Minneapolis

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Dreaming About a New Camera

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I’m not a photographer who collects gear. Years ago, I sold all of my 2 cameras - a Fuji X-T100, and a Canon 6D. I also managed to accumulate several L series lenses for my Canon. The Canon sat in a closet along with the accessories, and only the Fuji saw the light of day.

After a workshop in New York City, the Leica Q popped on my radar. I spent a considerable amount of time researching this camera, but despite all the specs, something was missing. I needed to hold it, and I needed to shoot with it. That emotion eventually paved the way for a rental period that spanned a long holiday weekend.

To this day, I remember the separation anxiety I was feeling as I boxed the camera to overnighted it back to the camera dealer. I didn’t want to give it up, and what gave me solace was the premonition I would someday own this camera, but only when I sold all my other camera gear. I priced all my equipment to sell because I didn’t want to prolong the sell-off period. I can honestly say if felt great to unload it all. When the proceeds of my equipment sales were within $500 of the price of a new Q, I pulled the trigger.

Many years later, I find myself in a similar boat. This time the culprit is the Leica Q2 Monochrom, yet there are plenty of differences between then and now. First and foremost, I already have a Leica Q, and secondly I have no place to go while Covid-19 cases surge in the United States and Europe. Until I’m vaccinated, I’ll be lying low. I don’t expect to be out in public shooting close-up images of humanity until next summer or next fall. It also means I won’t be rushing into this next purchase for many months which is good for my head, but even better for my pocket.

Once I’m vaccinated, I plan to make up for lost time whether that includes the Leica Q2 Monochrom or not, but like before, I now have a premonition.

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At a Standstill

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I’ve been in self quarantine since March 14th. In this era of Covid-19, I have no new work to share, and blogs that slip into states of inaction begin to decay with stale content. It’s been several months since my last post, and I’m feeling the need to publish something that acknowledges my absence, but at the same time says I haven’t abandoned this blogging effort.

So here’s the catch-22. Until there’s a vaccine to protect us from a lethal virus that’s so easily transmitted, how do I safely get in range of my subjects with a fixed 28mm lens and still capture details that make for an interesting image? Yes, it's a first world problem that takes a back seat to the current global crisis, and a lot will have to change before I need to act on my dilemma.

Meanwhile, my travel plans are on hold for the short term, and probably the long term as well. I was supposed to go to Montreal this month, but that has been canceled, and I still have a few rays of hope for a trip I booked to France this fall.

I’m thinking about some ideas for future posts. Stay tuned, and stay safe.

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Nicollet Mall

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When there’s nothing happening on the streets of Minneapolis, I often resort to Nicollet Mall. I can usually find an interesting subject or some interesting light. Today, I pushed my shutter just ten times because the activity level was so low, and I was under-dressed for the weather. I think I spent more time sipping a Guinness inside a local Irish pub than I did walking on the streets.

I like the image above only for the pop of color that punches through the drab scene. The gloves, the scarf and the hat confirm that winter has arrived.

The image above misses the mark, but perhaps you can make sense of what I was thinking about when I took the shot. As I saw these women heading towards me, I was hopeful they would synchronize their stride to mirror the metal bars off to the left - maybe next time.

This guy is ready for winter, and there’s something Viking-esque about his build, his plaid shirt, the hat, and all of that hair.

And finally, I like how the elements of this image started to fall into place as an authority figure shouted to this group of students who were almost a city block in front of their party. There is a clearly defined foreground, middle ground and background of students positioned about the sidewalk. My only regret is that they they weren’t all in focus.

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Cold Snap

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What a difference a week makes. All I could think about today was staying warm when I met up with a friend to shoot some pictures in downtown Minneapolis. No wonder no one was out and about. It’s too cold for this time of year as the images below suggest.

As the city bus rolled to a stop in the image below, a woman, who looked like she was competing in a track and field long jump event, exited the bus. I actually got a shot, but I was too far away, and a street lamp pole was also blocking the subject. I was within range when the last passenger exited the bus. If it wasn't for the guy who is looking back at the woman, I would have deleted this shot.

It’s time to toughen up to the cold because another long winter has already begun. May it pass quickly.

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Seasonal Change

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It took me a few weeks to get excited about shooting in my city again after coming back from Europe earlier this month. This feeling is familiar to me, and I deal with it every time I get a chance to shoot in a new location.

We’re well into fall in terms of the leaves changing color, and many of them are on the ground swirling in the cold winds that will only get colder in the coming days. Here’s one stretch of my walk where the trees seemed to be holding on to their leaves.

While I was walking in downtown Minneapolis today, I enjoyed every moment of the bright sunshine and the days which are now numbered where I can operate without gloves. It’s likely we won’t have another day like this for the next six months. Here are a few more images I captured on my walk.

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Kind of a Yawner

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It actually felt like Spring today in Minnesota. Even though its well into the month, a freak snow storm is never out of the question at this latitude. It was a day of blue skies and bright sunshine as this guy’s expression summed up my photo walk. Nevertheless, it felt good to be out, and practicing.

I closed in on this group of guys whose opinions and points of view were as different as their age and race. The older gent had sharp words for the message these youngsters were trying to articulate.

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Don’t Hold Back

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It’s always interesting to notice how some people respond to the first warm days of spring as temperatures begin to climb in Minnesota. Today it reached 50 degrees, and I met up with a friend for a photo walk in Minneapolis to capture the sites and sounds of this seasonal transition. The guy below was dressed for the weather like most of the people we saw except he was also enjoying a smoke on his afternoon stroll.

And unlike the guy pictured above, the woman below was feeling the heat, and decided to peel off a layer as we see the sun highlighting her shoulder and her hair.

We heard our fair share of music blasting from cars with the windows down. While the guy below didn’t have music blaring from his minibike, the engine sounded like a runaway chain saw on Nicollet Mall. In the name of speed, the rider appears to have found the optimal posture to aerodynamically cut through the wind as the dog looks on.

These guys in the image below had some energy to burn as they put up their dooks, and turned the sidewalk into a boxing ring while pedestrians on both sides of the street took notice.

And on a lighter note, I couldn’t resist this scene of the dog resting his head on the table as his owner waited for her lunch to arrive.

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After the Polar Vortex

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It’s weather like we had this last week that re-affirms my plan to move away from this climate when I retire. Just four days ago, the temperatures were hovering near -30 degrees. Today, it was almost 40 degrees. Neither of these temperature extremes is normal, but any time the temperature is cold enough to support snow, I’m thinking relocation. At least it was warm enough today to meet up with a friend for a photo walk around Minneapolis.

One of the buildings downtown had a large accumulation of ice that formed a huge icicle from what was probably a water supply pipe that burst during the polar vortex. This giant icicle formed several stories above street level. The sidewalk was closed on the other side of the street as a crew worked to free the ice from the building. Naturally, this attracted lots of attention and a chance to photograph people looking up in amazement.

In my last post, I mentioned how I wanted to pay more attention to perspective in my photographs. As I worked the scene, this angle offered more visual interest given the elements that make up the background. I particularly like the abandoned flag poles aiming skyward as they play off the angles at which the pedestrians have cocked their heads.

I first noticed this guy looking up, and he couldn’t take his eye off of the worker removing chunks of ice with a wand spewing steam at high velocity. I like his posture, and how his hands are placed in his pockets, and his mouth open in a state of wonder. It’s interesting to notice how other passers-by follow suit, and before you know it, everyone is looking up.

I came back for a close up before moving on. There was also plenty of ice on the sidewalk in another part of the city as this woman in the photo below pointed out. I like the elements of perspective including the railing, the poles supporting the electrical lines, as well as the snow on both sides of the sidewalk, and the texture of the stone that wraps the outer wall of this building.

And finally, a winter embrace under the canopy. What first caught my eye was the architectural features of this structure as well as the different lines of perspective. The human element was the trigger that made me take the shot.

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A New Perspective

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It was a January dream come true. Sunny skies gave way to 40 degree temperatures, and the only snow on the ground was the stuff pushed into piles in parking lots. For those of us already wishing winter goodbye, it doesn’t get much better than this in Minnesota. I knew I’d see people out running and walking with their dogs like we see in the image below.

I got off to a slow start today as I experienced the usual episodes of clumsiness symptomatic of a student who doesn’t practice regularly. The best way to sum up my shoot is to say I had a nice walk. I never noticed anything worth chasing, no special places where the light was exceptional, and no compelling moments where I felt like I was in the right place at the right time.

After I got home, I deleted all but four photographs, and I could have easily done away with them all. I resisted that impulse because each of the four images in this post had elements of perspective that held my attention just a few extra seconds.

Railings, roof lines and shadows flirt with the subjects in all of these images, and suddenly I realized the images were more appealing to me. I wish I could say I deliberately took these photographs with perspective in mind, but this is just a small collection of accidents. Going forward, my goal is to actively work perspective into images to raise compositional interest.

The image below reveals three layers of activity. Three adult males dominate the composition, but I find the child’s expression most interesting. Finally, there is a woman on the left who is focused on the first of four steps before she is ready to look up. The overhang of the building and the railing produce elements of perspective that draw the eye through the image. I also like the detail of the lamps underneath the overhang that provides a steady rhythm in this setting.

I was more interested in this guy’s backpack than anything else. The leather pack looks fresh out of the box, in fact it appears the photographer forgot to remove the dangling tag. In any event, the fence adds another linear perspective to this image, and the other couple offers balance to a shot that is otherwise plain.

I left this last photograph in color to highlight the backlight that makes this guy’s ears look orange. There’s no post production hanky-panky here. His skewed hat against a lighter background is icing on the cake. Once again, I only noticed later how shafts of light separated shadows on the sidewalk. I also find it curious how everyone seems to be walking in each other’s shadow which enhances the element of perspective.

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Encouraging Words

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The weather was just about perfect for a marathon - mostly overcast skies, calm winds and temperatures in the upper forties. Something else about this day seemed nearly perfect.

There was a flood of emotional support directed towards family, friends, and total strangers running the Twin Cities marathon. It was refreshing to see this genuine compassion directed at all the runners on the course, particularly when compassion seems notably absent in this era of Trump.

In the photo above, I watched the woman in the grey jacket step into the street and shower this runner with praise and support. She was so emphatic, and I thought for sure it was her friend or some acquaintance, but the runner only acknowledged the support and passed by without saying a word.

Minutes later, I heard a big commotion down the street and witnessed another genuine expression of support. These two guys in the photos below knew each other, and while I didn’t have any details, it seemed like an unplanned reunion

The finger wag below appears to be a coaching moment and whatever the coach was saying, it seemed to propel the runner as she approached the 22-mile mark.

I positioned myself at a point on the course where the runners had to make a sharp turn to their left. I stood a few steps behind someone standing on the corner who acted as a human shield so I could get candid shots of faces rounding the corner. Here’s a sequence that conveys the true grit needed to run a marathon.

All age groups were well represented by the field of runners, and I was particularly interested in the older guy’s footwear in the photo below.

And finally, a panning shot using a slow shutter speed.