic confirmation for Michigan since it is the first time in over 100 years that verified cougar reproduction has occurred east of the Mississippi River and possible even east of the Missouri River,” Roell said.
A private landowner sent the trail camera photo of the cougars to the DNR on Sunday, Dec. 14. Roell verified the site of the photo Monday and the DNR’s cougar team confirmed the photo Tuesday by enhancing the nighttime image to verify the existence of the three cougars. The sex of the kittens is unknown. Cougar kittens, or cubs, generally stay with their mother for about two years before venturing out on their own. “
The kittens’ chances of survival are actually pretty high because just like bears, cougars invest a lot of their energy into their young,” Roell said. “So these kittens will stay with their mom through this winter and possibly even into next winter. They already have a leg up, seeing as how they’ve been with her for a year now.”
You can read more from the DNR & read lots more about cougars on Michigan in Pictures! Here’s a couple photos of the cubs from the DNR along with a pic of an adult cougar.
Michigan in Pictures 