Life on Earth

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.