Dan and I went down to see the Holidazzle Parade last night. It’s a difficult thing to photograph, tripods are pretty much a necessity. The Holidazzle Parade is at 6:30 Thursday – Sunday. We’re going back tonight with re-enforcements, so any suggestions are appreciated.
I found this little blue house in North St. Paul while I was out adventuring with my dad. It’s in an interesting little nieghhborhood just north of the State Capitol, wrapped around a hill, surrounded by railyards and highways.
The closest I’ve ever gotten to eagle. It’s ok, he was on a leash, at the Minnesota Raptor Center release event. By using a long lens and large aperture, I was able to focus on the eye and throw the beak out of focus.
Bob Kupbens and I were out walking around the canoe racks the other night looking at the sculptures being built for the City of Lakes Cross Country Ski Luminary Loppet. It started to snow and the skyline lit up from all the reflected street lights. I had my trusty f1/1.4 lens and was able to catch a few images.
The Luminary Loppet is a great photo opportunity, here are some of my photos from last year.
Speaking of the Luminary Loppet, it’s this weekend. I set up a photo contest for anyone that wants to come down and take photos of the event, there’s two $50 prizes! Here’s the rules:
1. The contest is open to everyone!
2. Entries must be submitted by uploading them to Flickr.com and adding them to the “2009 City of Lakes Loppet Photo Contest” group by Feb 28, 2009.
Flickr.com provides free accounts.
3. Entries must be submitted by the original photographer. Do not submit a photo taken by someone other than yourself. You must be the sole owner of the copyright of any image submitted. Your submission of the photo is your guarantee that you are the author and copyright holder of the photo.
4. No identification may appear on the image.
5. All submissions must be made from images recorded during the 2009 City of Lakes Luminary Loppet.
6. Each entrant may submit up to five (5) images. Submission of more than five (5) will disqualify all entries. Images must be at least 4
megapixel.
7. The deadline for submission is February 28, 2009.
8. Two $50 Prizes, one for each category. Please tag your photos with the category.
“Capturing the Spirit of the Event” photos of the community enjoying the event.
“Capturing the Beauty of the Ice Structures” photos of the ice sculptures and luminaries.
9. Judging will be conducted by a panel selected by critics chosen by the organizers of the Luminary Loppet
10. The winning photos will be published, and may be displayed at the next years City of Lakes Loppet and at other appropriate locations including the City of Lakes Loppet web page.
11. By entering the Contest, all entrants grant an irrevocable perpetual non-exclusive license to City of Lakes Loppet, to reproduce, distribute,
display and create derivative works of the entries in connection with the Contest, City of Lakes Loppet in any media now or hereafter known.
You must register for the Loppet to ski the course, you may walk on the lake and take pictures, but please stay off the ski tracks and out of the way of skiers.
Hundreds of kites filled the crisp winter air as little kids and big kids alike enjoyed this winter kite festival held on Lake Harriet in South Minneapolis. Winter in Minnesota is an interesting thing. While many would elect to stay inside where it’s warm; true Minnesotans have so many things to choose from: kite festivals on frozen lakes, winter carnivals, ice carving contests, cross-country ski races and pond hockey tournaments!
Check back for more kite and snow photos this week.
Today I am working on a Christmas piece for Morgan & Craig, owners and trainers of Balance a fitness studio. This is a portrait I shot of them for the piece. Learn more about Morgan and Craig and Balance fitness studio here.
Fall is in full swing up here in the Great North. The trees have turned and it snowed for a little while yesterday. (Click image for enlargement)
Werner bracing for a slow exposure 32 stories over Minneapolis on the Foshay Observation Deck.
Last weekend I ventured on a Minneapolis Photo safari with Diane, Werner and Rob. Diane was the one that came up with the location — the observation deck of the 447 foot-tall 1929 Foshay Tower. The tower has an interesting history. It was completed just months before the 1929 stock market crash and had (according to Wikipedia) a fantastic dedication ceremony:
Foshay invited 25,000 guests to the dedication ceremony and provided all-expenses paid trips to many who included cabinet members, senators and congressmen. Half nude dancers entertained. Each guest received a gold pocket watch. The military gave 19-gun salutes. John Philip Sousa conducted music, including “Foshay Tower-Washington Memorial March” a march he wrote for the occasion. Foshay presented Sousa with a check for US$20,000.
But Sousa’s check bounced and soon after the building went to the creditors and poor Wilbur Foshay landed in jail and never was able to live in the apartment he built for himself on the 28th and 29th floors.
The tower held the record until the IDS Center was built in the 1970s. It eventually fell into disrepair and it disappeared from the public consciousness as other buildings surrounded it and hid it from view.
In 2006 it was purchased by local investors and everyone but Keys Cafe moved out as the building was converted into a W Hotel. On August 13th of 2008 the W opened with a museum on the 30th floor that leads to the 32nd floor observation deck.
Shooting the city from above at night is pretty fascinating, there are so many lights of varying color and the glass buildings offer fantastic reflections (see above). You might recognize the parking lot in the lower right corner.
We arrived at the tower around 6:30 just in time to watch the sun set. I’m planning on going back soon, it was a lot of fun. If you’d like to join me, let me know.
I’ve never been tempted to look for a book nor found any comfort in the interior, but for a photographic subject, this 110 million-dollar César Pelli monstrosity gets five stars. This is the Nicollet entrance to the Minneapolis Central Library.
American Sporting Artist
In other news, I finished up another website for another fine art oil painter. In addition to Landscapes, Roger Blum also paints wildlife like moose, fox and pheasants in their natural settings. His work is not only well composed and technically incredible, it also harkens back to the rural America of Frederic Remington and Teddy Roosevelt. As a lifeling city-dweller, it’s somehow relaxing to see classic game subjects like this — when I look at his paintings I imagine the mahogany and over-stuffed leather drawing room that should accompany them. Take a moment to look at his site and give me some feedback! I hope that I have done well by his work.
