Small Town Texas There was a brief period of my life when I called Houston, Texas home. Houston is an amazing city. As one of the United States' most populous cities, it offers something for everyone. I'd moved there in 2009, when the recession was in full swing for much of the U.S., and was…
Tag: Street Photography
Copper Harbor, Mich.
Also: Why Less is More with Photography Gear It's usually at the five-hour mark of our nine-hour trip when our convoy of cars pulls over to eat something quick, fill up our gas tanks and stretch our legs and backs before continuing our travels northward. Copper Harbor, Mich.Camera: Canonet QL17GIII Our journey? Every year we…
Salton Sea, California
Forgotten but not Gone...Yet Water skiers buzzed by shorelines as they waved to onlookers from rich blue waters in California's Coachella Valley. Meanwhile, picnics by the plenty were had under palm trees as vacationers and seasonal folks enjoyed all that could be offered in this Southern California paradise. Salton Sea, CaliforniaCamera: Canon 1V This was…
Why You Don’t Have to Travel Far to Make Great Pictures
It Started with National Geographic When I was just starting out with photography, my main source of inspiration—and countless other photographers' inspiration—was National Geographic magazine. In its pages, you could be transported to a Hawaiian volcano, a Mongolian steppe or in an Italian village. Vanderbilt, Mich.Camera: Mamiya 7 Not only that, but National Geographic magazine…
Continue reading ➞ Why You Don’t Have to Travel Far to Make Great Pictures
The Empire Hill Climb Revival
An Epic Race Returns Let me tell you about Wilco Road: It's a narrow, tree-lined road with high banks and a bevy of turns that connects the village of Empire to the Empire Bluffs trailhead at the top of the hill. It's steep and short—I'll say it's a half a mile from start to finish.…
The Last Dairy Farm in Leelanau County
Documenting a Fading Way of Life in Northern Michigan As is the case with a lot of tips and information gathering in northern Michigan, I was talking with someone in a bar. This wasn't just any bar though, it was Dick's Pour House in the small community of Lake Leelanau. Dick's was a favorite hangout…
Surf Photography in Michigan
Surf's Up! Michigan is a funny place; if there's a way to have fun doing something—no matter the weather— it'll be done. Recreation-wise, it's a one-stop shop playground: four seasons and infinite terrain from sand dunes to woods and rivers. Water provides a host of activity potential since the state is surrounded by the Great…
Iceman Cometh Challenge on 35mm Film
The Biggest Single-Day Mountain Bike Race in the U.S. The saying goes,"If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." In northern Michigan that weather could mean a 40-degree temperature fluctuation, rain, sun, snow...all of it, in one day. Add a 29-mile course of Michigan trails then combine thousands of riders and you have the…
A Day of 35mm Film Color Photography in October
Seize the Time to Create My Canon 1V has fresh batteries, my vehicle was running great and I'd just received a shipment of 35mm film (Kodak Portra, of course)...the day was mine. On top of that, the fall color is looking like someone increased the Photoshop saturation on the maple leaves and it's incredible. There…
Continue reading ➞ A Day of 35mm Film Color Photography in October
A Summer Weekend in Detroit, Mich.
The Motor City Detroit is a giving city. It's given us techno, assembly lines, Motown, the auto industry, Diana Ross, Jack White, Eminem, Sheefy Mcfly and an infinite number of other artists, chefs, tradespeople and good, hardworking folk. Various lists ranking cities based on size, have placed it anywhere from 19th to 24th in the…