snow

One year of Michigan in Pictures, much more to come

Posted on December 31, 2006 by Michigan in Pictures

Venturing for Fish, photo by Rideout Imagery

When we started Michigan in Pictures one year ago, I’m not quite sure what we expected. Looking back, I have to say that of everything we’ve done through Absolute Michigan, it is of this site that I am most proud. We have to give a huge bucket of thanks to the fine folks at WordPress.com, who provide free and fantastic blog service for this and half a million other blogs and also make their amazing blog software available for free at WordPress.org. An equally large container of thanks is due to Flickr, the equally free and equally fantastic photo sharing site. These two companies demonstrate what people who care about what they are building can accomplish.

But beyond either of those are all of you who take and share and appreciate all kinds of photographs of this beautiful land we love called Michigan. We are so grateful to all of you.

This is the time of year when it is customary to make great promises. I’m tempted to make some about how we’ll figure out a way to tie in photos from many more places – professional photographers, other photo services, photography clubs, libraries and museums. Or to say that we will do a lot more photographer profiles like the the ones of Matt Callow and Marjorie O’Brien. Or to announce a massive Michigan photography exhibition. I hope we will do all of these and more but can’t promise anything more than that we will do our very best to honor what you have given us and to show Michigan in all its beauty to all of you.

Happy New Year, hope it’s a good one for everyone.

Michigan Christmas Wishes

Posted on December 25, 2006December 25, 2006 by Michigan in Pictures

Fishtown Christmas, photo by farlane.

I’m wishing for…

snow
blue skies
more snow
the time and wisdom to get out and play in all that snow
music
beauty
laughter
a bit more snow
and, if it’s not too terribly much trouble, peace on earth.

Hope the season, the year, your life or the fat guy in the red suit brings you what you’re wanting, needing and hoping for.

Snow plow in field in Michigan

Posted on December 19, 2006 by Michigan in Pictures

There’s not much snow to be found in Michigan today, but there’s plenty in this photo from the George Grantham Bain Collection at the Library of Congress (LC-B2- 33-4). While many of the items in our national library are identified and dated, all we know about this one is that it’s from Michigan.

In the course of an ultimately fruitless search for information about the steam plow in the above photo, I found a neat page from the Wayne County Road Commission. The history page identifies Wayne County as “the Birthplace of Modern Road Building” and has a picture of what is purported to be the first snowplow.

I think that the plow in the picture may be like the one in this story about northern Michigan plow truck driver Harry Anderson.

Of snow & snowflakes…

Posted on December 14, 2006December 10, 2015 by Michigan in Pictures

Cold by Aricee

This beautiful photo reminded me of one of the first pieces I ever published on the internet, an excerpt from the 1993 book It’s Raining Frogs and Fishes by Michigan author Jerry Dennis & illustrator Glenn Wolff titled Nature Baroque: Snowflakes & Crystals.

For my money, Jerry is one of the very best writers about the beauty and mystery of the natural world (and Glenn is a standout illustrator), and this chapter tells you all kinds of stuff you probably didn’t know about snowflakes, from the process that forms them to giant snowflakes to the snowflake photography of Wilson A. Bentley, the Snowflake Man and how you can photograph snowflakes as well. FYI, Aricee (the photographer of the above shot) explains how she took this right here.

You can possibly find a copy of the book at a used book store or on Amazon.com. If you have a curious child (or curious inner child) buy this book now. If you’d like to check out more wintery items from the Northern Michigan Journal (defunct but still online), please be my guest!

SeedPod II

Posted on December 13, 2006October 5, 2007 by Michigan in Pictures

SeedPod II, photo by DetroitBikeBlog.

From the creator of the excellent Detroit Bike Blog.

Point Betsie Lighthouse in Winter

Posted on December 11, 2006February 16, 2017 by Michigan in Pictures

P2190088B, photo by jsorbieus.

According to Life Along the Manitou Passage’s page on the Pt. Betsie Light (developed in 2001):

The light was constructed in 1858 at a cost of $3,000 and was called the “Point Aux Bec Scies” lighthouse. This point of land is translated from the French as “sawed beak point”. The original 37 foot tower was replaced by a 100 foot structure in 1880 and houses a Fourth Order Fresnel lens. It was not fully automated until 1983, and is the last manned lighthouse on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.

Time has marched on and in June of 2004, ownership of the light was transferred to Benzie County and is operated by the Friends of Point Betsie Lighthouse. They have an excellent timeline and a wealth of other information about the lighthouse, including their plans for restoration and some great historical and modern day photo galleries.

As is usually the case, Terry Pepper has an excellent narrative on Point Betsie’s history. Thanks also to Jim for uploading this large enough to be my computer wallpaper! ;)

a white christmas

Posted on December 9, 2006December 9, 2006 by Michigan in Pictures

a white christmas, photo by radiospike.

Here’s a photo from Commerce Township on Christmas Eve is one of many in the new Michigan Gallery on Flickr. It’s a group where Michigan photographers can feature their best.

Slideshow of recent additions to the Gallery

open road

Posted on December 5, 2006December 5, 2006 by Michigan in Pictures

open road, photo by catzinahat.

One of the many things I like about the photo sharing site Flickr is that every day it finds ways to introduce you to new photos and new photographers. I think that it is the mark of some folks who care very much about what they do and consciously worked to design a web site that would encourage this ever-bubbling newness.

Catalina, who took today’s picture, has a rich collection of photos that (in a Flickrless world) I might never have seen. Like some kind of photo-seeking bee, I flew from this photo to this photo before finally settling here.