• Sunday-What'sUP October 11 - 12:25 pm

Shortly after the Pasty Cam started in 1998 we met a talented, energetic photographer and outdoor enthusiast named Dan Urbanski. I was reminded of Dan's work again last week while doing Wednesday's Day in History, about the destructive fires the have occurred in October. Dan was often tapped by the DNR and other state and local authorities to chronicle such happenings. Back in 2000, Dan's photos captured the struggle against this fire that charred over 1400 acres in the Porcupine Mountains.

Edie and I are traveling back up north today, after attending her 1971 Lake Orion High Class Reunion in Rochester, MI last night. What a wonderful time of renewing acquaintances and catching up with old friends (I also graduated from LOHS, but a year earlier). We were saddened to learn of the passing of several classmates, and while looking over the list, again I thought of Dan U. and how he left us much too soon. As I recall, Dan was class of '72 at Hazel Park High. For more about the life and work of Dan Urbanski, see the memorial posted after his passing in 2004.

It's a beautiful sunny day here in the L.P., where we spent the night near Saginaw. Looks like a good day for a color tour of the stretch of Michigan we'll see between here and the Copper Country.

Have a good week :o)

That was great! Dan sounds like he was such a great guy! His pictures are always so wonderful! I wish I had known him. Thank you, Charlie, for posting this. I never did get to see it!

I only learned in recent weeks that Dan is no longer with us. However, thanks to pasty.com/, his photography and other work are preserved for eternity.

While I can appreciate Dan's gifted photography, it is hard not to feel sad at his passing at such a young age. It seems that sweet, talented people often leave us too soon. He left quite a legacy behind.

This seems to be a big year for reunions. I just also returned from mine (Southfield High '69) and I can commiserate with the sadness that comes from learning of the passing of old classmates.

Dan the Man! His work is always instantly recognized and has given me an even greater appreciation for nature and the outdoors.

Being with pasty.com almost from the beginning, I remember Dan's pictures very well. I can't believe it has been around 5 years since his passing.He sure knew how to capture the best that nature had to offer in his pictures.

I flew on that fire for the DNR. It was a lightning
strike in a wilderness area so we could not use
tractor plows to dig a fire line. It was all hand
work only.
You can see the leaf rake in the bottom photo. The
firefighters were making the best fire line with
leaf rakes and even a couple leaf blowers. The
ground was all wet
below the top layer so the duff didn't really burn.

Dan was indeed a very talented man. Miss his pictures...and can always pick them out....God got the best photographer around!!!

My God. Has it been 5 years already since Dan went home? He was a very talented photographer. I guess he was needed in heaven.