river

Presque Isle River gorge

Posted on June 14, 2008June 14, 2008 by farlane

Presque Isle River gorge-1, photo by aragirn

This photo is part of his Porcupine Mountains State Park collection which includes photos of Manabezho Falls, Manido Falls, Nawadaha Falls, Overlooked Falls and Union River Gorge. You can order some of his photos (including this one) in the waterfall gallery on his web site.

The Michigan DNR says that at the Presque Isle River Scenic Site, the river traverses a series of low falls and cascades before dividing into two swifter and narrower channels that cut deeply into the underlying bedrock. Trails.com’s Presque Isle River entry says:

The Presque Isle is perhaps Michigan’s best-known whitewater river. Its river corridor is a beautiful one, carved out of some of the state’s wildest and most remote terrain. But it is the water itself that draws whitewater kayakers and canoeists from around the Midwest. As it rushes northward from its origins in rugged Michigan and Wisconsin forestlands to gush out into Lake Superior, the river packs extended runs of challenging whitewater together with thundering waterfalls to create an unforgettable paddling experience.

Reeds, Crooked Lake from the Waters of Michigan

Posted on June 12, 2008February 23, 2009 by Michigan in Pictures

Reeds, Crooked Lake, photo by David Lubbers

Michigan environmental writer Dave Dempsey has long been someone I admire. His biography of Michigan Governor William G. Milliken is a book that everyone who loves Michigan should read. For years I’ve had a gorgeous black & white photo of the Manitou Passage by David Lubbers hanging in my office.

I was therefore pretty darn excited when Dave told me about his new book, The Waters of Michigan.

It’s a rich and thoughtful journey through Michigan’s rivers, lakes and other manifestations of water with words and photos, and today I am honored to have some more photos from the book and an excerpt titled Water and Michigan’s Destiny on Absolute Michigan.

I hope you get a chance to read it.

Exposure Detroit in Ann Arbor – June – July 2008

Posted on June 2, 2008June 2, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

Fly by, photo by blind lemon larry.

The Exposure.Detroit in Ann Arbor show opens this Friday (June 6) from 7-9 PM at Sweetwaters Cafe in Ann Arbor and continues through July and the Ann Arbor Art Fair. The theme of the show is “Michigan means ______ to me” and you can see the photos submitted right here.

Selected photographers for the show are: vonhaupt, rhonda marie, mike glinski, joejoesmoe , orlowski photography, kevin ridge , buckshotjones, tedguy49, paulhitz, radiospike, bobby alcott, maya fardoun, caterpillars, A2 Kathy , ledio/shqipo, ryan southen, bashas04, david sr. – lapeer photography, 1manwithacamera , keith burgess photography, kathy4, blind lemon larry , urban picasso , living in red, Rich S , Katthor , amy palomar, senecacreek/, ralph ckrawczyk jr/, alanna st laurent.

This photo is part of Larry’s Michigan set (slideshow).

50th anniversary of the launch of the S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald

Posted on May 28, 2008November 18, 2015 by farlane

Hull 301 Launch 3, photo courtesy The Open Lake Group, LLC

I was initially going to use another photo of the Edmund Fitzgerald for this post, but when I asked about that one, Wade showed me this one from the launch of “Hull 301”. How cool is it that I would happen to contact someone who had an unpublished photo of the launch? You can see a couple more photos from the launch (including one that shows the huge crowd) in his Edmund Fitzgerald set.

Saturday June 7th marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of what’s probably the most well known Great Lakes ship. Over on Absolute Michigan, SSEdmundFitzgerald.com posted “Celebrating the launch of the S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald”. Reading it made me realize that our remembrance of what was once the largest ship ever to ply the Great Lakes ignores almost two decades of service and countless hours of hard work and craftsmanship.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon on June 7th, 1958, as more than 10,000 people lined the banks of the Detroit River. They had come to witness the launching of Hull 301 at the Great Lakes Engineering Works of River Rouge, Michigan. Mrs. Edmund Fitzgerald, wife of the president of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company for which the ship was named, christened the brand new ship and at 12:34 p.m. the 729 ft. “Edmund Fitzgerald” slid gracefully into the basin amid cheers, salutes, and well wishers.

For many of those in attendance, it was a spectacle that they would never forget.

The shipyard workers who constructed “Big Fitz” felt a deep sense of satisfaction as they anxiously watched the launch of this marvelous vessel. Being a prideful lot, they often endured long hours and harsh conditions. This was their “crowning achievement” and the beauty of their craftsmanship was truly evident to all those present.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of that memorable event. It is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate a joyous time in our lives. It is also a chance to recall the great pride and cherished memories experienced by the ship workers, the community, and all who had the opportunity to witness the launching of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

On this historic occasion, let us joyously share our personal stories, renew old friendships, and fondly remember the day when the “Queen Of The Lakes” was born.
June 7, 2008 Detroit MI

Great Lakes Ship Builders (Detroit Area) host the 50th Anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald Launch and Down River Celebration from 11 AM – 4 PM on Saturday, June 7 2008. The celebration will include a chance to meet the designers and others who worked on the Fitz, workshops on shipbuilders, and ships built in the downriver during the last 200 years. There will also be a Salute to Excellence Award, launch commemoration, and lots of art and artists. For more information, call Roscoe at 810 955-4305 (and poke around SSEdmundFitzgerald.com).

As often, there’s a Wikipedia entry for the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and you can see a gallery of photos from the building of the Fitz and this Zapruder-class video of the launch of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Exposure.Detroit opening: all the cool duckies will be there

Posted on May 12, 2008November 25, 2016 by farlane

Rubber-Duckies, photo by nichpr

This photo is part of Paul’s Artful set (slideshow). It’s also part of my developing collection of Michigan duck-related phoptography, but the less said about that, the better!

The Exposure.Detroit May Exhibit Opening Party takes place this Friday (May 16) from 7pm – 10pm at the Bean & Leaf Cafe in Royal Oak. The show features five photographers: Paul, Eric, Amy, Nicole and Ross and you can learn more about Exposure.Detroit and the upcoming exhibit from the Exposure.Detroit group on Flickr.

The Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power Plant

Posted on May 6, 2008January 20, 2011 by Michigan in Pictures

Nuclear Wetlands, photo by mandj98.

James writes that the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power plant is located on Lake Erie about six miles from Point Mouillee.

The Department of Energy’s page on the Enrico Fermi plant says that it was named for the first physicist to split the atom. The prototype Fermi 1 unit operated at the site from 1963 to 1972 and is now mothballed. The current 1,111 MW Fermi 2 unit is operated by Detroit Edison Company. It’s a boiling water reactor that ranks as Michigan’s 9th largest nuclear reactor.

Wikipedia’s entry for Fermi notes that plant suffered a partial meltdown on October 5, 1966, an event that inspired the Gil Scott-Heron song We Almost Lost Detroit. There was no reported release of radiation or injury.

Here’s an aerial view of Fermi Nuclear Power plant and you can also check out this satellite view of the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power plant on the Absolute Michigan map of Michigan.

to water

Posted on April 19, 2008September 7, 2012 by Michigan in Pictures

Untitled, photo by Brooke Pennington.

I know that I’m supposed to feature different photographers, and that it hasn’t been that long since the last time Brooke made an appearance.

I plead helplessness in the face of photographic awesomeness … and ducks.

Have a lovely weekend folks.

Zero Image Pinhole Camera: Bridge over Escanaba river

Posted on April 2, 2008April 2, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

img090, photo by Sean Depuydt.

Zero Image cameras are handmade pinhole cameras that range from 35mm format to 4×5 format. The cameras are manufactured in Hong Kong by the Zero Image Company who say:

All our cameras are made of selected high-quality teak wood. More than 15 layers of coating are applied by hand to each camera, to insure maximum protection of the wood. The metal parts are hand-turned solid brass with a coating applied to prevent them from oxidizing. The mechanism and the structure of the camera make it work like an ordinary camera, but it is capable of taking extraordinary pictures!

…All the pinholes and zone plates are installed by our camera designer Mr. Zernike Au. Every camera is checked and tested by him to ensure the highest quality.

I’m pretty sure than in addition to the 4×5 model used for this photo, Sean has the Zero Image 2000.

There’s a Zero Image group on Flickr that has a few pics from Michigan.

There just might be time to get one of these by Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day on April 27th.