Happy 324th Birthday to Detroit!

Posted on by farlane
Friday Night on Woodward by Retta Billy

Woodward on a Friday Night by Retta Billy

The city of Detroit was founded on Sunday July 24, 1701 by Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac. Throughout the history of the city, Detroit’s industry has been a driving engine of Michigan and the nation, reaching its zenith with the auto industry. To my mind, there’s few things that capture the indomitable spirit of the city like Woodward Avenue. I particularly love that this photo features the new Hudson’s building as a backdrop with one of the auto industry’s more out of the box experiments and a partly people powered pedal pub from Handlebar Detroit.

Enjoy this selection of nighttime scenes of the city from Michigan photographer Coretta Billy that capture that spirit. For sure follow her on Facebook and view her portrait & event photography on her website.

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Farlane Friday: Not Your Grandma’s Hudson’s

Posted on by farlane
Not your grandma's Hudson's

Not your grandma’s Hudson’s by Andrew McFarlane

On December 31st, I will begin my 20th year of doing Michigan-focused photo blog Michigan in Pictures!! I’m going to try some new things this year to keep things fresh & fun for Michigan in Pictures regulars including yours truly like featuring more of my photos from the present day & my surprisingly extensive archives. As with today’s entry, a lot of them will be from Detroit where I live.

My first “Farlane Friday” is the brand new building at the new Hudson’s building in downtown Detroit which I am honestly a big fan of. I wasn’t alone, because this photo blew up when I shared it in the Detroit Photography group on Facebook. Hudson’s was Detroit’s signature department store and the place where I – like many Detroiters – unquestionably got my first picture taken with Santa. I also spent more than one Saturday reading dinosaur books at the lunch counter while my Grandma shopped with her friends. You can head over to Hudson’s Detroit for lots more about this new addition to Detroit’s skyline & for sure check out this post about the history of Hudson’s on Michigan in Pictures.

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Phone vs Camera: Northern Lights edition

Posted on by farlane
Northern Lights: Phone Edition by Monika Kross
Northern Lights: Phone Edition by Monika Kross

Northern Lights Phone vs Camera by Monika Kross

Given the veritable explosion of aurora borealis & nighttime photos due to the fact phone cameras are finally allowing people to take low light pictures, I think it’s important for folks to understand that even though you can’t get results like you see from some of the best northern lights photographers, these photographers aren’t faking or cheating. They are simply working with much more photo data & understanding of how to apply it than most people.

Monika shares “The difference between a phone shot and a camera shot, each taken several minutes apart. I took quite a few phone shots that night, esp as I worked my way up the coast of the Keweenaw in 28mph winds. In each phone shot, I see noise, blown pixels, and black feathering. Shooting on a camera in raw, we have to edit to put the contrast, color, and texture back into it. It looks very milky before editing and it takes a lot of work.

Click above for Monika’s Facebook or follow her on instagram at MichiganUnsaltedGirl!

PS: The phone camera is on the left!

PPS: More posts about camera operation & cameras on Michigan in Pictures!

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How to see Comet A3

Posted on by farlane

Neowise and meteor by Gary Syrba

There were hopes that Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan–ATLAS aka Comet A3 would be the comet of the century. While it is not quite that, it does appear that it will be visible for the next couple of weeks just after sunset, even to the naked eye! The good folks at EarthSky offer a helpful checklist to spot Comet A3:

  1. Be sure you’re looking at the correct direction and time. Comet A3 will be visible low in the west after sunset beginning around October 14.
  2. You need a dark, unobstructed sky. Start looking when the sky is dark, but close to sunrise or sunset. Make sure there aren’t hills, trees or buildings blocking your view.
  3. If you can’t see the comet with your eye, try your phone. Most cell phone cameras provide a night or low-light mode. But capturing an image of the comet will require that you hold the camera firmly – or lean against a fixed object like a tree – to avoid shaky or blurred image.
  4. AFTER you’ve located the comet, use binoculars or your eyes to sweep in that area in the sky.

Gary took this shot of Comet Neowise back in July of 2020. See more in his Night Skies gallery on Flickr and view & purchase his work on his website.

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Honolulu Blue Monday

Posted on by farlane

Dodge Fountain in Honolulu Blue by Andrew McFarlane

The Detroit Lions kicked off their highly anticipated 2024 season with a 26-20 overtime victory over former QB Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams! In honor of this, I decided to share one of my own photos, a picture of the Dodge Fountain on Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit lit up in Honolulu Blue.

I knew that the Dodge Fountain had been designed by artist Isamu Noguchi, but I just learned that he designed Philip A. Hart Plaza as well:

Noguchi’s most ambitious effort at the time, the Philip A. Hart Plaza project, began with a commission for a fountain and spanned almost a decade as the artist expanded his scope to create the surrounding plaza along with facilities below surface level. Envisioned as a place for the community to gather, the plaza layout emphasized flexibility to accommodate large groups. Dotting the eight-acre site are various stepped areas for both seating and play; an outdoor amphitheater built into a hollow below-surface grade; and a 120-foot-tall stainless steel, torqued pylon marking one entrance. Its central feature is the Horace E. Dodge Fountain, a horizontal ring of stainless steel suspended by legs above a massive granite pool and animated by the results of Noguchi’s ongoing experiments with programmed spray patterns (as well complex lighting schemes for nighttime).

I don’t have a photography website, but if you enjoy Michigan in Pictures you can support me with a few bucks on Patreon!!

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Night Moves: Mackinac Bridge Edition

Posted on by farlane

Mackinac Bridge Night Reflections by Michigan Nut Photography

If you’ve been following Michigan in Pictures for any length of time, you are almost certainly familiar with the work of Michigan Nut aka John McCormick. He just announced that his 2025 Michigan Calendars are available so what are you waiting for??

Get your Christmas gifts early on his website!

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Firefly Boom

Posted on by farlane

Fireflies in a Jar by Jamelah E

Bridge Michigan shares that Michigan is seeing more fireflies than usual this year, thanks to an early spring followed by drought-like conditions:

Michigan families should enjoy them while they can, says Ben Pfeiffer, founder of the nonprofit organization Firefly Conservation & Research, who projects a continued decline in the bugs. The numbers seen in Michigan skies this summer, Pfeiffer warns, are “likely the best that it’s ever going to be.”

This summer’s lightning bug explosion is a result of drought-like weather preceded by warmer Spring conditions. This matured larvae into adult fireflies earlier. It’s during the adult stage, which lasts about two months, that fireflies show off their distinctive bioluminescence.

The long-term decrease in the firefly population is caused by an increase in light pollution and pesticide use. Fireflies mate through glow patterns and require a dark environment. Bright white LED light interrupts the fireflies’ ability to see each other. Pesticides used outside, especially in soil, to kill insects like spiders or beetles can harm fireflies as well.

Read more in Bridge.

Jamelah shared this photo waaaaay back in 2005 & I thought it a great one to bring back. She wrote “I think deep down I’m still 5, because last night I had an incredible amount of fun catching fireflies,” and honestly SAME every time I do it!! See more in her Summer gallery on Flickr & read/see her work at Jamelah.net.

PS: Michigan in Pictures has some cool features on bioluminescent animals & plants including flying squirrels!!

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Solar Storm could bring northern lights to all of Michigan tonight!

Posted on by farlane

Aurora Borealis over Lake Superior by Lake Superior Photo

Shawn Malone shared this photo yesterday saying: Incredible. There are now 4 CME’s earthward directed headed our way in the next few days. Levels of up to G4 storming are now forecast for auroras (see below for chart). Two of the CME’s merging late the 10th into the 11th are responsible for the G4 forecast for that time. I can’t ever remember this many earthward CME’s in such a short period of time from one region (3664 in this case).

…This is pretty amazing. Region 3664 is HUGE. Looks like that region alone has released 5 CMEs now, the last one tbd if it is earthward, but the rest appear to be with G4 storming in the forecast for Fri into Sat and very possibly beyond. This is the weekend to make a trip if you can, however we have cloud cover tomorrow night (aka tonight), MN looks better in that respect

FYI a G4 level solar storm can make it possible to see the aurora as far south as Detroit!!! She took this near Marquette. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram and FOR SURE view & purchase her work at LakeSuperiorPhoto.com where she has a massive northern lights gallery!

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Embrace Michigan’s Dark Skies!

Posted on by farlane

Dark Skies at Rockport Recreation Area by SG Captures

Dark Skies at Rockport Recreation Area by SG Captures

Michigan State Parks, Trails and Waterways shared this photo from the Rockport State Recreation Area, asking: What are you doing to do to celebrate #InternationalDarkSkyWeek?

Michigan is lucky to have designated areas that host spectacular nighttime viewing. Dark sky parks and preserves have a limited amount of artificial light, making it easier to stargaze in those locations. Dark sky preserves are designated by Michigan legislature and dark sky parks are designated by the International Dark Sky Association. The six state parks that have dark sky preserves are:

In addition to these dark sky preserves, there are two dark sky parks in Michigan:

And if that’s not enough, there is also plenty of excellent night-sky viewing opportunities across more than 15,000 square miles in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. For more details, visit Michigan.gov/DarkSky.

Sarah is a Michigan State Parks Photo Ambassador, and you should definitely check out her website where you can view & purchase her work as well as her Facebook & sg.captures on Instagram!

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Glow in the Dark Michigan: the Railroad Worm

Posted on by farlane

Railroad Worm by Jeff Baurs

Railroad Worm by Jeff Baurs

You may remember Jeff from the bioluminescent oyster mushrooms I shared last October. In any case, he’s back with another glowing critter he photographed last week, a railroad worm! The University of Florida Entomology & Nematology Department shares some information about these glow worms:

The family Phengodidae are uncommonly encountered beetles that have bioluminescent females that appear to be larvaiform (or larger versions of the immature stage.) These adult females are able to produce light from paired photic organs located on each body segment (one glowing spot on each side) and sometimes also from luminous bands that extend across the dorsal surface of the body between each body segment. Because these glowing spots along the females body resemble the windows of train cars internally illuminated in the night, they are often referred to as “railroad-worms.”

…Even though females appear to hide in their burrows during the day, they can often be detected on the surface of the ground by their glowing, immediately following a summer rain. Even though the females are bioluminescent, the females light emission does not appear to be the cue that the males use to locate their mates.

Be sure to follow Jeff on Facebook or Instagram for more including this shot of a railroad worm AND glowing oyster mushrooms!

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