Motorists near Port Huron and Lapeer see the photography of Independence Township John Meyland everyday.
Meyland’s photo of Great Lakes boat Charles M. Beeghly is displayed on two billboards for Acheson Ventures of Port Huron. The billboards are located on I-94 near Port Huron and I-69 at M-53, about twelve miles south of Lapeer.
While fully cognizant of the first billboard, the second monstrous advertisement caught Meyland off-guard.
‘We were driving down the expressway and my wife said ‘Hey, there’s the boat,?? said Meyland. ‘I was surprised to see it and wasn’t aware it was there. It’s kind of gratifying. Let’s face it, a lot of people see it on the expressway? And it’s a picture I took. You take it and never think it’ll end up there. What percent of pictures you take end-up anywhere but your files??
Meyland, an amateur photographer, took the picture from a friend’s boat on the St. Clair River just off Marine City in the summer of 2001 with a 6X9 medium format camera.
‘It fit the right slot we needed,? said Paul Maxwell of Acheson Ventures, LLC who saw the picture on-line spurring him to get permission for use. ‘The ship is well known to local residents? It just adds so much to the billboard.?
Maxwell said the picture is meant to advertise a project by Acheson Ventures to revitalize waterfront property in the Port Huron area previously used by railroads and heavy industry. He described Acheson Ventures as a two-pronged organization including a philanthropic arm and development company.
The picture’s journey to the billboard started when Meyland sent it to www.boatnerd.com, a Web site funded by Acheson and filled with current information and history about the Great Lakes and seaway shipping.
Meyland started submitting pictures to the site in 1999 as a way to share his photos with other boat and Great Lakes enthusiasts.
‘For anyone interested in the Great Lakes, it’s a wonderful site,? said Meyland, who’s passion for boats blossomed during his childhood in the Upper Peninsula in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. ‘I was raised in the U.P. and it was a treat to see the boats in Marquette at the ore docks.?
In addition to the billboards, the photograph was used free of charge in a fund-raiser by Captain James C. Acheson and the international Shipmasters? Lodge #2 of Port Huron.
The funds raised went to a scholarship set up to assist a Blue Water (St. Clair County, Michigan or Lambton County, Ontario) resident in furthering their education in the programs at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy or the Georgian College Marine Program.
Despite the selection of his photo, Meyland keeps a humble attitude about his amateur photography career, which dates back 25 years, but intensified after his retirement from General Motors in 2001.
‘It’s just to share them? I’m not in a business, that’s not the intent. The intent is for other people to enjoy them,? said Meyland. ‘When you take photos, a lot of it is just the opportunity. Just being in the right place.?
In the future, Meyland plans to continue shooting Great Lakes vessels, which he generally does about four days a week during much of the shipping season from April to June.
In between trips, Meyland enjoys photographing local scenes and nature. He also sometimes takes photos for the SCAMP 5K Run held every year in Clarkston.
‘I try to go by the adage, ‘Take a picture a day,?? said Meyland. ‘There’s always something interesting in the village, if you look.?
Meyland’s photo on the billboard can also be seen at www.achesonventures.com.