When Pigs Fly by The Kite Festival at Grand Haven
The annual Kite Festival at Grand Haven takes place THIS Saturday (May 16th, 2026) from 10am – 5pm and Sunday 11am – 5pm at the Grand Haven State Park beach! (Wind and weather permitting)
PS: Thanks to Michigan Native Photography for reminding me – for sure check out his awesome pics on Facebook!
Spring Blossom by diane charvat
I created the Absolute Michigan photo group on Flickr way back in April of 2012. Since then, the group has grown to nearly 4,000 photographers and earlier this week, one of them added the three hundred thousandth photo was added to the group which I think is pretty darned cool!!
Diane Charvat took the photo the other day at Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, and I was very happy when I learned that the 300,000th picture posted was by a longtime contributor to Michigan in Pictures whose work has been featured so often. You can see more great shots in her Frederick Meijer Gardens gallery and for sure view her latest on Flickr.
Speaking of the Absolute Michigan group, it’s a great place to check out photos of literally anything in Michigan with just a search. Here’s the most interesting pics shared of May in Michigan!
Eagle in flight… by Kevin Povenz
Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials are hoping someone can shed light on a recent series of deceased eagles in the Upper Peninsula’s Garden Peninsula where a staggering five bald eagles were found dead in a single area between April 3 and April 17. (WARNING: 5 dead Bald eagles on the DNR Facebook post)
“The DNR is requesting tips from the public to help solve this ongoing investigation,” said 1st Lt. Mark Zitnik, DNR Law Enforcement supervisor in Newberry. “We can confirm that the eagles did not die from natural causes, predators or vehicle collisions.”
Tipsters who provide information leading to the arrest and prosecution of any individuals may be eligible for a cash reward. Anyone with information is asked to contact the DNR’s Report All Poaching Hotline by calling or texting 800-292-7800. Tipsters may remain anonymous. Eagles are protected at the state & federal level with significant fines & restitution as well as potential prison time.
Kevin is the unquestioned Eagle King of Michigan in Pictures. He has shared hundreds of Bald eagle photos over the years, and took the photo above a decade ago when this eagle launched from a tree & came right at him. I’ve included a few below & you can see tons more in his massive Birds of Prey gallery and for sure follow him on Flickr or at Kevin Povnez Photos on Facebook for the latest!
Lots more photos & information from Kevin & others at the Bald eagle tag on Michigan in Pictures.
Detroit Institute of Arts by Coretta Billy
A lot of the photographers I feature on Michigan in Pictures as well as many readers are from the Detroit area. If you are and are interested in growing your skills and/or your network of photographers, I encourage you to check out the “Click & Create: Detroit Photography Meetup” this Saturday, Jan 24th 10:00 AM at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
They write: “Join us for a photography meet-up designed to spark creativity across all ages and skill levels. We’ll explore the space together, work from shared shot lists, compare styles, and trade inspiration as we capture fresh perspectives in the heart of the city …. Meet inside the Woodward Entrance. Bring your camera or phone. No flash photography. No tripods or extra equipment. Just your eye, your curiosity, and your creative energy.”
Coretta Billy shared the event with me. She specializes in portraits & events, and is of the photographers who will be in attendance. You can follow her on Facebook and view & purchase her work at corettabillyiecphotography.com.
Bohemian Waxwing by Sheen Watkins Photography
Sheen recently shared her winter encounter with Bohemian waxwings that says (in part):
Often mistaken for their more familiar cousins, the Cedar Waxwings, Bohemian Waxwings differences are quite noticeable. Slightly larger, with muted gray bodies and warm cinnamon accents beneath their wings, tail and on their lores. Their soft, almost melted waxy looking plummage complements winter’s softer light.
…They arrived the way waxwings always do—suddenly and together. A flock descended on a cluster of trees heavy with berries, moving with a quiet, choreographed urgency. Waxwings are communal feeders, virtually overtaking a tree before moving on. They arrive, thrive, and leave—often as quickly as they appeared.
That fleeting time of when then move south combined with their behavior is what makes these encounters feel so rare. Seeing Bohemian Waxwings each winter is never a guarantee. Some years they pass unseen. Other years, luck and timing intersect, and I find myself standing in the cold, bundled and unmoving, watching bird life unfold just feet away.
Read on for much more & for sure follow Sheen Watkins Photography on Facebook & check out her website for more work!
More birds on Michigan in Pictures.
Downtown Mt Pleasant by Rephotographing Michigan
Nine years ago I featured Rephotographing Michigan, Paul Evans’s photographic exploration of the environmental and economic changes Michigan has experienced. I’m happy to report that Paul is still going strong and to share a few of his excellent yesterday & today photos.
Check out yesterday & today scenes from Bay City, Petoskey, Calumet, Lansing & Mackinac Island below and follow Rephotographing Michigan on Facebook for lots more!
Twenty years ago this morning on December 30, 2005, I started Michigan in Pictures to share some of the great photos I was seeing on Flickr along with some of the Michigan stories & events we were putting out on Absolute Michigan*. By way of celebration, here are some highlights from the first decade with the second to follow tomorrow!
The top two posts of 2006 were also my favorite: the Michigan Photographer Profiles of Ann Arbor Huron High senior Marjorie O’Brien and Matt Callow, a British born and bred photographer with a penchant for pinhole photography & unique cameras. I had so much fun exploring the motivations and techniques of some of my favorite photographers that I am honestly wondering why I stopped 🤔
Ryan’s photo of the William Livingston Mansion in Detroit’s Brush Park neighborhood in Detroit has remained one of the most popular of all time. Slumpy has also served along with with Michigan Central Station as a centerpiece for the discussion of “ruin porn” photography.
The top two pics of the year took us to the Rothbury Music Festival (now Electric Forest) and high above the earth with the first of very many posts about predicting the aurora borealis.
Lake Michigan Stones via bldgblog
The post about a stone circle underneath Lake Michigan in Grand Traverse Bay near Traverse City is the second most popular of all time.
Menominee County Cougar, June 2010 by Michigan DNR
While cougars in Michigan are a given in 2025, they were very much a question 15 years ago when we shared this trail cam pic.
The comments are kind of hilarious ;)
Marquette Northern Lights, October 24, 2011 by Shawn Malone
This isn’t the first of the many photos I’ve shared by Lake Superior Photo’s Shawn Malone, but it is one of my faves!
Mt Arvon – Michigan’s Highest Point by Gowtham
Gowtham took us all the way up Mount Arvon as part of my Michigan’s Tallest series.
I’m Posing for the Camera by capcbd
The most popular post of 2013 is also the most popular of all time: Know Your Michigan Turtles. It’s also the hub for information about Michigan’s 10 native turtle species so check it out!
In the same way that I thought it was fascinatingly cool to have bridge photos as 4 of the 6 top photos in my 2025 Michigan in Pictures Year in Review, I think it’s pretty darn nifty that the top photos of 2014 & 2015 both reflected the hold that ice caves had on Michigan winter discourse. Check out Ken’s Ice Caves of Leelanau and Heather’s Ice Caves Return to Lake Michigan, and I will see you tomorrow!!
* Absolute Michigan was my Michigan supersite that was put out of business by the $10-30+ million per year behemoth that was Pure Michigan. Here’s a look courtesy the Wayback Machine of absolutemichigan.com in its prime.
Early morning spider web – Explore by Kevin Povenz
Kevin shares that he took this when he walked along the Grand River on a Sunday morning this August & got to an open field with some great sunlit spider webs. See more in his Butterflies/Insects gallery on Flickr & follow him at Kevin Povenz Photos on Facebook!
Sunday Drive in Autumn – M-22 – October 2010 by Craig Sterken Photography
Ten years ago I featured this photo from Craig of M-22 on the Leelanau Peninsula on the Michigan in Pictures Facebook. In addition to being a signature location for Pure Michigan fall color, the car happens to be next to the exact spot where I waited for the bus as a kid in the 1970s!
You can purchase this photo & see the awesome vistas this car is bound for as it drives south on M-22 in Craig’s Sleeping Bear Dunes gallery on his website. For sure follow him on Facebook or Instagram for his latest!
Baby Got Back! by Monika Kross
Frequent Michigan in Pictures Group contributor Monika shares: “I’ve never seen a Blue Jay up close. Wow, so geometrical!”
Indeed!! Follow Monika on Facebook and @Michiganunsaltedgirl on Instagram for more!
