Joel Dinda's photos

It's just a hallway at a Traverse City hotel, though it doubles as sort of a balcony. Surprisingly attractive, though; most hotels in my price range have truly boring, utilitarian, and generally ugly, hallways.

Neat house, no? Took this from a similar stair, in Fitzgerald Park. We walk the Ledges Trail a couple times each year. Since it's in a fairly steep valley/canyon, most of those walks are poorly lit, and difficult to photograph. Our recent walk, on the other hand, had such delightful light that I had to share. One more pic to go, and one I'm saving for some other time. =========== Same view, another season .

Another photo from late 1971 or early 1972: The view from our front porch on Palmer Avenue. Dad grew up on this block, and both his sister (in the house at the left in this photo) and his parents (a couple houses down the block) were still there when we moved to the neighborhood. So it was sort of a family enclave. If I can locate appropriate photographs, I'll give you a little tour. Unfortunately, I've forgotten the name of the folks in the pink house. (Debbie? Dick? Can you help?) I do recall that he was a skinny little thing, while she was the widest person I've ever encountered. Good neighbors, except for the pink siding. Another SR-T 101 photo.

One last view of Second Island's bridge in downtown Grand Ledge. Shot from where the local kids come to feed the birds . There seem to be several generations of retaining walls holding the island together. I like that.

Mulliken's gas and service station, on M-43. Shot from Mulliken Thriftway .

A really spectacular sky above Mulliken Meadows. Shot from our yard. I'm absolutely astonished: This photo is the third most "interesting" photo for November 30 (as of December 6). Thanks to all of you for viewing it. Explored! #113 [October 12, 2006] Thanks! -Added to the Cream of the Crop pool as my most "interesting" photograph. 2/11/06

I like the texture and details on this one; nothing fancy, but lots of interesting stuff. It's just west of Grand Ledge on M-43. Looks like there used to be a farm house here, but I suppose it burned; three outbuildings remain to mark the homestead. Now in use by the farmer across the street. Another photo of these buildings. The sun and shadows play neat tricks on the place.

Another photo from the 1978's Spring Valley Road Series, hosted at Kalamazoo's Spring Valley Park by the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club. I like the way this one shows so much motion. Camera: Minolta Zoom 110 SLR

Far better large. Oak Park's 70-foot rock wall, from across the river on the Ledges Trail. A mecca for local climbers , of course.

Me, just back from Vietnam in late 1971 or early 1972. Reading Joseph Featherstone's Schools Where Children Learn. We (my father, my family, Action Now , whatever--sometimes it was hard to tell the roles apart) spent a lot of time arguing with the school board in the sixties and seventies, and I was doing my homework. Or something. Probably still thought I'd grow up to be a teacher. Such is life. That ugly shirt was my favorite for years. No accounting for taste. Probably Dad shot this picture, but with my Minolta SR-T 101.

By 1990 it was really quite clear that the Soo Line Ore Dock would never be used again. But some of us were probably hopeful. Taken from the downtown park (properly, Ellwood A. Mattson Lower Harbor Park), which was a couple weeks old when this photo was shot.... Camera: Minolta Freedom 100. I took a similar photo with a panoramic camera at the same time, then lost the camera. Would have been interesting to have that roll of film....

There are a handful of houses overlooking Island Park in Grand Ledge. I think I like this one best. Privacy looks like it might be an issue, though. Particularly when there's an event going on in the park.

Looking south from the Thriftway . That's Hoytville in the distance....

It was new snow when I shot this pic in 1972. That's our tiny (1930s-era) garage on Palmer Avenue in Kalamazoo in the foreground. I scanned 85 photographs yesterday, all from my first few months home from Vietnam. You'll certainly see more of 'em. Camera: Minolta SR-T 101

Downtown Grand Ledge, again. The ducks have noticed that someone's feeding their friends by the bridge. Here they come! The Grand River; Second Island (Island Park) to the right. Shot from the Second Island bridge.

My brother, Dick ( Kalamazoo Richard ), round 'bout his eighteenth birthday (late 1971 or early 1972). A little fuzzy, and he looks so young . Note the peace symbol where his unit patch belongs.... Taken with my then-new Minolta SR-T 101. This negative was damaged in the camera (the whole roll of film's a mess) and I don't believe the developer printed this frame, so I'm pretty sure Richard's never seen this one. Sorry about the dirty scan, but the scratches seemed worth keeping.

The roofers brought along this trailer. It was an interesting critter....

Kaymoor One Mine , New River Gorge, West Virginia. The down stairway goes to Kaymoor Bottom. Eight hundred steps, we're told; we weren't up to it. The miners apparently scrambled up a trail every morning....