Merry Christmas to All

The Tribute Tree at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, photographed for Grosse Pointe Magazine. Yes it is cold outside, but sending warm wishes for a merry Christmas to all!

Metsa Wood's USA Headquarters

I meet interesting people when waiting for the magic light of dusk. I always have my camera on a tripod, sometimes I'm up on a ladder too. It takes a while to get the images - hours of pretty much being in the same place. This time, it was for a photograph of Mesta Wood's USA Headquarters on the streets of Port Huron, Michigan.

One man in particular rode over on his bicycle from the ice cream shop across the street. After the usual questions about the digital camera and so on, he began to tell his story of how he had been a devotee of landscape photography and detailed his choices of black and white film and developers and filters - the whole nine yards sort of thing.

He appreciated the opportunity to talk about his hobby and went on to say how he now had other interests and missed the "old days" of film and darkroom and black-and-white prints. I enjoyed the interlude and am always amazed at how extraordinary the most ordinary situations can become if one is open to the opportunity.

The image was made after sunset, just before the main street lights came on. The clouds are real; the sky was darkened with a polarizer.

Holiday Mart Results

Well, the Holiday Mart is over - thankfully it seems, with much reduced attendance from other years, according to all repeat vendors.

This was my first year, so was surprised to be selling anything at all. I find that these venues are break-even propositions, possibly useful for making some new contacts. Most of the attendees are content to walk the aisles and ogle the items.

Occasionally, I meet a person who is moved by the work, or finds it triggers a memory.

Spending time with them talking about a particular plant or garden is time treasured.

One woman remarked upon my photographs of clouds. (You can see them hanging on the gridwall on the right side of the image above.)

She said, "You took these in the fall, didn't you?" I was surprised at her ability to recognize the particular icy veil of early October sunsets in Michigan, and said "of course they were, but how did you know?"

She responded, almost tearfully, that her late husband was quite a pilot, who enjoyed traveling the state in his own small plane with her.

She said the photographs spoke to her with the exact same subtle tones and vibrant colors of the late-day October sun she remembers from so many trips in happier times.

So, whether or not "enough" sales are made during a weekend, there is - more often than not - at least one memorable encounter that can make the time spent more than worthwhile.