The Conservatory Flowers

It's been awhile since I have posted on here, as life sometimes has a way of changing our plans when we are busy doing something else. I just wanted to post some beautiful flowers I saw at the conservatory in Detroit as few months ago. So here they are, as they did not disappoint.


Happy Easter

Crimson Spikes

Scarlet Vein Lace

Bittersweet Whip

Detroit & Play Ball!

Yesterday was the first game of the Detroit Tigers Season Home-opener! The people of Detroit love the Detroit Tigers and treat opening day like an actual holiday. Yesterday was especially nice for the fans because the sun was shining, the weather was beautiful, and most of all, the Tigers won the game against Kansas City. Here is a photo of the front entrance to Comerica Park where the Tigers play all of their home games.

This next photo is a view of the Detroit skyline from the Detroit River. I made this photo a monochrome because I think it added a good symmetry to the GM Headquarters building which is chrome and mirrors. Hope you enjoy!

Making History

On Friday 3/21/14, shortly around 5 PM, Michigan became the 18th state in the country to legalize same sex marriage. A Federal Judge revealed his ruling that overturned the ban on same sex marriage, which had stood since 2004. On Saturday morning, several county clerk's offices around the state, opened their offices to accept applications for marriage licenses, and by 8:10am, the first legally same sex couple was married in the state of Michigan. In total, there were over 150 same sex marriage ceremonies performed yesterday. This is definitely history in the making! This is a photo taken a few weeks ago during the trial, at the federal courthouse, in downtown Detroit. There were picketers outside the courthouse each day that the trial was in progress. The trial started out as an equal rights trial for same sex parents and their children, to be recognized as a family, be entitled to health insurance as a family, etc. As of 5 pm yesterday, a stay was issued on the ruling, and now there is a halt to same sex marriages until a judge hears an appeal later this week. Stay tuned!

Beauty of Old

Recently, I had a chance to visit the oldest Conservatory in the USA, which unknown to me at the time was right in my backyard. Ok, not literally in my backyard, but about 10 miles away in Downtown Detroit. I was looking for something to do with my Mom on yet another unbelievably cold day, so I decided to take her for a ride around Belle Isle. Belle Isle is an island park which is connected to the city, by way of a 19 arch bridge that spans across the Detroit River. We were driving around the vast island park, and came upon the Conservatory. I was happy to find somewhere warm and indoors to take my Mom. We went inside, and it was absolutely beautiful! The Conservatory contains exotic plants and flowers from all over the world. There were not as many flowers because of the time of year, but what we did see was beautiful! Here is a photo of the outside of the Conservatory, and I will post more of the inside soon. Enjoy!

Possibilities

Downtown Detroit is home to many things, one of which is quite a few really old churches. The architecture of the old churches is beautiful. Eventually, I would like to photograph all of the ones in the downtown area and post them so others can enjoy the beautiful architecture of the buildings that have stood through the test of time. When you enter into one of the churches, that's where "Possibilities" are endless. Faith, love, hope, etc. are all part of the magic that can happen inside of a church. All it takes is for one person to believe. This photo was taken earlier this year. It sits on one of the main roads in downtown Detroit, right next to Comerica Park (Detroit Tigers), and across the street from Hockeytown Cafe (Detroit Red Wings). Since it is the Christmas season, it seemed like a perfect time to post this photo, and think about the "Possibilities." Hope you enjoy!

Detroit's Heidelberg Project

Last Thursday, I took a ride to a place that is located a few miles from the outskirts of Downtown Detroit, a street named Heidelberg. It is on this very impoverished street, that an iconic urban art display known as the "Heidelberg Project" is located. This two block area is an artistic display of old, abandoned homes that have been turned into art through recycled items, many of which were just originally tossed somewhere on the streets of Detroit. This project was started approx. 23 years ago, by an artist named Tyree Guyton, but was soon embraced by the community surrounding this area, with many contributors including children, helping to create this iconic art display. The Heidelberg Project receives almost 300,000 visitors a year, as a tourist place to visit in Detroit.

Each house that is adorned in art, has a name or theme associated with it, such as the "House of Soul", "The Numbers House", and "The Penny House", to name just a few. In May of this year, and again in October, someone burned down what was known as the "OJ" or "House of Justice" that was part of the project. On November 13th, someone then burned down what was formerly known as the "House of Soul", it's exterior decorated with hundreds of real vinyl record albums. On November 21st, the project was again struck by fire when someone burned down what was known as the "Penny House", which was actually slated to be turned into offices for the Heidelberg Project. Hopefully, this arsonist will be caught before anymore damage can be done to this expression of open-air, urban art.

I have lived in the Detroit area my whole life and love so many things about the city, regardless of the negative press that often surrounds Detroit in recent years. After hearing about yet another fire to another structure at the project, I realized that I had never been there, in person, to see the Heidelberg Project. I decided I wanted to see this iconic neighborhood display before anything more unsavory happens to it. Many people would argue that this is not art, but garbage. I think that art is, of course, always in the eye of the beholder. This project has created a close-knit community of people who love, respect and support this project. It also gives them hope for a better future, and someone is trying to take this away from them, and all who appreciate what the community is trying to create in what would otherwise be, just more old abandoned houses.

It was a really cloudy, dreary day when I went to the project. I took all of the following photos from my car, as I had my Mom with me, and she just had knee replacement surgery, so walking was just not something I was able to do at the time. Here are some of the photos I took of the iconic two block landmark. Hope you enjoy this little tour of art that is somewhat different than what we see everyday!

The Dog House

House of Numbers

Circle House

The Teddy Bear House

The Clock House

Taxi House

Cake House

Each adjacent open lawn area is also covered in some type of art, such as this example:
Noah's Ark

Remains of the houses that were burned down:

Photos of what the original burned houses looked like can be found on the internet, by searching for the "Detroit Heidelberg Project."

The Looking Glass

There is a good contrast of old and new buildings in Downtown Detroit, as my eye is always drawn to both when I have my camera. This photo is one of the older buildings downtown. The architectural detail is what always draws me in to the older buildings, the way they were made, and how they continue to withstand time.

I've been spending time looking at Black & White photos from other photographers online, as it is something I have wanted to learn myself for awhile now. I am having trouble deciding what actually constitutes a good black and white photo. I see some that are a stark black and white together, some that have more black than white, some that have more white than black and some that are even black and gray. I have a number of photos that I believe would look better in black and white, then they would in color. So, as I begin experimenting with black and white photos, I would love it if someone could tell me if I am on the right track or not? Or, is it just a matter of personal preference in this regard too? Hope you enjoy!

On the Set - "Transformers 4"

This summer I was able to experience something that we do not normally see in the Detroit area. In the heart of downtown Detroit was the filming of the movie "Transformers 4." A few city blocks made up the set of the movie, which was disguised as Hong Kong, and no longer Detroit. I was hoping to get a glimpse of Mark Wahlberg, but there was no actual filming being done at the time I was there. Still, it was pretty cool to see a real movie set here so close to home. Here are a few photos from the movie set, looks like it will be a good movie when it is released in the Spring of 2014.

Need for Speed!

In a few short weeks, all eyes will be on Detroit with the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Indy IZOD series race. This year the race track is now 2.3 miles long, with it's many twists and turns of a street racing course. The race drivers enjoy a beautiful view of the Detroit River, and the downtown area as they race around on this course. I have attended this race many times and I highly recommend it for anyone who can attend. The backdrop of the Detroit River, matched with the Indy race cars, is definitely an experience to remember. I was downtown on Friday, as it was a beautiful day here in the "D", and I ran into this race car on display near the waterfront. Took a few pictures of this slick, fast, beautiful machine that will be racing in the next few weeks here in Detroit. Thanks for looking!