Nathan writes There was an incredible sunset in Ann Arbor this evening, the sky looked like it was on fire. I just happened to be out, walking back to my studio, with my camera.
This photo is part of his Ann Arbor set … which in turn belongs to his Cities collection.
Fall Vines, photo by William Couch.
William Couch has a cool set of photos titled A Beautiful Gloom that he took last November.
I think these are especially nice for two reasons (in addition to the obvious “The photos are great!”):
1. He’s got them all “wallpaper sized” and
2. They serve as a reminder that fall is fleeting – get out and enjoy it!
Art Museum, photo by I am Jacques Strappe.
Over at the Ann Arbor Area Crappy Camera Club, Matt Callow posted an announcement from ArtServe Michigan. They are seeking:
…quality photographs that capture and document arts and culture in Michigan: the buildings where arts and culture takes place, artists at work in their studios or participating in festivals, community arts projects, arts and cultural activities indoors and out, arts educators in their classrooms, individuals of all ages engaged in arts and cultural activities, art festivals, audience moments, performance pieces, etc.
They hope to gather photographs from every county of the state to be included in a photo montage during the ceremony of the 2007 Governor’s Awards for Arts and Culture and for use in the event program. Photographs are due by September 14, 2007. Please click through for details on format and where to send the photos!
Marjorie says that this photo (which I think you should check out big) of the University of Michigan Museum of Art was taken during the Ann Arbor (likely in 2004) and that the kids of Ann Arbor are missing a slide as the sculpture has been dismantled. It was taken with a Holga, one of the many fine toy cameras, trash cams, cheap plastic point-and-shoots, pinholes, dollar store disposables, and junk store cameras wielded by the Crappy Camerians. Heck, they even discussed the merits of a Pop Tart Camera!
ArtServe Michigan is a statewide organization that builds support for the arts, artists, arts education, and cultural activities. They champion the arts across the state through advocacy and education programming and services to individual artists and cultural organizations and seek to support artists and arts organizations by increasing cultural audiences, linking businesses and the arts, and standing up for arts in education and state arts funding.
This shot of farms around Pittsfield (in southeast Michigan near Ann Arbor) is part of a great set of aerial photos of Michigan (and into the Georgian Bay of Canada) that includes views of Ann Arbor and the Big House and ranges over to the Lake Huron shore and up to my neck of the woods. The photos are all helpfully placed on a map – a great bonus!
I was struck by the contrast of this evolved landscape with its patchwork and rumples to this golf course development.
The World Is Your Oyster Now, photo by mischiru.
This great photo of Spring Commencement at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor made me think about the tens of thousands of Michigan students who graduated from high school or college this year, the teachers who taught them and the administrators who helped to keep it all running.
At commencement ceremonies across the state, the graduates were congratulated and the teachers and administrators were thanked, but there’s another group of people whose contribution is oftentimes overlooked.
As a parent, school board member and business owner who depends upon an educated workforce, I’d like to extend a very heartfelt thanks to the Michigan taxpayers who have helped to fund our state’s fine system of public schools, colleges and universities.
This photo is part of a cool set of Michigan photos.
Editor’s Note: The photo that originally appeared here was deleted by the photographer so I am using one of my own!
Trillium lit by Spring Beauties, photo by farlane
The Wikipedia page on trillium lists the 40-50 species of genus trillium. This photo is Trillium grandiflorum, also known as white trillium, grand trillium and snow trillium. The flower is protected in Michigan and is most often on steep slopes where it is protected from grazing white-tailed deer who dislike grazing on inclines.
The USDA’s Trillium grandiflorum (white trillium) page has excellent information regarding classification and lots of photos and links.
104, photo by Cara Jo Miller.
Cara Jo explains that this is a double exposure of the same negative – done in the dark room.
She is a photography & web design at Northern Michigan University. You can see a lot more of her work on Flickr and at her web site, cara-jo.net.
Hey Argus fans – here’s a post with information about the Argus Museum and an event they are having!
Lighthouse ruins at Cheboygan State Park, MI, taken with Argus C3 by Mark O’Brien
It’s apparently O’Brien week here on Michigan in Pictures. Yesterday we had a photo from Marjorie and then I received an unrelated email from her dad. He was passing along a request from Bob and Mary Kay Berg of Palindrome Productions:
Our production company, Palindrome Productions, is working on a short film about the Argus Camera Company, originally based in Ann Arbor, MI. To supplement our video footage, we are currently looking for still photos taken by Argus cameras models from 1936 to 1960.
If you have family photos (everyday events, family vacations, recitals, holidays) or photos of Ann Arbor, please contact us no later than Friday, April 13, 2007 at palindromevideo@aol.com.
I’ve never been one to look a gift blog post in the mouth, so without further delay – and with copious thanks to Mark for the links – I bring you:
About the Argus Camera Company of Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wikipedia’s very much incomplete entry on the Argus Camera Company says:
Argus is an American maker of cameras and photographic products, founded in 1936 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Argus originated as a subsidiary of the International Radio Corporation (IRC), founded by Charles Verschoor. Its best-known product was the C3 rangefinder camera, which enjoyed a 27-year production run and became one of the top-selling cameras in history. The company’s Model A was the first low-cost 35 mm camera in the United States.
The link above for the Argus C3 (aka “The Brick”) is much more complete and says the simple design and ready availability of the C3 makes it widely used even today. While that entry says the C3 was responsible for establishing 35mm, Stephen Gandy of CameraQuest hands that title to the first camera Argus made – the Argus A, declaring:
In MY always not so objective mind at least, the Argus A is undoubtedly the 2nd most important 35mm camera of all time– second only to the Leica A. If you think about it, that’s a pretty amazing legacy for a simple little Bakelite camera from a Michigan USA radio factory. It really is.
How does Argus deserve this impressive ranking? Easy, they bribed me. Unfortunately, not with money. Argus paid me off in Photographic Heritage. Building on the astounding sellout success of the Argus A, Argus sold MILLIONS of Argi, thereby establishing 35mm as the serious Amateur’s film format of choice in the largest photography market in the world, America.
If you are interested in repairing, collecting or just learning more about any of the Argus camera models and their accessories, look no further than the Argus Collectors Group. You can get a quicker overview of the Argus line over at Mark’s Argus Cameras Page. Mark also took visit to the Argus Museum located at the old Argus Factory in Ann Arbor and (go figure) he took some photos.
There are a TON of very cool Argus camera advertisements (I learned that Galileo was a 17th century Argus and am definitely going to get an Argus A to take to the next World’s Fair), some detail shots of the cameras on his projects page and the results of a Spring Fever Argus photo contest over at Alexander Rawles argoflex.com. Speaking of photos , you can see some shots of the camera and from the cameras in the Argus Rangefinders Group on Flickr.
You might also want to check the local bookstore for a copy of Argomania: A Look At Argus Cameras And The Company That Made Them by Henry Gambino. The promotional copy explains:
Argus’ founder, Charles Verschoor, did not establish an empire, as did George Eastman. Nor did he enjoy a particularly long tenure as the head of the company he founded. Unlike Oscar Barnack, he did not invent anything particularly new, yet he had a tremendous impact on the photographic industry. He revolutionized the scope of the industry, not only from a technical standpoint, but even more so from a marketing perspective.
Additional photo credits:
Argus SS Notches by ReyGuy (part of a great set of detail shots of Argus cameras)
Mason County Courthouse, Ludington, MI, photo by I am Jacques Strappe.
Michpics regulars may remember Marjorie O’Brien from her profile last year.
Given her passion for architecture and wandering the state of Michigan, it should come as little surprise that she has developed the Michigan Architecture Blog where she photographs and discusses everything from the red sandstone of Marquette to the fantastic details of the UM Law Quad.
Be sure to check out the above photo bigger!
Michigan Theater Pinorama, photo by Voxphoto.
If you’re going to be in the Ann Arbor area next Friday (March 23) or any time through April 6, consider taking in the Cheap Shots Photographic Exhibition at Gallery 4, 212 Nickels Arcade in Ann Arbor. It is the first-ever exhibition by the Ann Arbor Area Krappy Kamera Club and is intended to celebrate the messy unpredictability and dreamlike imagery that only a truly rotten camera can provide. In addition to the Friday opening, there will also be talks on toy camera history, “orphaned” cameras (Argus, Brownies, old SLRs) and a free pinhole camera workshop taught by Vox (Ross Orr) and Matt Callow.
Now that we have that bit of business out of the way, how about the pics produced by Ross’s Panoramic Pinhole Camera? Ross has an article on building the pinhole cam used to take these photos in the latest issue of MAKE: Magazine. You can see more shots from his camera at the pin-o-rama tag, and be sure to click the links to make them bigger.
Michigan in Pictures 