This is a shot of the entrance to the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA). The building was originally built as Alumni Memorial Hall. A Beaux Arts style building completed in 1910, the building was built as a tribute to University of Michigan graduates who had died or were wounded in the Civil War, the Mexican-American War, and the Spanish-American War. The building became home to the museum in 1946. A new addition to the museum opens this weekend and architecturally is a dramatic contrast to the original structure (but in a good way.)

This is a shot of the marquee on the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The theater has undergone a restoration which took several years to complete. I believe they have at least one more phase to go. Part of the restoration was to install a ‘new’ sign which replicated the sign which was originally installed for the theater. In the 50’s the sign was taken down and a ‘modern’ marquee was installed. With the ‘new’ sign, the theater looks like it did when it was built.

This is a close-up of the hood ornament of a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain automobile. This car was at the Gilmore Car Museum for a car show. I used my 70-300mm (2x crop factor) lens and a small aperture to make sure the background was blurred out. Processing was minimal, although I tried to bring out the head and downplay the color of the car itself.

This shot was taken in North Myrtle Beach, SC where I had spent some vacation time last year. The beach there is quite wide and firm at low tide and people like to ride bicycles on the sand, particularly recumbent tricycles. People really seemed to like to ride these things in circles, making interesting patterns in the sand. I was heading out of our hotel room to look for pictures to take and I noticed these two cyclists on the beach making some interesting patterns in the sand. Just as I was framing the shot, they decided it was time to move on. I had wanted to capture both cyclists as they were riding, but I was only able to capture one, just as he was leaving the edge of my composition. While I wish I had a shot of both of them, I am actually quite pleased with getting the one cyclist.

This is another in a series of ‘photo art’ images which shows some of the front side details of a 1936 Auburn 852 Phaeton automobile. The ’36 Auburn was designed by legendary car designer Gordon Buehrig and exhibits many interesting touches. I’ve always been attracted to the Auburn’s and Duesenbergs with the chrome exhaust pipes coming out of the side of the engine compartment. To me these exhaust pipes give a feeling of power to the automobile. This particular automobile, when new, sold for $1725, which is roughly equivalent to $26,000 after adjusting for inflation. Pretty good car for $26,000.

‘The Fist’ is a sculpture made in tribute to Joe Louis aka ‘The Brown Bomber’ and sits in the middle of a busy intersection in Detroit, Michigan. The 24 x 24 x 11.5 feet Monument to Joe Louis was commissioned by Time Inc. for the City of Detroit to honor Joe Louis. It was created by sculptor Robert Graham and installed at Jefferson Avenue at Woodward, Detroit on October 16, 1986. Over the years the artwork has been the subject of controversy.

This image was taken at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. This museum has a great collection of power generators and heavy machinery (among other things). This particular shot it is a close-up of one of the power generators on display. What caught my eye was the various layers of metal and the way they were put together. I particularly like the use of the dovetails on one of the pieces.

This image is a close up shot of the State Theatre marquee in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The theatre is located in the heart of the campus area of the University of Michigan. The theater itself was designed by famed theater architect C. Howard Crane, who also designed the Fox Theater in Detroit. Built in 1942, the State Theater was the last commercial building to be completed in Ann Arbor after the start of World War II.

This is a shot of the new Ross School of Business building on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The building was recently opened to students. I took this shot while it was under construction.

This is a picture of the Auburn Hotel in Auburn, Indiana. I recently had a day off of work and I decided to visit the Auburn/Cord/Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana. Auburn was the home to the Auburn Automobile Company which eventually was owned by the Cord Corporation. The Cord Corporation manufactured Auburn, Cord and Dusenberg automobiles.