the camera's eye

[Editor's note: At the end of the season I invited each of our photographers to submit something about their experience covering Michigan the last year. These guys drive across the country to get to these games, see them from the field, and often interact with players and coaches and administration, so they have a very different perspective than we the unwashed in our at-home offices.

Previously: Photos Editor Bryan Fuller, photographer Patrick Barron. Here’s MG's:]

On the notion of belonging:

In early November 2020, as I was biking to Crisler to photograph my first game since the beginning of the Covid pandemic and the abrupt ending of the 2019 season with a canceled B1G tournament, Fred, a good friend, sent me this message:

“I don’t how it is possible, but you are spoiled - more than usual - so enjoy for us”.

I can not look back at 2021, without starting in 2020 ~ That year MGoBlog skipped the photo review because of the very limited amount of events covered.

The Big Ten getting the news that its 2020 tournament was over, March 12, 2020

In Ann Arbor, everything started in chaos: The Football season was not a disappointment but an embarrassment to many, the men’s Basketball program did generate expectation but the absence of fans was a mood killer.

If you wish to follow me on social media, I post more than just football photos! In the offseason I photograph wildlife and landscapes at the national parks, so give me a follow if you like grizzly bears and foxes! And Michigan football, of course.
Twitter: @BlueBarronPhoto
Instagram: @BlueBarronPhoto

I also sell wildlife/landscape prints on FineArtAmerica if you'd like to support my photography! Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to sell Michigan sports photos due to my credential agreement. But click the link to go to my store! It's been some time since I've updated so watch out for more additions!
Link

Now with that being said, it's story time.

-----------------------------------------

On October 24, 2020 I checked into a cheap motel in Fresno, California. The walls were a bit moldy and the bed sheets gave the impression that I should lay out my sleeping bag on top of them so I wouldn't catch something. This was still marginally better than sleeping in my car again. It was the cheapest thing I could find at the time but all that mattered was that it had a 16” television that had ABC at around 480p. It would suffice. Michigan football would soon be on and despite everything going on, I would do whatever it took to watch, especially in the midst of a global pandemic when all of us were searching for any beacon of normalcy. Michigan's 49-24 smothering of Minnesota implied a bright but the reality of the season was one that paralleled my own situation.

I moved to Colorado in the Fall of 2019 to pursue better opportunities in my career and to chase a new love of the mountains. Flights from Denver to Detroit are also relatively cheap so I wouldn't have to give up my coverage of photographing Michigan football. The Denver area seemed like a perfect compromise location for all my interests. I was a contractor for an area aerospace company and at the end of March 2020 my contract was terminated for budget reasons. At this same time, Covid-19 lockdowns were in full effect and I was a sitting duck at home with no job. All I remember from the month of April was playing Animal Crossing and Age of Empires. At one point in May I got drunk and live tweeted the new Cats movie. By August the skies of Colorado were orange and the air smelled like a campfire due to all the wildfires. It was a rough (and weird) time.

[After THE JUMP: wilderness]

[Ed: You see their names adorn our photos all the time, but once a year we like to highlight some of the most important members of our team. MGoBlog would have a hard time doing what we do without the dedication and professionalism and talent of our photography staff. So here at the end of the year we leave some space for them to choose their favorite photos, tell a story, add their perspectives, or share whatever they like, starting with our photo editor Bryan Fuller.]

After having to sit out the 2020 season due to limited media access, I couldn’t wait to get back on the sidelines this season. However, admittedly, I never saw the on-field success of these season coming. It has been such a fun and memorable season for me, as it certainly has been for all of us. Below are a few of my favorite photos from the season so far (if I had to pick a favorite, I would be had pressed to choose between the Haskins leap against OSU, Haskins diving over the pile against Iowa, or Huch holding up the B10 Championship trophy)…..but as Coach Harbaugh likes to say, “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise” I’ll still have not one, but two more memorable games left in this magical season!

Byran's favorites of 2021 album:

[After THE JUMP: Some notes about the season he covered]