Invincible Summer

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

The trail to Summer

The trail to Summer, photo by the pentax hammer.

In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
~ Albert Camus

A note with these words was the first thing I read this morning. For a few days I’ve been watching a dark wave building, in Michigan and across the country as we realize that our problems are a whole lot more serious than most of us thought.

In times like this, it’s a good thing to have a bit of summer in your heart – is it in you?

This photo can (and should) be seen larger on black or in Gary’s Anywhere but here – The rest of Michigan set (slideshow).

Also be sure to check out the Summer slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool!

Above Michigan … and the Au Sable River

Posted on by farlane

Au Sable River by Marge Beaver

Au Sable River, photo by Marge Beaver

Today’s photo comes from my coffee table … or more precisely a book that’s on my coffee table. The book is Above the North and it features the photography of Michigan aerial photographer Marge Beaver. abovethenorth1From the inside cover:

“These stunning bird’s-eye views offer rare and beautiful glimpses of northern Michigan’s unique terrain from the lofty perch of photographer Marge Beaver’s camera lens. Beaver’s breathtaking four-season photographs transform our view of Michigan into a magical land. From the Sleeping Bear Dune in winter with its vertiginous sandy edifice, to a Coast Guard cutter shattering the icy Straits, to the ghostly silhouette of a sunken ship and the brilliant turquoise waters of Crystal, Torch, Elk, Charlevoix, and Glen lakes, these are images of Michigan as you’ve never seen her before. All of these, plus arresting photographs of orchards in snowy-white bloom, winding rivers, and city harbors make this book a collector’s item for anyone who loves Michigan.”

Marge’s web site has great aerial shots from Alpena to White Lake and points in between. Check out her aerials of marinas & harbors, lighthouses, Detroit and many more locations in and out of Michigan. You can check out a cool interview with Marge right here.

Boating the Straits of Mackinac with the Stempkis

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Mackinac Bridge

Mackinac Bridge, photo by Ross Nave.

#737 on the list of Fun Things You Could Do in Michigan This Weekend is Boating with the Stempkis!

Be sure to check this photo out bigger and here’s Ross’s Michigan slideshow.

Hope your weekend is great!!

Ignited

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Ignited

Ignited, photo by Jesse Speelman.

Be sure to check out this photo larger and in Jesse’s Portfolio set (slideshow).

Hope your weekend is at least this much fun.

Fourteen Foot Shoals Cabin

Posted on by farlane

14 foot shoal cabin

Fourteen Foot Shoals Cabin, photo by DIsnowshoe

DIsnowshoe has some beautiful photos of this cabin at Cheboygan State Park (slideshow).

The web site for Cheboygan State Park has more about the cabins and also their rustic teepees.

Underscore to Vanish

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Underscore to Vanish

Underscore to Vanish, photo by ramjetgr.

I don’t know what the title means, but I do know that the sun and the green is a welcome sight! Roger says that this west M11 aka 28th street over the Grand River.

Check it out wallpapery big and also in his Redux slideshow.

Your Diet Is About To Meet Its Nemesis (or why it’s called Fat Tuesday in Detroit)

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Your Diet Is About To Meet It's Nemesis ( or why it's called Fat Tuesday in Detroit )

Your Diet Is About To Meet It’s Nemesis ( or why it’s called Fat Tuesday in Detroit ), photo by Derek Farr ( DetroitDerek ).

Derek was kind enough to basically write Michigan in Pictures for me today. I will use the extra time to eat Paczkis. He writes:

Meet the Paczki, a 400 calorie deep-fried Polish Treat enjoyed in Detroit every year around this time. Much larger than a bismarck or jelly donut (about 2 times the filling), they are filled with fruit or custard and lines for this treat, traditionally sold/eaten on Fat Tuesday, can start 24 hours in advance in Polish suburbs of Detroit such as Hamtramck. Hamtramck is the only city that has a Paczki Day Parade every year, although the day is also celebrated in Chicago, Milwaukee, and South Bend. New Orleans celebrates it on a Thursday.

The good news is I got mine ( some places run out quick ) and they’re Raspberry and they’re delicious. The bad news? I thought TODAY was Fat Tuesday, so now I have to eat 6 of these AND eat some more next week when it’s actually Fat Tuesday. Argh.

Dive into the history of the paczki from the Hamtramck web site and get 1000% of the USRDA of Paczki over at Absolute Michigan … and happy Fat Tuesday to you all!

I love Michigan in Pictures

Posted on by farlane

Holga_04_15.jpg, photo by Andy Tanguay

I think that Michigan in Pictures is the best web site that I have ever been involved with. Then again, my response to “You’ve won a trip to Milan!” would probably be “Milan, Michigan?”

One of the happiest parts of my life is that I get to spend some time every day looking at photos about Michigan from some amazing photographers and then learning about the subjects of the photographs and often times the people behind the lens. I’m very grateful for all that the photographers and readers contribute to make Michigan in Pictures what it is. Thanks!

The random background of the day on my computer is this photo from Andy’s Hardcore 313 set. This picture is of an abandoned train station station in Ypsilanti. It might be the same Ypsilanti train station where Presidents Ulysses S. Grant & Martin Van Buren delivered speeches and where Charles J. Guiteau, the assassin of President Garfield, was thrown off the train when the conductor found out he didn’t have a ticket.

Then again, it might be just an abandoned train station. You can view it bigger on white, or in Andy’s photostream.

Edit: Almost forgot! I did this post about Michigan in Pictures so I could link to it from the new Absolute Michigan group on Facebook.

The Future turns 100

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

The Guardian Building

The Guardian Building, photo by Ralph Krawczyk Jr.

The Futurist Manifesto by Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti was published on February 20, 1909 in Le Figaro. Futurism rejected the past and celebrated speed, machinery and industry … and also war, violence, pollution, misogyny, the triumph of technology over nature and likely influenced fascism.

Futurism influenced many other twentieth century art movements, including Art Deco, Vorticism, Constructivism, Surrealism and Dada. Futurism as a coherent and organized artistic movement is now regarded as extinct, having died out in 1944 with the death of its leader Marinetti, and Futurism was, like science fiction, in part overtaken by ‘the future’.

Ralph says that this is a 1 minute + exposure with cable release Holga modification. Best viewed large. You can do that in his Holga Goodness slideshow. You can learn more about The Guardian Building in Detroit from Michigan in Pictures.

Sometimes Michigan’s great

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

see sometimes michigans great

see sometimes michigans great, photo by iwywhjtm.

As we prepare for another bout of winter, I thought it might be nice to have a little reminder that any state where you get to wear t-shirts and shorts in the middle of winter and still HAVE winter is pretty darn cool.

(note – don’t try this today!)