Best shots of 2020
2020 was a year of great change and adapting to a new reality in which we live. Many things were rescheduled and or canceled altogether. I was most disappointed that my college canceled all sports and this year would have been my first year with media credentials for the Detroit Grand Prix. I was also looking forward to Oshkosh and my first time attending a race at Watkins Glen. With social distancing and stay-at-home orders in place, I wasn’t exactly able to shoot my typical genres of Sports and Portraits. So this year wouldn’t be a waste for a creative release I pushed myself into experimenting with some new genres and styles. It was fun taking a year to really push myself in another direction and see exactly what I can do. I traveled all over the great state of Michigan and visited a little over 20 lighthouses along with adventuring through different towns around the state. In this blog, I will share my favorite photos of the year and discuss why I like them so much.
Before The Lockdown
Starting off from January of this year before everything went to S*%T I was still deep in my street photography kick. While walking around Detroit I found myself in the middle of a fundraising event. I cannot remember exactly what they were raising money for but seeing how much things have changed in this short time I found this photo particularly interesting. We have this man front flipping into a pool in the middle of winter and a huge crowd so close to each other. Something that if you’re like me now looks very bizarre.
Fuji x Pro 3 | 23mm F2
This was the only sporting event I got to shoot for my school this year. U of M vs. Lawrence Tech.
Fuji Xpro 3 | Viltrox 85mm 1.8
Lighthouses
One of my biggest projects this year was traveling around the state to capture images of the lighthouses of Michigan. There are 116 in Michigan. Let’s just say I have a long ways to go to capture them all.
Little Sable Lighthouse with the Milkyway
Pentax K1 Mkii | Bower 24mm F1.4
Marquette Harbor Light
Fuji Xpro 3 | 16mm 2.8
Tawas Point
Nikon F2 | Nikon 50mm 1.4 | Ferrania P30 film
Tawas Point
Fuji Xpro 3 | 23mm F2
Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse
Minolta Freedom Escort | Kodak Tri-X 400
Fort Gratiot Lighthouse
Fuji Xpro 3 | 23mm F2
Point Aux Barques Lighthouse
Pentax K1 | Pentax 43mm F1.9
Big Sable Point Lighthouse
Little Sable Point Lighthouse
Fuji Xpro 3 | 16mm 2.8
Big Sable Point Lighthouse
Pentax K1 | smc-a 70-210 F4
Crisp Point Lighthouse
Xpro 3 | 23mm F2
Pointe Aux Sable
Fuji Xpro 3 | 16mm 2.8
Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse
Fuji Xpro 3 | 55-200mm
Grand Island Harbor Rear Range Light
Fuji Xpro 3 | 23mm F2
St.Joseph Lighthouse
Pentax K1 mkii | 70-210 F4
Shooting Lighthouses has been an absolute treat this year and it’s something I plan to push myself to keep doing. I would say my favorite lighthouse I have visited thus far is Crisp Point. It is the most secluded lighthouse in mainland Michigan. It was well worth the nearly 20 mile trip through the woods to get to it.
Street Photography
I still pushed myself to do street photography this year. It has been hard with social distancing and stay-at-home orders but I still feel I captured some telling images this year.
Mackinac Island Ferry
Fuji Xpro 3 | 23mm F2
Channeling my inner Henri Cartier-Bresson
Fuji Xpro 3 | 23mm F2
Detroit Firefighter poses after the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Pentax K1 | Super Takumar 28mm 3.5
Couple sits in Ann arbor
Rolleiflex 3.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400
Deep in Thought
Rolleiflex 3.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400
Taking Precautions
Rolleiflex 3.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400
Social Distanced Hangs
Rolleiflex 3.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400
Wedding Couple walks on the Pier
Rolleiflex 3.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400
Man down
Rolleiflex 3.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400
Motorsports
Many Motorsports events were canceled this year but I was still able to get a few events in though they were mostly in Ohio. I even had the chance to shoot a super 8 video at one event in Ohio.
Fuji Xpro 3 | 55-200
Fuji Xpro 3 | 55-200
Fuji Xpro 3 | 55-200
Fuji Xpro 3 | 16mm 2.8
Pentax K1 mkii | 77mm 1.8
Pentax K1 mkii | 43mm 1.9
Fuji Xpro 3 | 35mm F2
Fuji Xpro 3 | Super Takumar 200 F4
Fuji Xpro 3 | 35mm F2
Portraits
Portraits were few and far between this year but I still got a few in I am personally very proud of.
For a music video
Rolleiflex 3.5 | Fuji Pro 400h
My friend Katie
Canon Rebel 2000 | Canon 50 1.8 | Kodak Double X
Pandemic Haircut
Fuji Xpro 3 | 23mm F2
My friend Ashley
Fuji Xpro 3 | 35mm F2
My friend Claire
Pentax K1 mkii | 77mm 1.8
My friend Madelyn
Pentax K1 mkii | 77mm 1.8
My friend Katie
Pentax K1 mkii | 43mm 1.9
My friend Andrew
Pentax K1 mkii | 77mm 1.8
My friend Joey
Pentax K1 mkii | 43mm 1.9
First time messing with Large format film
Intrepid 4x5 | Fuji 150mm 5.6
Everything Else
Here are my other favorite shots that don’t exactly fit in a category.
Abandoned Chapel
Fuji Xpro 3 | 16mm 2.8
So simplistic but I really like this one.
Fuji X Pro 3 | 23mm F2 | 12 stop ND
Shoot I did for Bollinger Motor Company.
Rolleiflex 3.5 | Fuji Pro400h
The crossover I wish would happen
Fuji X Pro3 | 60mm 2.8
Lake Superior
Fuji Xpro 3 | 23mm F2 | 12 Stop ND
I got to meet the Marquette Police because of this photo. Don’t trespass.
Fuji Xpro 3 | 16mm 2.8 | Promist Black
Cranbrook Art Museum
Rolleiflex 3.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400
From my Zine “Portraits of a Cemetery”
Pentax K1 Mkii | 70-210 F4
Detroit
Fuji Xpro 3 | 23mm F2
Detroit
Fuji Xpro 3 | 23mm F2
tahquamenon falls
Fuji Xpro3 | 23mm F2 | 12 stop ND
Barn
Fuji Xpro 3 | 23mm F2
If you’re from Detroit you know how cliche of a spot this has turned in to. I still think it is a cool weird little thing that falls into the category of “Only in Detroit”.
Pentax K1 mkii | 77mm 1.8
Overall I would say this year has been very successful for me and photography. I learned a lot of new skills that I can apply towards other aspects of photography and I also finally got out and explored the state that I have lived in for 7 years now. I am currently done with school as well so get ready for more blogs. you can see my other blogs here. If you liked any of these photos you can order prints of a lot of them here. Thank you for taking the time to look at my work.
