A Little Water Under the Tridge....

The Riverside Tridge

Last night, we finally got the first real snowfall of the season!  Several inches fell, the streets and trees were covered, and as the plow crews worked feverishly to get the roads clear, most people chose to stay in....warm up to a nice cup of hot cocoa and their favorite snuggie, and watch some reruns on TV.

I, on the other hand, was standing in the middle of Riverside Park in Depot Town, feverishly wiping snow from the top LCD of my camera, and lining up a series of shots of the now snow covered area!  To my right, were some college students, riding sleds and tubes down the long steep hill.  To the left, Cross Street leading in to Depot Town, and the hustle and bustle of bar night in a college town.  In front of my...a steep slope down to the rushing water of the Huron River, and just above it, the Riverside Tridge.....a three way bridge that connects Depot Town with both Riverside Park and Frog Island Park.

The night was dark, and the air thick with falling snow.  I knew that in order to snap this capture, I would need an extremely long shutter, so unfortunately the falling snow wouldn't be captured on film.  In the distance, are the lights of Depot Town....the falling snow appears as haze around the lights and buildings.

I spent about an hour and a half walking around the park and shooting.  When I returned to the truck, the camera was completely caked in snow, and dripping all over the the floor mats as it entered the warm cab.  I was definitely glad I was using top gear for this trip.....I couldn't imagine putting my old Rebel through this much torture!

Today's bonus photo, was shot a few days ago in Willow Metropark.  This shot was taken about an hour before the shot of the Detroit Skyline I posted a few days ago, and gives a better glimpse at the dark stormy skies!  I'll have to go back, and see what it looks like now that it's covered in powder!

-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

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 Greatest Generation

WWII Memorial, Lincoln Park, MI

This morning I was out and about Downriver, and caught site of a spot that I had passed by thousands of times before, but had never really stopped to take a close look at. 

Erected in 1949, the granite memorial, flanked on both sides by American Flags, pays tribute to the brave men of Lincoln Park, that gave their lives in the second world war, that others may be free.  Additional plaques were later added, including the Korean and Vietnam Wars, along with a newer addition to the left, with boots, a rifle and helmet that pay tribute to those that served in the more recent Middle Eastern conflicts.

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......