Creativity without limits
As some may or may not know, Nicole Kay and I are expecting. The due date is approaching fast, so we took some time this Labor Day weekend to squeeze in a pregnancy photoshoot.
Technically, this wasn’t our first pregnancy photoshoot. We did this one here, but that was around 3 months without a baby bump. The above image was our favorite from the photoshoot, and the one below is the runner up.
Continue reading “Pregnancy Photoshoot: The Due Date is Approaching”
The Blue Angels flew over Detroit in solidarity with frontline workers amid the pandemic. So, I took up the challenge to photograph them. The plan was to capture them with as much of the Detroit skyline as possible, but it was hard to frame the shot without knowing exactly which angle they would fly over. I suspected the Blue Angels would fly over the Detroit River. I was set up to get a shot with the Blue Angels flying next to the Renaissance Center, but as they flew over the skyline, they took a turn and went past the Penobscot Building. That is when I was able to capture this image before they continued down their path along Fort Street.
Continue reading “Blue Angels fly over Detroit in solidarity with frontline workers”
Today, I’d like to draw your attention to Michigan Ave. Empty streets are a photographers dream. It’s an unusual opportunity that gives the photos a surreal feel. Like this one, where the major streets in Detroit’s city center are near vacant. Walking the streets with nobody around is almost dreamlike, making it a personal playground.
The Book-Cadillac is an easily recognizable-building to most Detroiters. It has that historic Detroit feel. As a photographer, I always look for different angles and perspectives to bring new life to commonly viewed sights and objects. This building has been around for almost 100 years, making it a challenge to find a unique perspective. I particularly like this photo because it uniquely shows the height of the building from a top-down perspective while including some of the taller buildings that dwarf it. The building itself is a piece of art, thanks to the architect, Louis Kamper. After editing this photo, I was inspired to do some research on the building. Here are some of the highlights:
Continue reading “Book-Cadillac: Historical Luxury in Detroit”
Exploring an empty city during the Michigan stay-at-home order, I came across this unusual street art display created by the crack sealant they used to repair the pavement on Grand River Ave, Cass Avenue, and Middle Street. This is on the same corner as the newly constructed Beacon Park, which I highly recommend visiting. This top-down shot would most likely go unnoticed with the usual day-to-day traffic. So, I have to thank MDOT for the artwork, and the stay-at-home order for clearing out most of the traffic so I could spot this gem!
Looking at this, I see a bunch of stick figures dancing in the street. What do you think? Do you see what I see or am I crazy? Leave a comment and/or criticism below, then check out some of my other Detroit photos.
Reflecting on an earlier era in Detroit’s history, Greektown was originally settled by Germans in the 1830s. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that Greeks began migrating to the neighborhood. By the 1920s, the residential neighborhood converted to a commercial district that progressed into what we consider Greektown today.
Through all of Detroit’s turbulent times, Greektown has remained one of the more popular restaurants and tourist destinations. As a life long Detroiter, it is interesting to read some of the reviews about it from world travelers on Yelp.
I was able to snap this shot while the street was empty on April 1st, 2020 due to the Michigan stay-at-home order. It is shot with a Canon 70d and a Sigma art 18-35 f/1.8 Lens.
I had to squat down and hold the camera close to the puddle without getting it wet because I did not bring any type of tiny tripod with me. This made it impossible to view the camera screen making it hard to get the shot in perfect focus.
What do you think of reflection photography? Do you think it adds dimension to the subject? I’m always interested in constructive feedback. Leave a comment below, and check out these other posts about Greektown, or these photos from Detroit.
It’s hard to see in this picture, but the bright luminescence radiating from atop the Greektown Hotel says #DETROITSTRONG, which is a great message in these tough times for Detroiters. Looking eastward down a near-empty Monroe street in Greektown at 8 PM on a Friday is an unusual sight to see. During normal circumstances, this street is packed with cars and people walking about. I remember one time, I was stuck in traffic on Monroe street for over an hour trying to get around the block. On a warm weekend night, it is pure gridlock. This photo was taken on April 3rd, 2020 during the stay-at-home order for the state of Michigan.
This next photo was taken in the same photo session as the first. It illustrates how empty the city streets are on a Friday night during the stay-at-home order. The main street at the bottom of this photograph going left to right is Gratiot Avenue, one of Detroit’s five major avenues. If you direct your attention to the upper left corner of the photo, you can see the faint beam of vertical light shooting up from Beacon park in the distance. Near the center of the photo, you can see the orangish-red glow of the Fox Theater marquee. To the right of that, you can see the purplish glow radiating from Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers.
What do you think of this photo? I’m always interested in constructive feedback. Leave a comment below, and check out these other posts about Greektown, or these photos from Detroit.
It was Saturday. March 23rd, 2020, the day before the stay-at-home order was enacted by the state of Michigan. Downtown Detroit had an eerie feeling in the air. Usually that feeling could be attributed to the dark clouds and rain on the horizon, but this day was different. The streets were empty. Nobody was out walking. Almost all the cars were parked, and no ships or boats were afloat in the Detroit River. People were hibernating in their homes preparing to quarantine. It reminded me of the desolate Detroit from more than 20 years ago, before big money started pouring back into the city again.
Its hard to predict the future. The fear of the unknown and what’s to come took everyone by surprise. I’m sure things will look different in retrospect, but at this moment in time the world is paralyzed by a tiny virus that no one can see, hear, taste or smell. Who would have thought that our greatest threat to existence would be so small?
Looking at the empty streets in this photo gives me hope. That our city will hibernate long enough to dispel this virus from a path of destruction.
What do you think of this photo? Have you ever been to Detroit when the streets were this empty? I’m always interested in constructive feedback. Leave a comment below, and check out these other photos from Detroit.
Two weeks into the state of Michigan’s stay-at-home order, Nicole and I had to get out of the house for some much needed fresh air. Grabbing the camera and tripod, we headed out the door. The plan was to do something creative with the “social distancing” theme. We brought some (PPE) personal protective equipment: surgical masks, latex gloves, and a can of Lysol disinfectant spray to use as props. Then, we scouted out the side of an abandoned building to use as our backdrop and block the bright sun from overexposing our shot.
Lysol is a great disinfectant, but I wouldn’t advise being sprayed in the face with it. To answer the question: am I getting sprayed with Lysol? No! We used an old-school camera trick. I took a step to my right (away from the camera) and it was sprayed on the left side of my face (closer to the camera). There were about twelve inches of distance between me and the spray flow, but to the camera it appears that I’m being sprayed in my face. Thankfully it wasn’t windy that day.
I used a Canon 70d with the nifty fifty, technically known as the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens. The camera was set on a tripod using a 10-second timer. It took some time to set the focus without me being in the frame. Also, we didn’t realize Nicole was wearing her mask inside out until we returned home and started editing the photos. That sort of thing is expected when doing an impromptu photoshoot. Especially, when we are not used to wearing personal protective equipment.
I wasn’t sure how the final result would look with the Lysol spray. We tried several shots, and it only appeared in a couple of them. We didn’t want to use too much of our Lysol with it being in such high demand. It was difficult to time the spray with the camera timer without continuously spraying it. As you can see, we did end up with a usable photo. I thought it was too funny not to turn it into a meme about personal protective equipment and Lysol. Hence, the wording “Maintain a distance of at least six feet from others.”
What do you think of this photo? Does it bring awareness to using personal protective equipment? Do you think personal protective equipment is necessary in our day-to-day life? I’m always interested in constructive feedback. Leave a comment below, and check out these other photos from Detroit.