Hogwarts after dark :)

The Law Quad on UofM Campus......or Hogwart's :)

Tonight's photo is of the very Hogwartesque Law Quad on the UofM Campus.  The funny story behind this shot, is that although beautiful, the very intricate brickwork was incredibly slippery after the rain had stopped, and had a few minutes to ice over!  Just as I set up my tripod, and was preparing to click the shutter, I lost balance and fell hard, straight to the ground!

Can you imagine.....a slip and fall in the Law Quad??  Where's a lawyer when you need one?

-MT

An Old Gothic Library

University of Michigan Law Library

Blogging is a lot of fun, but sometimes it is a huge challenge going out and getting worthy content to present to your readers/viewers.  Last night was no exception....as I pulled in to the parking structure in Downtown Ann Arbor, I knew the weather would be cold and windy.  A thick fog covered the area, rendering some of the buildings I had photographed just a few weeks earlier with complete clarity, unrecognizable through the thick haze.

From the sky, a thin cool mist was falling, which would soon turn into a light rain, before the air turned even colder, freezing the mist to the ground as thin, invisible sheets of ice. 

Depot Town in the Snow....

Depot Town - Ypsilanti, MI

So as I emerged from the depths of Riverside Park the other night....headed back to where I had parked my truck, I came up on the above scene.  On a bar night, in a college town, it's not too often that you can walk up on almost deserted streets, but the heavy snowfall ensured that the sidewalks would be virtually deserted.

My Canon caked with snow, batteries almost dead, I knew I couldn't just head back to the truck, I had to try and make the picture before the last bit of juice was drained and the camera went black.  After all, when would I get a scene like this again?  Not likely anytime soon.

I set up my tripod alongside of Cross Street, wiped the snow and condensation from the front of the lens, and the top LCD, and framed my shot!

I'd like to think that if Thomas Kinkade visited Depot Town, his painting would look something like this. 

-MT

Another Bridge at Elizabeth Park

Tonight's shot is another one from Elizabeth Park, shot a couple of days ago.  You can still see snow along the banks (that didn't last long), and just before the bridge, a group of ducks swim playfully in the icy water. 

Off in the distance, the stream opens up into the Detroit River, and if you look real close, you can see the distant banks of Grosse Ile. 

Due to a slower shutter speed, the water looks like glass, but in reality, the wind was whipping by pretty quickly, and the water was rushing fairly steadily. 

A few minutes later, the sun fell behind the horizon, and the weather quickly turned too cold to shoot, so we headed back home.

-MT

A Tale of Two Countries....

Detroit Skyline, from Grosse Ile, Michigan

Some people look out of the window, and see dark, overcast skies, and think man this is crappy weather!  Others, called photographers, look through the same window, see the same dark gloomy skies, and see a thing of beauty and drama! 

The skies were dark, and the wind was cold and heavy.  The sky was filled with dark, dramatic clouds, that were moving very quickly by as I stood along the Grosse Ile coastline, framing my shot!  In the distance, the Canadian Coastline, and a little further off, Detroit's Renaissance Center, and the rest of the Detroit Skyline.  I crouched down in the mud, and composed the shot!

For those of you who like trivia....it is a little known fact that Detroit is the only place in the United States, that you can stand along the shore and look South and see Canada.  It is an even less known fact, that along the coastline of Grosse Ile, you can look North, and see the edge of Ontario, Canada, with the Detroit Skyline towering from behind! 

Had a great time shooting, and got a lot of great shots......they may all be dreary and grey, but that's ok!

-MT

Sunset over Elizabeth Park

Elizabeth Park, Trenton, Michigan

The sun would be setting in minutes, and the sky was filled with streaks of orange and magenta. My brother David and I were headed to Elizabeth Park in Trenton, to take his dog Trent out for some fresh air.

I had a spot in the park that I wanted to shoot, so before we let Trent loose, I walked over to my spot to see if I could make a picture. As is often the case, when you get to a spot where you have planned to take a photo, you always need to look around. Although the shot I had planned to take was there waiting for me, a better shot was just over my shoulder. While walking back to the truck, I spotted this scene, and quickly set up the tripod to get the capture!

A few seconds later, the sun dipped below the horizon, and the beautiful magenta sky quickly faded away.

-MT

The Towering Cathedral

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Wyandotte, MI

If there's one thing the city of Wyandotte is know for......it's retirees!  Lots and lots of them, they're everywhere!  If there's two things the city of Wyandotte is known for, it's of course retirees, then second, would be small corner stores, bakeries, bars etc. spread throughout it's neighborhoods.  Back in the day, you didn't have to go downtown to do your shopping, you could just walk a couple of blocks to Art's General Store, the local Pharmacy or the Butcher Shop.  While many of these businesses have long since closed, with their buildings being converted to residential housing, many are still around and doing well, as much of their clientele has continued to shop with them for a few generations!

If there's three things that the city of Wyandotte is known for......first off....retirees, they're practically everywhere.  Second......tiny corner stores, and third would have to be the Churches.  It's hard to go more than two blocks in any direction in Wyandotte, without hitting a century's old cathedral.

The rest of the story, and a bonus photo, after the jump....

Mist over the Mighty Huron

Huron River, Dexter, Michigan

Today I was headed to Dexter, to go grab some supplies from George at Huron Camera.  First off, let me just say that, if you're in the Ann Arbor area and into Photography, you should definitely know George and the staff at Huron Camera.  If you've never been there.....what's wrong with you??

So anyway, I was headed to Dexter to see George, and grab some sensor cleaning supplies, and get some pricing on tripods.  The other day I had mentioned to a customer that I would be in the area, and he decided to give me a "Short Cut" that was sure to get me there faster!  As usually happens......I got lost!  Let me just say that, if you have to pick a place to get lost, Dexter isn't a bad place to be!  It's a quaint little town, surrounded by farms, fields and woods, along with the Huron River weaving in and out as you drive through.  Although I was most definitely lost, I didn't care, I was enjoying the ride......

The Famous Ypsilanti Water Tower

Ypsilanti Water Tower

Ypsilanti Michigan, just a few minutes East of Ann Arbor, is home to Eastern Michigan University, is the birthplace of Dominoe's Pizza, and a giant Water Tower shaped like a.....

Ypsilanti is home to a number of local landmarks, but by far, the most well known is the old Water Tower that sits across from EMU's Campus.  Finished in 1890, the tower was the only water tower in the Ypsilanti area, and was designated as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the State of Michigan in 1974.  The tower has many local nicknames....most with varying degrees of derogatory connotation due to it's most decidedly phallic shape.  Local legend has it that if a virgin were ever to graduate from EMU.....the tower would crumble to the ground!

Today's photo was a challenge.....the rest of the story after the jump.........

Take the A Train

Ever since I was young, I've always been fascinated with trains!  I can remember being about 5 or 6, sitting in the upstairs window of my Grandmother's house for hours with my brother Joe, watching the trains on the nearby tracks going by!  We of course had model trains.....mostly HO Scale, and a few N's.  Eventually, Joe graduated into the bigger Lionel trains, which is what rounds the parents' Christmas Tree each year!

I decided to visit Oakwoods Metro Park while I was out and about today, thinking maybe I would find a nice spot by the lake to shoot.  As I was slowly driving up the 3 mile stretch from Willow Road, to the Oakwoods Nature Center, I came upon the old railroad tracks that cross the main road.  I stopped on the tracks (they don't get used much, so no safety issues) and looked in both directions, and there was my shot!  I figured what the heck, the lake will always be there, but the clouds in the distance looked very dramatic, and the sun was falling quickly, which meant that if I hurried, I could get a nice dark blue sky to go with the scene!

The rest of the story after the jump......

View South of the Border......

 

 Handheld HDR shot from a restaurant parking lot......

For a successful HDR shot, you need patience, persistence, a good camera and a sturdy tripod.  Unfortunately for me, I had none of these with me tonight!  As I was out and about running errands tonight, I made a quick stop off at one of my favorite locations.....Taco Bell!  As the leaves began to fall from the trees a few months back, they gradually uncovered a beautiful view of the West end of Belleville Lake, and I have been wanting to make a picture of the scene for a while now......

Eastern Michigan University Fashion Show 2010

Last fall, I had the opportunity to photograph for EMU's Fashion Show, which ended their Fashion Week 2010.  Here are the photographs I took of the many fashions on display that night!