The moon rose like the sun this evening
A circular brilliance arguing with the night, creating her own daybreak
No subtlety of colors, no pale moon white but dashes of yellow, pink and orange
cast to the surrounding sky.
The moon rose like the sun this evening
Her efforts so convincing I expected to hear birdsong greeting her dawn.
Kathleen A. Alexander
December brought us the ‘Cold Moon,’ a Mohawk name that conveys the frigid conditions of this time of year. As the full moon rose shrouded in clouds, a brief clearing appeared and I was able to capture an image from our front yard. The colors of the moon in the blue hour light echoed the beautiful verse penned by Kathleen.
December arrived with little fanfare; continued warmth, with clouds and rain that just did not feel like winter. Perhaps that is our future as the climate continues to evolve. In SE Michigan the snowfall has been non-existent, other than remnants of lake effect coming off Lake Michigan and stretching across the state to provide a dusting before Christmas; a far cry from the winters I remember growing up in Minnesota and South Dakota. I remember working at -30 degrees actual temperature during the long month of January in Minot, ND; and I have to chuckle at the doom and gloom of our weather people talking about how bad conditions are here. But that’s easy for me to say when I don’t need to leave the comfort of a warm fireplace to drive to work anymore. Maybe it’s just the evolution of stories I heard growing up about walking 5 miles to school through a raging snow storm!
I was able to get out for one long photography walk as the skies finally cleared just before New Year’s day. The University of Michigan campus is always a pleasant walk, but during periods of low student activity I find it refreshing spending hours roaming Ann Arbor and the campus in pursuit of images. I think my best shots were captured immediately after sunset but before the sky had darkened too far. It really provided some fantastic lighting on the buildings and added contrast to the building lights themselves.
During my walk around downtown Ann Arbor I found opportunities to capture the city’s vibrancy, but with so few people around it didn’t hold a lot of aesthetic appeal for me. I was drawn to the two images below because of the beautiful contrasting light and shadow patterns. The State Theater, with its brightly lit marquee is always a draw. And with all of the private student residences constructed along South University Avenue, this shot stood out with the setting sun reflecting on the building.
The sheer size of Michigan Union makes it difficult to capture, and I think student activity around the building would have been interesting, but I was drawn to the University Flag blowing in the wind, contrasting against the clear skies.
The facade of Mason Hall forms a beautiful lattice work of light and shadow that I felt is captured much better in black/white.
The Ross School of Business provides a beautiful blend of light and shapes. I’ve looked at these buildings many times over the years but never really noticed this aspect; I had the perfect conditions with internal lighting emphasizing the cube shapes contrasting against the blue hour light in the sky. Sometimes it really is being in the right place at the right time.
The gothic architecture of the Law Quad is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful spots on the campus. Kathleen and I fell in love with the architecture and landscaped gardens surrounding the buildings. I think I captured a fair representation of the beauty in this image.
The ‘Arriving Home’ sculpture provided the perfect foreground for an image of the School of Dentistry across North University Avenue.
Capturing interesting reflections is a part of cityscape photography. I was able to shoot the North Quad Residential facilities reflected in the large windows of the Modern languages Building.
The University of Michigan Central Diag is a key part of campus life. In this image I was facing south, shooting between the Chemistry Building on the left, and the School of Kinesiology on the right. The Hatcher Graduate Library is visible in the distance.
The Burton Memorial Tower houses the 53 bell Baird Carillon. The Carillon and tower provide both time keeping and entertainment for the surrounding community. In recent years a new programmable lighting system was installed to enhance the aesthetic and provide energy savings. I love the second image where the inner workings of the clock and Carillon bells are visible.
Well that pretty much wraps up 2024 in general and December specifically. I hope you’ve enjoyed my posts throughout the year; stick around and we’ll see where 2025 leads. If you enjoyed this Journal entry, please drop me a comment below, feel free to share with your friends, and visit my website Terrance Alexander Photography.
With kindness and respect as a 2025 aspiration – Terrance Alexander