MY OFFICE TODAY

from BAYLIFE MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2022 10th Anniversary Issue #59

by Traverse City BAYLIFE Magazine

THE WRIGHT WAY

50 Years of Northern Michigan Images

Photography and Captions by John Russell

John Russell at the top of the Mighty Mac

It is said that life is an open book full of blank pages and you write the stories as you go. This rings true with local photojournalist John Russell. He has shared half a century’s worth of news stories he reported on to create his newly published book, “My Office Today: 50 Years of Northern Michigan Images.”

It’s a history book, containing a myriad of memories of the past, that tell the news of the day, forever frozen in time with pictures and captions. This “labor of love,” as John refers to it, has been three years in the making. He tirelessly sifted through over 84,000 frames choosing two strict criteria to narrow down the coveted winning photos that shape the book. “Impact and story. They had to bring a smile or have a wow factor. We had to include humor too,” says John. Some of the funny photos he had a hand in directing. “There are two answers to any question, yes and no, when you ask someone to do something silly,” he laughs. “We need more humor in this world.”

THIS SIDE DOWN - JANUARY 1978

My friend, Marty Lagina, stands next to the training vessels at The Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Powerful north wind storms pushed high waves over the break wall capsizing them.

OVER THE EDGE

1985-Construction of the Grand Traverse Resort tower. I boldly ventured out to the end of the crane in a safety harness, camera in hand. I was glad to get back on solid ground.

Through the lens of his Nikon camera, he seized moments of the unexpected. Page by page, the astounding fact to remember is John was actually on-scene – boots on the ground and camera in hand, capturing in a single frame the snapshots of life. From Mother Nature, all-powerful in glory or wrath, to human emotions of man-made drama. To one time only, never to happen again events, John was in the right place at the right time. As we lingered through the book together his memory of each adventure is remarkable. “It’s easy the pictures meant a lot to me,” he says.

BIG MAC’S UNDERBELLY

1977 - Mackinac Bridge worker Bob Campbell took me on a tour. Up until that day, I had no concept as to how the underside appears. Or how 5 miles of beams hold up the roadway.

PRACTICE BURN

April 1980 - Several departments were graduating firefighters so I waited until this practice house in Greilickville was fully engulfed in flames. A fitting graduation photo.

John, a Traverse City native, received his first paying gigs while attending Michigan State University. There, he started shooting photos for the student paper. “I carried my camera everywhere; my goal was to have a cover shot every day! I got paid $3 a picture,” he laughs. “I wasn’t officially on the staff because I wasn’t a journalism student. But I prevailed.” As he progressed into real world newspapers his stories of lessons learned are many. “One time I was challenged, I’ve only got these limited lenses. ‘Get closer’ came words of wisdom from Tony Spina, the chief photographer of the Detroit Free Press. I’m quite sure I was a pain in the butt, I was always asking questions.”

STACKED JUST RIGHT

2016 - I have been honored to work with the U.S. Coast Guard for five decades. At its request I shot this photo for a magazine cover in 2016.

SPARK SHOW

2018 - Buckley Old Engine Show. I had set up my camera and tripod not knowing what to expect. Sparks filled the sky with sparkling ash, a beautiful sight.

 MANISTEE LIGHT

To lessen the pain of my father’s recent passing after closing out his apartment, I soaked in the shoreline beauty. I captured this shot that I offered to the Associated Press, which sent it to newspapers all across the United States.

EMERGENCY AT CHERRY CAPITAL AIRPORT

A wheel collapsing dropping the left engine propeller onto the concrete apron forcing the plane nearly out of control.

FLYING UPSIDE DOWN

2003 Cherry Festival Air Show. I was invited to by the Red Barron Pizza Squadron to fly formations as a passenger. What a thrill it was.

TREE CRUSHER December 1986 - Grandview Parkway. This 1981 Chevrolet Caprice was crushed by a 15 foot tree that was being transported on a tree-digging truck. The truck driver mis-judged the turn. Miraculously no one was hurt.

ST. FRANCIS - MAKING WAY FOR THE NEW

June 1977 - Witnessing the removal of St Francis Assisi Catholic Church. A crew from Elmer’s carefully removed the bells one at a time. Thousands of bees left the steeple as the first punch from the wrecking ball collapsed part of the 90 year old structure. Sister Mary Ann Catherine and Sister Mary Edith get a close up.

GOVERNOR BILL MILLIKEN

HOWE ARENA’S GORDIE HOWE

SUNTAN THE BEACH BUM BEAR

Bites Bill Erikson

 VASA

LEGEND VOJIN BAIC

An Olympic cross-country skier, he helped create the VASA race and transformed Traverse City. A BIG WIN Lansing 1985 - Traverse City Central’s big semi-final win over Ann Arbor Pioneers. Nick Edson, the Record-Eagle sports editor, told me it was the most powerful and largest image ever to be printed on the cover of any Record-Eagle sports page.

Cameras in tow, chasing a story down has become his life legacy. His long list of accolades boast prize-winning photographs, and powerhouse affiliations including Newsweek, TIME, The New York Times and The Times, a London-based newspaper, to name a few. Publications closer to home include The Detroit Free Press and the Traverse City Record Eagle. Along the way he credits many mentors that have shaped his life, inspiring him greatly. “I wanted to be the kind of person that people want to say hi to.”

John’s zest for life and adventure is palpable. “My mom was a painter, she gave me the gift to be able to see things, she would say “you have the vision, develop it.” I’m always looking. I leave early in the morning for my road trips of discovery. I call them my drive-by (photography) shootings.” After lively conversations with John, you can vividly imagine him in the car, camera at the ready on the hunt. For enduring that lifestyle alongside him, he dedicates the book to his wife Meg, of 30 years. “She’s amazing,” he says. She aided and abetted him on many a chase. And finally, to the question posed, what is your best photograph? John answers “I hope I haven’t shot it yet. I’m always pushing myself to learn and do better.”