Sun Pillar vs Sun Pillar

Posted on by farlane

Sun Pillars by Stephen Michael Mannina

Atmospheric Optics explains that the mesmerizing solar phenomena known as sun pillars are:

…Typically visible near sunset or sunrise, pillars can reach heights of 5 to 10 degrees, and occasionally even higher. While they may appear as vertical rays, they are actually the collective glints of millions of ice crystals. When it comes to colors, pillars are truly a sight to behold. They take on hues that reflect the sun and surrounding clouds, ranging from brilliant white to various shades of yellow, red, or purple. Depending on the locations of the cloud crystals, pillars can even manifest as several vertically strung patches of light. As the light interacts with the ice crystals in the atmosphere, it creates a stunning display that captivates observers.

Yesterday morning, I came across this photo by Stephen right before I saw him making a positive comment on a photo that Sean – the photographer I featured yesterday – had taken. This was soon after I had seen photos Neil Weaver had taken at an ice cave photography workshop along with fellow Michpics photographer Aubrieta Hope. It made me realize that a huge and underrated part of Michigan in Pictures is the community of real live human beings that are as passionate about their fellow photographers as they are about introducing people to their favorite parts of Michigan. That’s a long way of saying that I am going to be working on ways to showcase the people out there clicking the shutter. One way will be to revive the Michigan Photographer Profiles with a focus on the photographers on my Michigan Photographers page. Stay tuned!!

Thanks to Stephen for allowing me to share both of these awesome sun pillar shots. He’s facing a problem that many photographers face: figuring out which of these two photos is the best to submit for a photography contest? Have a vote? Share it in the comments below or on his Facebook post and for sure view & purchase his work on his website!

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One Hundred Years of Flying High at Suicide Hill

Posted on by farlane
Suicide Hill Ski Jump by Ishpeming Ski Club

Suicide Hill Ski Jump by Ishpeming Ski Club

The annual UP Ski Jumping Tournament is celebrating its its 139th anniversary this year January 16-18, 2026, and aptly named “Suicide Hill”, the longtime site of the tourney, will be celebrating its 100th anniversary!

The competition is hosted by the Ishpeming Ski Club every winter on MLK Weekend at the UP Nordic Ski Complex. It lasts three days and in addition to the marquee event, the club hosts Junior National Qualifiers, a cross-country ski race, and a Target Jump event where competitors try to land as close as possible to a predetermined mark on the hill. They also have bonfires, concessions, beer tent & fireworks show.

The Ski Club has some great information about the colorfully named Suicide Hill explaining:

Suicide Hill got its name when in 1926 Walter “Huns” Anderson was injured on the hill. The local newspaper reporter, Ted Butler, said “Sure it’s a good hill, but why not have a little color about it. I gave it the name a few days before it was used in 1926. Walter Anderson fell in practice a few days before the meet and was badly hurt. In the stories I sent out about him, I called it Suicide Hill and the name stuck”. “We don’t like the name ‘Suicide Hill,” James Flaa, club official protested, “because it keeps riders away. It creates the wrong impression of what troubles await them”. Actually, it’s one of the best hills in the country. Even Johanna Kolstad, the fine Norwegian woman skier, says she has only seen one better hill in the country. But the name did stick, and it has turned out to be a fine, competitive, and safe hill.

Pure Michigan shared some pics and added a reminder that the competition is just a few miles away from the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum, providing an opportunity to explore and celebrate the history of the sport while visiting the “birthplace of American skiing.”

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Ice cleats are mandatory at Point Betsie Light

Posted on by farlane
Point Betsie Sunset by Watermark Photography

Point Betsie Sunset by Watermark Photography

Point Betsie Lighthouse on Lake Michigan just north of Frankfort is one of the most photographed lighthouses in Michigan, but it’s definitely an “ice cleats mandatory” location this time of year! If this view looks good to you, consider supporting the renovation of this iconic lighthouse on with a stay in the Keepers Quarters.

Jeff shares that Wednesday evening was his first time in a while seeing clear skies and sunset, and the ice sculptures made by the wind and breaking waves did not disappoint! There’s a couple more pics below. See (and purchase) this photo & others in the Winter Wonderland gallery on his website, and for sure follow Watermark Photography on Facebook for his latest.

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Rosa Parks was tired of giving in

Posted on by farlane
The Rosa Parks Bus by Rafael Peixoto Ferreira

The Rosa Parks Bus by Rafael Peixoto Ferreira

“The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” -Rosa Parks

70 years ago today on December 1, 1955, African-American seamstress Rosa Parks was arrested for failing to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus to a white man. This broke existing segregation laws, and many believe her courageous act sparked the Civil Rights movement. The Henry Ford has a detailed page on the Rosa Parks bus that the museum was able to purchase the bus at auction for $492,000:

After sitting unprotected in a field for 30 years, it is not surprising that The Rosa Parks bus needed a substantial amount of work. Its seats and engine had been removed, many windows were broken, metal had rusted through and the lime, white and gold paint job was a mere shadow of its former self. Our experienced conservation staff carefully examined the vehicle and consulted with various experts.

Three interested companies bid on the extensive restoration work, and finally, MSX International, an automotive engineering and technical services firm headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, was selected to perform the work at a cost of over $300,000. Museum and MSX employees researched every detail of the bus so that the restoration would be truly authentic. Original material was reused wherever possible and original parts from identical 1948 GM buses were used when necessary. Our goal was to restore the bus to its condition in 1955—a seven-year-old urban transit coach.

I couldn’t think of a more fitting image for this than the Rosa Parks bus, just one of many amazing relics of American history that are displayed at the Henry Ford (see their exhibits). See more in Rafael’s great Detroit gallery.

Here’s Rosa Parks relating the story of that day to the BBC.

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Drive safely this Thanksgiving!

Posted on by farlane
Thanksgiving Day Parade by Joel Williams

Thanksgiving Day Parade by Joel Williams

Bridge Michigan reports that AAA Michigan is predicting that 2.3 million Michigan residents will drive at least 50 miles between Nov. 25 and Dec. 1, a 1.4% increase from last year that could be higher given continuing air travel delays. mLive shares that the roads could be quite a bit less than optimal with a powerful winter storm expected along with tumbling temps on Wednesday. Snow totals over 3 FEET are possible in the UP with as much as 1 to 2 inches per hour falling. The Lower Peninsula (see NWS Weather Story below) will have high winds as well & wet, heavy snow close to 2 feet in inland Northern Michigan with less as you move south and east. All in all, it looks like a good time to allow more time for your holiday travels!!

Joel has more photos of the parade including the frankly disturbing giant head parade corps in his Detroit Thanksgiving Parade 2014 gallery on Flickr. I also shot a video last year of many of the Big Head Marchers last year!

just don’t look into their eyes by Joel Williams
Big Head Blessings by Joel Williams
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The Ghost of Minnie Quay is calling

Posted on by farlane
Sticks and Stones by Jeff Gaydash

Sticks and Stones by Jeff Gaydash

Back in the day, Linda Godfrey would regularly share stories with me from her classic book Weird Michigan and her other works. Linda has regrettably passed on and her Weird Michigan website is lost, but here’s a seasonally appropriate tale of shipwrecks & lost love from my archives…

In the mid-1800s, the Lake Huron port and lumber town of Forester was a far cry from the sleepy, near ghost town it is today. The remains of huge pilings just off the scanty beach now stand as crumbling reminders of the great pier that once bustled with Great Lakes ships and sailors.

One of those sailors unwittingly started the legend that would be Forester’s main claim to fame after the lumber ran out and the ships stopped coming.On shore leave one day, the unnamed young man took up with a local girl named Minnie Quay, whose folks, James and Mary Ann Quay, owned the town tavern.

The Quays forbid Minnie to see her beloved, but the order proved tragically unnecessary after his ship became one of many that succumbed to Great Lakes gales. Minnie made one more visit to the forbidden pier after learning that news, and on April 26, 1876, at the age of 16, she threw herself into the water in hope of joining him in the afterlife. She lies in a waterfront cemetery now, next to the bodies of her father, mother and brother.

Legend says that she still wanders the beaches, moaning for her lost sailor, and that some have seen her standing waist deep in the water, beckoning others to join her. The former Quay home and bar still stands, giving Minnie’s ghost even more reason to linger.

Jeff is a fine art photographer & printmaker. Explore his work in the Great Lakes gallery on his website.

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The Soldiers & Sailors Monument at Detroit’s Campus Martius

Posted on by farlane
Michigan Soldiers & Sailors Monument at Campus Martius by Andrew McFarlane

Michigan Soldiers & Sailors Monument at Campus Martius by Andrew McFarlane

Historic Detroit shares that although there is probably no other area of Detroit has changed more often and more drastically over the years than the city center, Campus Martius, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument has endured:

Over the years, Old City Hall, the Majestic Building, the Pontchartrain Hotel, the Family Theatre, the Hammond Building and the old Detroit Opera House have all come and gone.

Only one landmark has outlived them all.

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is among Detroit’s oldest pieces of public art and was one of the first monuments to honor Civil War veterans in the United States. It was announced by Gov. Austin Blair in 1865 that money would be collected to erect a tribute to Michigan’s soldiers killed in battle. Detroit, being the largest city, won the right to the monument.

…The bronze and granite sculpture was formally unveiled on April 9, 1872, though some of its statues were not added until July 18, 1881. Among the military commanders of Civil War fame attending the ceremony were Gens. George Armstrong Custer, Ambrose Burnside, Philip Sheridan, Thomas J. Wood and John Cook. The estimates were that 25,000 visitors turned out for the event, and each of the state’s main cities was represented by a marching delegation. Detroit’s hotels could not accommodate the crowd and some people had to sleep on the floors of the halls and parlors of taverns.

The Classical Revival monument stands more than 60 feet tall and cost more than $75,000 ($1.3 million today) to build. It was sculpted by Randolph Rogers, who grew up in Ann Arbor and studied at the Academy of St. Mark in Florence, Italy, under Lorenzo Bartolini. Rogers won the commission after a public competition in 1867. He also is known for the bronze doors for the U.S. Capitol’s main entrance and created monuments like the Sailors and Soldiers in other cities.

Read on for much more at Historic Detroit, and for sure thank a veteran today and every day for stepping up to serve.

Although most of the photos that appear on Michigan in Pictures are by other photographers, I took these photos. I don’t sell my photos, but you can for sure throw me a few bucks through Patreon if you enjoy Michigan in Pictures! The top photo is from second floor the new glass pub on Campus Martius looking south down Woodward and the detail shots are from just after they cleaned the monument before the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Waterfall Wednesday: The trips you don’t take…

Posted on by farlane
Canyon Falls by Karl Wertanen

Canyon Falls – October 24 by Karl Wertanen

Karl shared this photo the other day saying “I always ask myself… Which trip is going to cost more..? The one I take or the one I don’t take. Then I know for sure.”

Pure Michigan says that Canyon Falls aka the “Grand Canyon of the UP” is an easy to visit falls with a gorge that is quite impressive, at least by Michigan standards. A scenic trail along the Sturgeon River leads to a series of rapids and small waterfalls before you reach Canyon Falls where the river slides nearly 30′ over a large chute of smooth black rock into a box canyon.

In addition to wisdom, Karl also shares a lot of awesome photos. See lots more at Michigan Film Photographer Karl Wertanen on Facebook!

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Crying Mary of Oak Hill Cemetery is not really a ghost story but Oak Hill is a really nice cemetery

Posted on by farlane
Oak Hill by Bill Dolak

Oak Hill by Bill Dolak

When I was looking through the many haunted tales on Michigan in Pictures the other day, I realized that one of the many things I enjoy about Halloween is how it draws you into history since so many of our spooky tales are rooted in the long ago. A number that I’ve shared are from our friends at Mysterious Michigan including the brief tale of Crying Mary of Oak Hill Cemetery:

Established in 1844 and over 160 years old, Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek, Michigan has a lot of history. It’s the final resting place of famous people such as Sojourner Truth, C.W. Post, W.K. Kellogg, his brother John Harvey Kellogg, Bill Knapp, Ellen & James White, founders of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and others. Among the many famous people slumbering within the grounds of Oak Hill, another famous person exists above ground. While Crying Mary may not be a living, breathing person, she does happen to be a beautiful statue of a Greek goddess at the grave site of Johannes Decker and is well known by the residents of Battle Creek.

The legend of Crying Mary says that at the stroke of midnight every Sunday, the statue cries. People have claimed to have seen and felt her tears. Some say she only cries at night and never during the day.

Crying Mary of Oak Hill Cemetery

The photo makes it appear to be a natural effect of water on the greening bronze, but whatever the cause, I doubt she’s crying about the view – what a gorgeous little cemetery.

Bill took these at Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek. The top one is an infrared photo & you can see more in his Battle Creek Michigan gallery and for sure follow him on Facebook for his latest!

PS: If you need a spooky Michigan cemetery story, allow me to recommend the haunting tale of The Ada Witch!

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Detroit is shining brightly

Posted on by farlane
Detroit Shining Brightly by Chris Ahern Photography

Hudson and Gordie Howe Bridge with new lighting by Chris Ahern Photography

Chris shared a perfect photo for a roundup of recent Detroit news saying: “Both projects broke ground in 2020. The Hudson’s site is now Detroit’s second tallest building, while the Gordie Howe Bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America. Also lit up is the Ambassador Bridge which recently reached its 100 year anniversary.” (the Ambassador is in the foreground with the string of lights).

For starters, the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit to Windsor announced that the planned Fall 2025 opening has been delayed to 2026. WDIV Detroit writes:

While 98% of the $5.7 billion project is complete, bridge officials say the remaining work is forcing the delay from the previously announced fall 2025 opening … The final phase focuses heavily on testing the bridge’s technological systems.

…A report from S&P Global Ratings indicated that contractors had missed previous deadlines for transferring border facilities to authorities, though bridge officials would not specifically comment on this.

Detroit has definitely been on the come up in recent years, but it is still notable that 13 years after a poll showed two-thirds of Detroiters felt the city was moving in the wrong direction, a new survey found a dramatic, 180-degree turnaround with 76% feeling the city is headed in the right direction with 11% disagreeing & 13% having no opinion. Among that 11% is Livonia resident & leader of the Detroit News editorial page Nolan Finley, who ruffled more than a few feathers when he suggested that Detroiters are deluded to express contentment.

If you tuned in to Monday Night Football to see the Lions whomp on the Buccaneers, you saw the spectacular drone footage of Detroit taken by Chris. I can’t find it all, but you can see some drone video of the Hudson on his Instagram & also of the Detroit Riverfront on the opening of the Monday Night Football highlights. For sure follow Chris Ahern Photography on Facebook and view and purchase his work & drone photography services on his website!

Ford Field from Above by Chris Ahern Photography

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