May 2023: Amur Tiger

 

Formerly known as the Siberian Tiger, the Amur Tiger is one of the biggest and rarest of the big cats. Unlike most other cats, tigers love the water, and are excellent swimmers. I picked this shot for the month because it was taken in a nearby zoo. More than once I have been approached by people who are going on their first photo safari and who want advice for getting memorable shots of the animals they see. My advice is always the same...go to the zoo and practice there. Learn what angles and composition work in that very controlled environment and use what you learn when you go out into the "real world" environment so that you will be ready for it. It is a great way to learn not only that, but to learn how the individual animals move physically and what they look like from different angles. In the wild, you often don't get to choose these things, and have to be able to work with whatever you are presented with. In addition, zoos can be challenging because they are often not lit with photography in mind, and there are visual hindrances like dirty glass partitions and fences that you need to compensate and adjust for, as well as awkward angles to deal with. That too is good preparation for shooting in the wild as you will run across similar situations in natural environments. Not fences or glass partitions usually, but rain, fog, trees and branches, and even other photographers and vehicles if you are on a photo safari. You have to be adaptable, as even though you will be safe and have a guide, you are ultimately a guest in the animals' home. You have to remain polite. :)  The other thing to keep in mind is that zoos allow you to get much closer to animals than you should ever get in the wild. So practice from a distance similar to that which you will be seeing the animals in their natural habitats. This tiger portrait was taken from a distance of about 5 feet...a totally unrealistic distance in the wild, but it made such a fine portrait I couldn't resist.

April 2023: Power Up!

 

This is the main generator in the now abandoned power plant of the old Traverse City State Hospital. While it is obviously no longer functional, it is interesting to think about how this one machine was responsible for powering the whole asylum complex.  One broken part, and it would have been back to candlelight for everyone!  I imagine when it was first installed what a great improvement it would have been, and how much it would have been appreciated.  It makes me happy that even though it isn't appreciated for the same thing or in the same way today, by making this photograph it can still be appreciated both artistically and historically.

Addendum:
It has been annoyingly pointed out (by one of my physicians) that this image appeals to me because it reflects my own physical condition. I responded by pointing out that his numerous photos of his dogs on his office walls appealed to him because he was a son of a bitch.

Woof.

March 2023: Yellow Iris

 

I would say spring is in the air here, but the power companies have not yet finished restoring power from the ice storms this week.  It won't be long though, I know that. Only two weeks from now the blackbirds will return, and then spring will be in the air. 

In the meantime, enjoy this yellow iris. :)

**Update**
I just realized that I had sent a version of this image to my friend Kevin McCollister which was much more (way over) saturated. So Kevin, if you are seeing this now and wondering why your version looks so crappy, it is because I had not given it the attention it needed yet. Plants are so demanding...more even than cats, tbh. :D

February 2023: Hibernation Mode

 

It is February, and I am in hibernation mode once again. So here is another shot from this summer's trip to the abandoned asylum. 

Oh what the heck, let's make it two. :)

That should tide us over until March, don't you think?
Hope your winter (or summer for those of you south of the equator) is going well!

January 2023: Doitsu Kujaku Hirenaga

 

There are over 3000 different varieties of koi, which is itself a type of carp.  In this case, the first word, doitsu, means "partially scaled". Some koi have no scales some are fully scaled, and some are partially scaled. The word kujaku refers to the specific color pattern this fish has. And hirenaga refers to the long fins, which are the result of breeding traditional Japanese koi with Indonesian koi.

As we head in to another new year, I encourage you to not wait for things to change. Actively overfill your own life with beauty, share it with those you love, and encourage them to do the same. Do that, and 2023 will be joyful not just for you, but for those around you as well!

Housekeeping notes:

I have added "Share" buttons to each monthly post, so feel free to use them to share my posts to your preferred social media.

And although the email subscription to notify you when I have updated the blog has been eliminated, you can still add the blog to your newsfeed and get update notices that way.  Or just check in at the beginning of each month, as I seem to be pretty consistently on schedule lately. :)

December 2022: Door and Vents

 

Been having some challenges here this month. Discovered that my monitor has been dying and not rendering colors correctly for some time. So I have got a new monitor now and am in the process of calibrating and verifying correct calibration with my print services. It is a long ordeal, as I am a bit persnickety when it comes to this sort of thing.

What I dread is that once I get the calibration confirmed I will go back and find that many of the images I have been sharing with you have not been what I intended! If it end up being the case I will fix them all and replace them with accurate images, but so far it seems that until very recently the colors have at least been close.

We shall see.

This month's image is another one from the old "asylum" in Traverse City.
It is a really telling image, especially from a temporal perspective.
Bricks, covered with cement, covered with plaster, covered with multiple layers of paint.
Doorknobs set low enough so that people in wheelchairs can access them easily.
Gorgeous ventilation covers still bearing the "cheerful" colored paint.
All of these things bearing witness to the human beings who lived here, and to their struggles.

It really is a privilege to be able to go into this place and capture these images, so that these places can be remembered for what they were, and the people who lived there can consequently be remembered for who they were as well.

November 2022: Foliage x2

 

First up, deciduous foliage. More specifically, northern Michigan forest in autumn. There are few places on the planet which can rival this display of beautiful foliage. This photo was taken at Boyne Mountain Resort, and the bridge you see above the chairlift is the newly opened Skybridge.  At 1200 feet long, it is the longest timber-constructed suspension bridge in the world. And at only 5 feet wide, it is an interesting walk when the wind is up...suspension bridges sway!  I will undoubtedly post some more photos from this shoot in the future, as the colors this year were fantastic!

To contrast plants which shed their foliage, here is one of the many Echeveria species. It is a succulent, and does not shed its leaves in the fall. Rather, it cycles through them much as we humans cycle through hair strands, although these leaves serve a much different purpose. Similar to cacti, succulents store water in their leaves in order to survive the long periods of drought where they are found naturally. Succulents are no less beautiful than the deciduous plants, but in a much different way and on a much smaller scale. 

A lesson in humility and humanity can be found in this comparison. One which should give us all comfort.

I would be remiss if I did not give a shout-out to "Mr. Boyne Mountain" himself, Dan Mills, for providing not just tons of useful information about the Resort and the Skybridge, but for taking the time to make us all feel so warmly welcomed. His love for the place is abundant and genuine, and that is really the entire difference between someone who is a true asset and someone who is just another employee. Ultimately, that is the difference between craft and art. Something I appreciate very much. :)