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The Rose Bowl 2024 (Patrick Barron)

The Rose Bowl Michigan Football vs Alabama (Bryan Fuller)

Sponsor Note

First, a bear!

There are still a few spots left for Open Sky Expeditions' trip to Katmai National Park in Alaska! Sign up and I will show you how to take photos like the one above. 

I am partnering with Open Sky Expeditions, a team of travel experts that specialize in small-group photography journeys & expeditions to compelling destinations all around the world. They’re not just experts at what they do (and photographers themselves); Open Sky is also co-run by Ann Arbor native, diehard Wolverine, and Michigan grad, Temu Nana (LSA ’03).

Next summer—from August 12-20, 2024—I’ll be joining Temu & an expert bear guide on an expedition to one of my favorite places in the world: Katmai National Park, Alaska. There, amidst stunning landscapes only accessible by boat or float plane (and we’ll use both), you can be up close with coastal brown bears as they fatten up for the winter. And to top it all off, you can learn wildlife photography from yours truly! I will be joining as a photo instructor, seriously excited to share my experience and passion for wildlife photography (and hopefully show some of you that it's not as crazy as it sounds). And of course, I'm happy to talk about all my tales of covering Michigan football as well (Temu, as you’ll also see, is as obsessed a fan as the rest of us). Katmai truly is a magical place and one that I visit every year. To walk amongst the bears there is one of the greatest experiences I've ever had and I'm excited to share that experience. 

Check out their website for more information on the trip: Open Sky Expeditions Katmai Trip

Scroll down that link a bit to see some of the awesome photos (there are also otters).

If Alaska isn't your thing, they also host trips to Machu Picchu, Morocco, Chile, Antarctica, Norway, the Galapagos Islands, and many more. Check out their website, check out their photos, and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime!

You should also absolutely check out the Galapagos Islands! Stunning wildlife and landscape scenes in one of the most biodiverse places in the world. Dates are September 2-12 so check it out! 

And to check out other opportunities, check out the rest of their website. Open Sky Expeditions, book now for the adventure of a lifetime!

Like A Dream

For as long as I've been a Michigan fan I've wanted to go to The Rose Bowl. Every year on tv I would watch the sunset on the San Gabriel Mountains, the parade, the B-2 flyover, and every year I would think "some day." It bothered me that Illinois had a more recent Rose Bowl appearance than Michigan. It bothered me that my first time going might be for a UCLA game. I would hear stories from my elders about attending The Rose Bowl and it was starting to sound like a tradition from another age, one I would not get to ever really understand.

Now, having gotten the full experience, and having witnessed an instant classic, I can say quite comfortably that it not only met expectations, it blew them out of the water. This was the best sports experience of my life.
 

The stadium was iconic and beautiful. Sure it needs a bit of repair in places, but it felt like a game from the 70s. As described by others, there was very little piped in music. Mostly you heard just the murmur of the crowd disrupted by the tribal clash of dueling marching bands. I marched to the top of the stadium twice, once for the B-2 flyover, and again for the sunset. As a photographer of national parks and wild things, I know a good sunset when I see one. I've never been more excited for a sunset.

It was magical, it was like a dream.
 

The nice thing about the Rose Bowl is that independent of who is playing in it or what the results are, it's still just as famous. But an instant classic is just a little bit more special. I had made peace with myself while I was up top staring at the red and orange tones coming off the San Gabriel mountains. Alabama was taking control of the game and I told myself "no matter what happens in this game, it's been incredible. I am ok with this."

Then Alabama fumbled and I gave a relatively unprofessional shout. One of my first bosses from the Michigan Daily was also up there with me, I apologized briefly for breaking my impartiality (she laughed and forgave me). 

The game quickly shifted from It's So Over to Oh Yeah Baby We're So Back. I apologize for saying that the first half of the regular season was boring because a whole season's worth of nerves were hitting all at once. Remember how you felt when Jake Thaw fumbled? When the game officially went into overtime? Imagine that but now imagine also still having to do your job. These players have absolute nerves of steel. I shot OT next to Alejandro who later said I was slightly catatonic (which I don't dispute).

Blake Corum returned to this season with unfinished business. He returned for those legendary touchdown runs against Penn State and Ohio State. He returned for this. It doesn't get more special than that.

The game ended. The team rushed the field in a wave of excitement I've never seen before. The confetti cannons fired. The band played. Bryan Fuller tackled the shit out of me. It was all so beautiful.
 

 

And then just like that, we were all celebrating a Rose Bowl win over Alabama. This was not a pity opt-out Rose Bowl. This was a College Football Playoff win against ALABAMA. They did it.
 

 

It's been 17 years since Michigan was in the Rose Bowl. 17 years from now we'll still be talking about it. Win one more this season and not only that, but we won't shut up about it.

There's just one thing left to do.
 

About the Photographers

If you'd like to support us, one of the simplest things you can do is follow us on social media (links just below) where we post way more photos than here. In the offseason I also do a LOT of wildlife/national park photography. While we're not allowed to sell any of our sports photos per our credential agreement (sorry to anyone who reached out asking about one), I sell prints from my adventures which I sell on FineArtAmerica. You can buy prints (or just look at some pretty pictures) here: Patrick Barron Art Collections Or if you'd like, you can simply support me by buying me a coffee!

Social Media Accounts:

Patrick Barron:
Twitter: @BlueBarronPhoto
Instagram: @BlueBarronPhoto
Instagram (BUT WITH BEARS): @BlueBarronPhoto_Wild 

Bryan Fuller
Twitter: I have been informed that Bryan's Twitter was hacked and is currently INOP :(
Instagram: @BryanFullerPhotography

[AHHHHH THE ROSE BOWL after THE JUMP]

Now go win the whole damn thing.