Life on Earth

I happened to be in Minneapolis over the weekend and was able to experience the annual Mayday parade, ceremony and festival. It was fantastic– Complete with bureaucratic puppet heads (above) and blood donations to save those addicted to oil (below).

This year’s theme, A New Bridge: Infrastructure for Future Beings, was an obvious call out to the spending of funds to re-build other countries rather than on the infrastructure needs in the U.S. Still fresh on the minds in Minneapolis was the I-35 bridge that collapsed last year. Still, we are too busy chasing the carrots that our promised in front of us.

I also took audio, and will let you know when I get something put together for a quick slide show.

Take this test. It is short. It has everything to do with seeing. Used here to promote driver awareness of bicyclists. www.dothetest.co.uk

It is also reflective of photography as a practice of seeing the complete picture. Seeing the unexpected. Seeing the subtle. Seeing, and capturing, what otherwise would be missed. It is a practice.

Just like driving.

Last month I spent a day witnessing the making of cheese. The story ran in yesterday’s Detroit Free Press. Basically, the process I saw was a few hundred gallons of milk slowly being stirred into a curd, poured into forms and then pressed into wheels that will become what was voted last year as the “best of show” at the American Cheese Society’s annual competition. Basically, making it the best cheese in the country. Not bad for a company with three employees.

The Leelanau Cheese Company is located in Suttons Bay, Michigan. The owners, John and Anne Hoyt make their artisan raclette in large batches that are aged around 8 months. The Free Press’s Sylvia Rector did a nice job describing the process, but also captured the uniqueness of the Hoyt’s mission–fine cheese, made right, from the cow to the plate.

See more pictures, and read her article online at: It’s the best cheese in America

Below, John Hoyt squeezes excess whey and water out of a fresh wheel of cheese. The cheese will sit with weights on top of it for another 12 hours before being placed in a cellar for 8-10 months.

I can see the light! Yesterday the winter tires came off and spring is here! Right? …..

Although i haven’t been posting to the BLOG of late, I have been shooting more than usual for this time of year. Some of the jobs I’ve are below.

The New York Times covered a Home Repo Tour that I covered, the Detroit Free Press ran a snowmobile article on the front page and a new magazine, Edible Grande Traverse, launched and can be picked up around the region. My first of hopefully many assignments with them was a profile of Grand Traverse Resort Chef, Ted Cizma. In addition, there is a stock image in the March issue of Traverse Magazine (try to find it) and Dome Magazine ran a cover portrait of a Traverse City mover-and-shaker.

Now, it’s time to get out there and shoot. Do you have any ideas?

Q&A with Chris & Jody Treter of Higher Grounds Trading Co.

I’m still trying to post some work from my January trip to Colombia with coffee roasters Jody & Chris Treter. I’m working on a slide show to post soon. For now, if you want to learn a little more about what we were doing in Colombia, listen to this radio interview that will air on Radio Anyway on February 16, or you can listen to a clip of it here: Q&A with Chris & Jody Treter

(Above) Chris and Jody introduce themselves, and their mission of high quality, Fair Trade coffee, to a community of coffee farmers in the community of El Maco. The group is a part of the producer cooperative, Fondo Paez.

恭喜發財, KungHeiFatChoi, is a Cantonese New Year greeting for “Congratulations and be prosperous”. We can only hope!

This is the year of the Rat, and it stands to be a year of change for us rats, culminating in a gloomy and pessimistic December. Yikes! The cure, according to one reading of the Chinese zodiac– Rats should travel abroad and learn something new. In particular, if you were born in the fall, head south. That’s convenient, as my recent trip to Colombia left me wanting more (images soon).

To celebrate here are some New Year inspired images from my 2005 trip to China.

It is always a good time to eat Chinese sausages, shown here hanging on a telephone line on a sunny day in December in the then frigid city of Nanchang.

The Chinese New Year time is also called the Spring Festival and it is the time of the year when almost everyone takes a vacation and heads home for a week or two. The parks are full and the restaurants are packed

This year is particular special for China as Beijing hosts the 2008 Olympics from August 8 to August 24. This Olympic logo was hung on a construction site in the southern city of Nanjing. The promotional blitz for the Olympics has countrywide and extensive ever since the announcement in 2001.

In the end, it is all about family. Here, an elder couple walk home from a Nanjing market.

El perroito, Guardia, inspects the arrival of a group of strange visitors to the Cafinorte coffee warehouse in the Colombian city of Santander on January 16, 2008.

The warehouse is a collection point for the indigenous coffee producer cooperative, Fondo Paez. I spent over a week touring coffee growing regions in Colombia with Jody and Chris Treter of Higher Grounds Trading Co . I’m just getting back into the swing of things, the frigid weather hasn’t helped, but I’ll have more images, as well as audio soon.

* Note: If you’re a bicycle promoter, you must check out when they are doing in Bogotá. Watch this video and tell me you don’t want something like this in your town: Ciclovia: Bogotá

I’m honored to be on another adventure exploring the world of coffee and indigenous rights. Over the next two weeks, I’ll be traveling with my pals, Jody and Chris Treter from Higher Grounds Trading Co., in Colombia.

Out first visit will take us to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to meet with a group of Arhuaco farmers. The Arhuaco are in a struggle to preserve their land and their culture. It is a privilege to be able to meet with them. If you’re interested in learning more, check back. There is also an excellent multimedia piece about, and produced by, them on the National Geographic website: Keepers of the World

After that, we will head to the mountains near Cali in the south to meet farmers from the Treter’s current partner, Fondo Paez. Caught between the on-going war between the government and guerrilla fighters, the farmers of Fondo Paez are committed to building a community of peace and permaculture.

Check back next week as I’ll try to write a few passages while on the road, and when i return I’ll share some of the images.

The last wedding assignment of the 2007 season was in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Ben & Sherry took a chance that it wouldn’t snow in mid-October and threw a great party. Here are a few images focusing on the details, the humor and friendships.

For each wedding, I choose a selection to proof as black & white. B & W allows the viewer to focus on the subject of the images. The colors were amazing in October, but so were the relationships.

Images by Gary L Howe

View the multi-media slide show State Theatre Grand Opening

Click through to view a multimedia piece created by myself and audio reporter, Linnaea Melcarek, covering the grand opening of the Traverse City State Theatre on November 17, 2007. Hundreds of people were downtown to celebrate the re-opening of the 91 year old, and newly, renovated theater.

Jason & Erika were married back in late September in St. Joseph, Michigan, with the reception at the Blue Dress Barn. They are a beautiful couple, both with lots of character. It was difficult to choose what images to display here, so I focused on showing their personalities when together.

I have a few more weddings from 2007 to BLOG (soon), but previous entries can be viewed here: 2007 Weddings

Images by Gary L Howe

Michael Moore waves to the Saturday night crowd as he enters the State Theatre in Traverse City during the grand opening on Saturday, November 17, 2007. Moore is one of the founders of the Traverse City Film Festival that now owns the theater and is responsible for the $850 thousand dollar renovations.

The bright lights and big stars were out in Traverse City on opening night. Special guests to the event arrived to the renovated State Theatre by limousine

Director Terry George has a little fun with fans waiting along the red carpet as special guests enter the State Theatre along a red carpet.

The interior of the State Theatre, complete with celestial ceiling. As well, the 500 plus theater seats are completely Michigan made from a company out of Grand Rapids.

For more images of the State Theatre, visit my archive: Gary L Howe

The recently renovated State Theatre opened in Traverse City, Michigan on November 17, 2007. The film, The Kite Runner, made its Michigan premier as part of the grand opening celebration. More soon…

In today’s New York Times is an emotionally moving article by By JERÉ LONGMAN and AIMEE BERG, “Small Town Mourns a Running Marvel“. It is a nice tribute to the runner Ryan Shay who surprisingly passed away last weekend. The village of Central Lake has been holding candle light vigils at the track each night this week. Despite freezing temperatures, hundreds have been taking part, if only to walk around the track once in honor of their hometown hero.

Images by Gary L Howe

I’ve been busy with the Great Lakes Bioneers Conference, planning a fundraiser around the screening of War/Dance, and in general Taking Back Time. I’ll get some more images up soon, but these are images of Elayna. Her mother, Katie, wanted some candid images of this quick moving child. We did our best.

Images by Gary L Howe

I spent the weekend in the U.P. shooting a wedding, camping with my beagle, and getting a tour of the area around the Yellow Dog and Salmon Trout River where a proposed sulfide mine is meeting stern resistance. I’ll have more of the wedding and the river story soon, but wanted to share a few images on my birthday.

Lima waiting patiently as I take far too long shooting a scene.

Images by me, Gary L Howe

Fall–simply, it is just a beautiful time of the year. On September 15th, Andrea & Brian chose a fantastic place to get married in the Snowmoon Ranch. The farm overlooks rolling hills, Glen Lake and comes complete with a population of Llamas. It was a full participatory wedding with several friends lending their musical talents to accompany the sounds of local fav New Third Coast. Unfortunately, we all can’t make it on the new couples’ mega-moon that is taking them across the globe for 8 months.

The Neahtawanta Center celebrated it’s 20 the anniversary of providing a space, and the tools and energy for, community building based on social and environmental justice. Local favorites, Seth Bernard and Daisy May Erlewine (above) of Earthwork Music played for a small gathering of people on Saturday September 22, 2007. The duo can be seen at the Neahtawanta co-sponsored Great Lakes Bioneers Conference on October 19 in Traverse City, Michigan.

Erlewine’s latest solo album, Mother Moon features images in the insert that were taken by me during the recording in Big Rapids in December 2006. You can listen to and purchase a DVD at her Web site.

Image by Gary L Howe

Announcing an exhibition of images focusing on Fair Trade coffee producers.

Examining green beans in Rwanda.

This has been a part of my work over the last four years working in coordination with Higher Grounds Trading Co. and their buying cooperative, Cooperative Coffees. Higher Grounds recently opened their new roasting facility/cafe bar on the campus of the Traverse City Commons. If you want to learn a lot about the coffee industry and what goes into making a throughly enjoyable cup of coffee, one that is delicious and at the same time being socially just, head over to their place (map below). And, while there, peruse a few photos from Mexico, Bolivia and Rwanda.

Picking :cherries”, or ripe beans, also seen below, in Chiapas, Mexico.

The Higher Grounds Trading Company’s Cafe Bar is located behind Building 50, and just west of Munson Medical Center.

Images by Gary L. Howe. Click here for more Fair Trade coffee images

The wait for a wave is a little longer than you would have in Maui, but that doesn’t stop Elloy Molano & Matt Dobrowolski from surfing off of Van’s Beach in Leland in late August. I was shooting for a travel story about Leland & Fishtown–link below. Molano suggested that we all check out the film, Unsalted, for more about surfing in the Great Lakes.

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Leland, Michigan: A Lower Peninsula Spot Draws a Wider Crowd

photography by Gary Howe

When I take a vacation, it is very hard not to take a camera. Instead, I just try to shoot things that aren’t so obvious or in the norm. North Manitou Island is full of scenic vistas and beaches, but what I’m attracted to most is often the smallest of things. So, while camping there in mid-August I took out my favorite lens, the Nikon 105mm macro, to do things like capture a monarch caterpillar representing the letter “J”, a unidentified object in the breakwater (shell, rock bone??) and other interesting angles of larger things.

All Images by Gary L Howe

It’s not often that I get to shoot a couple’s wedding where I was present when they first met! Kate & Abe met at a party a couple of year’s ago and were married August 4th at their country home in West Michigan. Kate is the owner of Zany Consignment Boutique in Traverse City.

The farm was beautiful, Kate was gorgeous, Abe was a little silly and Kate’s cousin, on leave from the military, was ready to get his groove on.

All photography by Gary L Howe.

In the August 7th print of the New York Times Escapes section, you can read about Mario Batali’s choice of Northern Michigan for a vacation home.

A few images run with the story and also, online, there is an audio slide show of Batali making Pizza al Fresco in his backyard pizza oven. Audio capture by the reporter & produced by the New York Times. Oh, he also shared his very simple Pizza Dough recipe.

Sara and Ryan’s Northern Michigan Wedding had glamour, lots of emotion, plenty of humor and good ol’ excitement. Strangely enough, a lot of weddings skip past the big moment–The Kiss. If you blink, you miss it. Sara and Ryan seemed to forget that there were other people present–and then remembered, making for a pretty funny expression.

Ryan was thrilled that his uncle brought his Model A Ford Truck for the newlyweds to take a spin around Crystal Mountain’s campus.

It can sometimes be a sad state of affairs when the bouquet is tossed out. Many women flee as far as they can from the floral toss. Sara’s friends put on a good show for the cause, although the enthusiasm seemed to wane once the bouquet was airborne.

The 2007 Traverse City Film Festival wrapped up on Sunday and now we enter the quiet days of summer. I didn’t shoot too much on the last day of the festival, but I did have the honor of placing the letters on the marquee for the 4PM show at the State Theater–”Please Vote For Me“. Cool. I always wanted to do that.

The exciting news from the festival, for locals, is that the State Theatre will be an operational community theatre once again on November 17. I can’t wait. I didn’t realize what Traverse City had lost when it closed in 1991, but I’m thrilled that we will get it back.

The documentary “Please Vote For Me” made me cry because it was so funny, honest, and revealing of some very universal traits. It also depicted a classroom of Chinese students who I felt like I knew. I have taught in China, and the children in this movie brought it all back. Rent this film if you get a chance.

My favorite film from the 2007 TC Film Festival was War Dance. War Dance told the story of three Uganda refugee students who strive to re-invent their identity from a war torn past. The children, at 12 years old, showed more perspective, insight and maturity than I see in most adults.

This is the view from the marquee. The Traverse City Film Festival Photo BLOG will be getting updates in the coming weeks. There were about 16 festival photographers who were set loose on the streets of Traverse City.

Check out what we came with: Traverse City Film Festival Photography

Lots of popcorn at the Traverse City Film Festival.

Shell Levin eating popcorn prior to viewing “Grace is Gone” in the State Theater.

* The TCFF now has a daily photo BLOG that I contribute to, check it out: TC Film festival. The overworked photogs at the Record Eagle also have a daily update.

The second day of the Traverse City Film Festival needed extra security as governor Granholm made an appearance at the screening of Nimrod Nation at the Old Town Playhouse. Also on stage at the screening were representatives of the fighting Nimrods from Watersmeet, Michigan. The isolated community, and its love for the high school basketball team is the subject featured in the new documentary series by director Brett Morgen, who was also on hand to field a Q and A session. If you’ve ever spent time in the upper peninsula, or grew up in a small community, there is a lot to remind you of home in this TV series.

Later, the festival’s first free movie at the Traverse City Open Space kicked off with a screening of E.T.

You know what? I’ve never saw this movie until tonight.

I also watched Tuya’s Marriage which is a Chinese story of Mongolian life in Inner Mongolia where water is scarce and life is harsh.

It was a good day for the 2007 Traverse City Film Festival. Great weather, great crowds and, from my perspective, all went very smooth. I spent part of the day roasting in almost 100 degree temps on Traverse City’s Front St. while shooting at the opening celebrations, images below, before attending the opening day screening of an amazing film, “Once“.

I’m no movie reviewer, so I’ll simply say it was a brilliantly done film that feeds an audience’s sense for  reality based romance. I’m always amazed to witness the passion that is possible with song writers. Follow the link to hear some of the music from this modern musical: “Once“.

I’m excited for the rest of the week. There are a lot of great people hanging around downtown and lots of movies to see. The Film Festival is a huge volunteer operation and a lot of my images will be directed at them this week. To kick it off, we have Mark Dragovich who is volunteering for the first time this year. I caught him while he was placing the lettering on the State Theater Marquee.

This is volunteer Fred “Tim” Howell also volunteering for the first time this year. He is standing in front of posters of actress/director Christine Lahti who was presented with the 2007 Michigan Filmmaker Award at the Traverse City Film Festival kick off celebrations.

Michael Moore speaking to the crowd of onlookers on Front St. as he kicked off the 2007 festival. Moore, co-founded the film festival with Doug Stanton and John Robert Williams in 2005.

There still are tickets, so follow the chalk on the pavement, or go online at www.traversecityfilmfestival.org.

The Traverse City Film Festival kicks off tomorrow and for the 3rd year in a row, I’ll be a volunteer photographer for the event. I posted 3 images from last year’s festival below, and will hopefully have an opportunity to post some images from this year’s event later in the week.

The first image shown here was chosen to be printed on the film tickets for the 2007 Film Festival.The Traverse City Film Festival has grown precipitously in the last 3 years, and it has done so while maintaining a high level of energy from its hundreds of volunteers. It is an honor to work with such a positive, high functioning community. Follow the link here, to view more 2006 images from the Traverse City Film Festival.

I shoot, maybe, one or two Mackinac Island Weddings every summer. It is a nice change from the weddings on the mainland. I do need to book Mackinac Island Weddings well in advance, however, because of the additional logistics in a very busy summertime place.