Snappd by Sean Photography is one of my favorite follows on Facebook because in addition to great shots like this, he also maintains a lively back and forth with his fans. If you have become as exhausted as I am by the stream of AI fakes & stolen photographs that has taken over social media, let me suggest that you follow him and some of the other real live photographers on my Michigan Photographers page. In addition to taking views (and money) away from pixel grifters, you will be supporting the fine men & women who are out there taking the actual photographs that are being ripped off!
Sean is a Detroit-based photographer, birdwatcher & UAV drone pilot. He took this last month from Belle Isle in the Detroit River. You can see what he’s up to today on Facebook and follow him on Instagram as well!
Some Detroiters point to a little known June 1960 private meeting that pushed Kennedy over the top with the growing African American demographic in Michigan and throughout the Midwest.
A group of Detroit Black Democratic leaders that included UAW official Horace Sheffield Jr., business owner Forrest Green, longtime Democratic stalwart Joseph Coles and Detroit Common Council member William Patrick Jr. met with Kennedy at his home. The event was set up by Williams, Michigan’s popular governor.
Kennedy flew to the party on a private plane, according to Saul Green, Forrest’s son and future U.S. attorney for Michigan’s Eastern District. “[Kennedy] had an opportunity to gather these respected Black thought leaders to help make his case [for the presidency],” recalled Green, who was a 12-year-old Tappan Junior High student at the time.
There, they urged the Massachusetts U.S senator to adopt a stronger civil rights platform.The Rev. Horace Sheffield III said his father made the case “What are you going to do for Black folks?” said Sheffield III about the question that his father likely had for Kennedy.
Apparently, the fact that Canada has paid for 100% of the construction project isn’t fair enough. IMO, it is deeply embarrassing to become a nation whose word can’t be trusted. Your mileage may vary, but please remember that’s not my or anyone elses problem.
Scattered1 took this photo back in December when the clouds were so low that they couldn’t see the top of the bridge’s 722-foot towers. See more in their massive Michigan gallery on Flickr.
Here’s a shot of a cross border handshake from 2024 to help us remember that the United States has no ally as true and vital as Canada. ♥️ 🇨🇦 🤍
A lot of the photographers I feature on Michigan in Pictures as well as many readers are from the Detroit area. If you are and are interested in growing your skills and/or your network of photographers, I encourage you to check out the “Click & Create: Detroit Photography Meetup” this Saturday, Jan 24th 10:00 AM at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
They write: “Join us for a photography meet-up designed to spark creativity across all ages and skill levels. We’ll explore the space together, work from shared shot lists, compare styles, and trade inspiration as we capture fresh perspectives in the heart of the city …. Meet inside the Woodward Entrance. Bring your camera or phone. No flash photography. No tripods or extra equipment. Just your eye, your curiosity, and your creative energy.”
Coretta Billy shared the event with me. She specializes in portraits & events, and is of the photographers who will be in attendance. You can follow her on Facebook and view & purchase her work at corettabillyiecphotography.com.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge shares an interesting article & video on their ongoing Aesthetic Lighting Testing than 6,000 programmable, energy-efficient white LED fixtures have been installed across the bridge towers, stay cables, back span, piers, approach span and bridge deck. Each fixture is designed to last more than 100,000 hours with linear lights having the longest lifespan lasting up to 280,000 hours (10 to 30 years!).
The annual Detroit Auto Show kicks off today at Huntington Place in Downtown Detroit. This annual celebration of automotive design & car culture runs January 14-25, 2026 & features new models, test tracks, and all kinds of auto related fun.
Montez Miller of Tell Us Detroit was there for an early look with Autot Show officials and new Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield. You can follow Tell Us Detroit’s coverage on Facebook, click to check out her video with some photo highlights of the preview, also also see highlights in the Detroit Auto Show’s hype video featuring GMac Cash. It’s really a great experience for car lovers!
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…
The latest Michigan photo calendar we’re featuring is the 2026 Detroit Calendar from Chris Ahern Photography. The calendar features brand-new images of Hudson’s Tower, Michigan Central Station, Ambassador Bridge, Gordie Howe Bridge, Campus Martius, the Detroit Riverwalk, Belle Isle, the downtown skyline, and more with many never before released!
“This Arctic air outbreak can be attributed to a displacement of the polar vortex,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. “The outbreak this week will be the first of probably three such rounds with it. Another cold blast is likely next week and a third the week after that,” Pastelok explained. “The waves of Arctic air will lead to significant surges in energy demands.”
I originally shared this photo way back on April 1, 2010 along with a pretty funny spoof, and I am very happy to bring it back along with several more that Jill shared from The Heidelberg Project in Detroit, a truly astonishing work of activist art. See many more in her excellent Detroit gallery on Flickr & stay warm people!!
“The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” -Rosa Parks
70 years ago today on December 1, 1955, African-American seamstress Rosa Parks was arrested for failing to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus to a white man. This broke existing segregation laws, and many believe her courageous act sparked the Civil Rights movement. The Henry Ford has a detailed page on the Rosa Parks bus that the museum was able to purchase the bus at auction for $492,000:
After sitting unprotected in a field for 30 years, it is not surprising that The Rosa Parks bus needed a substantial amount of work. Its seats and engine had been removed, many windows were broken, metal had rusted through and the lime, white and gold paint job was a mere shadow of its former self. Our experienced conservation staff carefully examined the vehicle and consulted with various experts.
Three interested companies bid on the extensive restoration work, and finally, MSX International, an automotive engineering and technical services firm headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, was selected to perform the work at a cost of over $300,000. Museum and MSX employees researched every detail of the bus so that the restoration would be truly authentic. Original material was reused wherever possible and original parts from identical 1948 GM buses were used when necessary. Our goal was to restore the bus to its condition in 1955—a seven-year-old urban transit coach.
I couldn’t think of a more fitting image for this than the Rosa Parks bus, just one of many amazing relics of American history that are displayed at the Henry Ford (see their exhibits). See more in Rafael’s great Detroit gallery.
Here’s Rosa Parks relating the story of that day to the BBC.
Michigan in Pictures 