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One Thousand Michigan Sunrises

Posted on September 27, 2021 by farlane

“Every single day, sunrise provides a tiny opportunity to celebrate life, and it’s available to everyone of us. Today will be a good day to celebrate life.””
-Bugsy Sailor

Bugsy shares that on January 1, 2019, he made the ambitious resolution, to watch and photograph every sunrise of the year:

I sought the sun, but what I found was so much more. So much in fact, that I have yet to miss a sunrise.

What started as Year of the Sunrise has grown into life of the sunrise. To date I have photographed 1001 consecutive sunrises, primarily from the Lake Superior shoreline in Marquette County, Michigan.

Along the way, sunrise has slowed my approach to life, opened my heart, introduced me to love, navigated me through a global pandemic, and given me witness to more beauty than I can express. There have been -30º windhills, downpours, thunderstorms, blizzards, and no matter how gray the day, the sun still rises.

Photographs have been the tangible output of this journey, but it has never been about the photos, it has always been about the wind on my face, the sand between my toes, and feeling the sunrise. I stand by the notion that, no photograph of a sunrise is better than a sunrise in person.

You can purchase a commemorative print & learn much more at Year of the Sunrise.

PS: Bugsy is one of the founders of the awesome Fresh Coast Film Festival which takes place October 14-17, 2021 in Marquette and celebrates the outdoor lifestyle and resilient spirit of the Great Lakes Region!!

The Weather & Fall Color

Posted on September 24, 2021 by farlane

Mirror Lake in Autumn by Julie Chapa

In their excellent article on The Science of Fall Color, the US Forest Service explains the role of the weather in the annual seasonal show:

The amount and brilliance of the colors that develop in any particular autumn season are related to weather conditions that occur before and during the time the chlorophyll in the leaves is dwindling. Temperature and moisture are the main influences.

A succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp but not freezing nights seems to bring about the most spectacular color displays. During these days, lots of sugars are produced in the leaf but the cool nights and the gradual closing of veins going into the leaf prevent these sugars from moving out. These conditions – lots of sugar and light – spur production of the brilliant anthocyanin pigments, which tint reds, purples, and crimson. Because carotenoids are always present in leaves, the yellow and gold colors remain fairly constant from year to year.

The amount of moisture in the soil also affects autumn colors. Like the weather, soil moisture varies greatly from year to year. The countless combinations of these two highly variable factors assure that no two autumns can be exactly alike. A late spring, or a severe summer drought, can delay the onset of fall color by a few weeks. A warm period during fall will also lower the intensity of autumn colors. A warm wet spring, favorable summer weather, and warm sunny fall days with cool nights should produce the most brilliant autumn colors.

Julie took this photo at a small lake near Fife Lake back in 2014. See more in her Michigan gallery & follow Julie Chapa Photography on Facebook.

TONS more fall color on Michigan in Pictures!

Good to the last drop

Posted on September 23, 2021 by farlane

Good to the Last Drop by Rudy Malmquist

Rudy got a stunning shot of the view from the Pierce Stocking Overlook in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Head over to his Flickr for more!

Waterfall Wednesday: September 22nd at Overlooked Falls

Posted on September 22, 2021September 22, 2021 by farlane

Overlooked Falls by Jim Sorbie

GoWaterfalling’s page on Minor Waterfalls has this to say about this pretty little waterfall in Porcupine Mountains State Park:

Overlooked Falls is a small falls on the Little Carp River. The scenic falls consists of two drops, each about 5′ in height. This is the most easily accessed of the falls on the Little Carp River, big or small. It is only a few hundred feet from the parking area. The trailhead to the falls is at the end of Little Carp River road. This is also the trailhead to Greenstone Falls, which is about 1/2 mile away. The trail also leads to the much larger Trappers Falls, which is three miles away.

I found this great shot by Jim this morning in the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr which just happens to be from September 22nd way back in 2014! See more in Jim’s Color Tour 2014 (UP & Ontario) gallery.

Many (many) more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!

Reaching for Summer’s Light

Posted on September 21, 2021 by farlane

Reaching for the light by Mike Carey

In just over a day – 3:20 PM tomorrow at the vernal equinox to be precise – Summer 2021 will be in the books. Here’s hoping you get a little of that summer light before it’s all gone!

See more in Mike’s Lake Michigan 2021 gallery on Flickr.

Happy Birthday, St Helena

Posted on September 20, 2021 by farlane

St Helena Light by Joel Dinda

On September 20th way back in 1873, the beacon of the the St. Helena Island Lighthouse was lit for the first time. CMU’s Clarke Historical Library explains:

Because several ships had been wrecked on the dangerous shoals near the island of St. Helena in 1872, Congress authorized construction of a lighthouse at the southeast tip of the island. Since September 20, 1873, the beacon of the St. Helena Lighthouse has helped guide vessels safely through the Straits of Mackinac.

The light was first automated in 1922 and the modern lighthouse uses solar batteries to power the light.

In 1988, the lighthouse was added to the national Register of Historic Places. Recently restored to excellent condition by the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association, the St. Helena Island Lighthouse continues to light up the Straights and provide a glimpse of the golden age of the Great Lakes’ lights.

Definitely check the Clarke Historical Library out – some great Michigan history there for sure!

Joel took this photo back in 2014 on a Lighthouse Cruise with Shepler Ferry / Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association. See more shots in his Lighthouse Cruise 6/16/2014 gallery.

More lighthouses on Michigan in Pictures!

Boating Back in the Day

Posted on September 17, 2021 by farlane

from a 4×5 glass negative by Bill Dolak

Bill shares:

The VanBuren County Historical Museum (a great afternoon visit, btw) is sitting on dozens, if not hundreds, of 4×5 glass negatives. Some of them were on display on a light table. I snapped a few with my iPhone and did a quick conversion of one using Snapseed (an iPhone image editor), which was perhaps the first time a “print” had been made from the negative in possibly a hundred years (these types of negatives were popular between the 1880s and the 1920s). Here are a few I “processed” in Lightroom. Sadly, I am sure that these images cannot reproduce the detail that is likely stored on those plates.

You can see more of his scans in the Michigan in Pictures group on Facebook & in his massive Michigan: Van Buren County gallery on Flickr!

M marks the spot

Posted on September 15, 2021 by farlane

Tri-Point ‘M’ Marker by Jordan McAlister

From the “Things I Didn’t Know Exist Until Right Now” Files comes this photo of the Tri-Point ‘M’ Marker at the spot where Steuben County, Indiana; Hillsdale County, Michigan; and Williams County, Ohio meet Jordan writes:

As seen from the southernmost point of Michigan and the northwest corner of Ohio where they meet the eastern border of Indiana The tri-point for these three midwestern states is clearly marked, and is accessible on N 1000 E Road, a less than one mile stretch of dirt road going south of Toledo Street/West Territorial Road. The Wolverine State seems to have been responsible for marking its letter in the middle of the unpaved roadway.

See more in Jordan’s Hillsdale County, Michigan gallery.

Stormy September

Posted on September 14, 2021 by farlane

September Storm by Watermark Photography

Jeff got an incredible shot of a roll cloud from a recent severe storm in Traverse City. Follow Watermark Photography on Facebook & view and purchase canvas and other prints on his website!