Originally published Sep. 5, 2012 Sadly, the Minnesota State Fair has once again come to a close. Now begins the wait until next year. I have a legitimate reason to enter the fairgrounds the day after the fair closes, so was able to grab a few shots of the post party clean-up. Then again, there is always the Renaissance Festival which runs through September…
Originally published Aug. 18, 2012 Visiting a farmers' market in late summer showcases many different fruits and vegetables than one can find at a spring or early summer market. I have been meaning to visit the market and in addition, a special one that is located in Minneapolis. Today I decided to merge those two “have-to-dos” together. I am not certain how to appropriately describe this market to you. Some words that come to mind are: high-end, organic, exclusive, heirloomish, luxurious, gourmetish. The name is Mill City Farmers' Market. It is only open Saturdays from 8-1 through late October. http://millcityfarmersmarket.org/ I do apologize about the images that are fuzzy, my little hand-held ran out of batteries and I had to resort to my (old) phone camera. Here is what I ended up bringing home. The prize of my visit is something I have been searching for a few years now. Squash blossoms. They were only two dollars a bunch. I am thrilled to try them. Now, if I can only remember where I saw that recipe!
Originally published July 27, 2012 The city of Prospect Park lies in between St. Paul and Minneapolis and is home to the Prospect Park Water Tower. It is also known to locals as the Witch’s Hat, a 110 foot water tower constructed in 1913. The infamous rumor it lays claim to is that Bob Dylan lived within viewing distance of the tower and it inspired him to write “All Along The Watchtower.” Many people remember Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of this song because he took it into the Top 20 charts in 1968, 6 months after Bob Dylan recorded it on John Wesley Harding. My daughter’s friend lives in the neighborhood and told me a couple of years ago that the interior of the tower is open one day a year so people can climb the stairs and look out the windows. This year, the tower was open from 5-8 p.m. Hoping to catch the best light possible, I waited until 7 to go. I have to admit getting pretty nervous because the line was super long and at times felt like it wasn’t moving at all. I could see no way I was going to make it inside before it closed. So I was feeling pretty lucky when the volunteers were so kind that they let everybody inside who had been waiting. I think people were still in there at 9 p.m. The mood was lighthearted and festive. A little boy was having a birthday and everyone at the top of the tower started singing “Happy Birthday” to him. Moments later, a marriage proposal was made and people were clapping and flashes were going off. If you are interested in going, check the city’s website next May. Historically, it has been open the first Friday after Memorial Day.
Originally published June 2, 2012 You just viewed images from the St. Paul Farmers’ Market in St. Paul, Minnesota made fresh this morning! I hope you are enjoying the beginning of summer too! Originally published May 26, 2012 There is little doubt that many of the great structures in this world are centered around religion and in them resides some of the world’s greatest art as well. One of those buildings happens to be located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. It is the Cathedral of St. Paul. The Cathedral has a complicated and intricately woven history, but the current building as it stands began construction in 1907. It sits on Summit Hill, one of the highest points in St. Paul, and is situated so that it overlooks the skyline of the city. If you are interested in learning more about its historical background, here is a link: http://www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/treasure-art-history Almost every detail, whether inside or out, has religious significance behind it. The Cathedral can seat 3,000 people and was designed so that the entire congregation would have an unobstructed view of the altar and pulpit. The building is as long as it is tall: 307 feet and is 216 feet wide. Check out the page called “Art and Architecture” at the above link for an abundance of fascinating facts. The Church received the rare Rite of Consecration in 1958 which elevated it to one of the prestigious places to worship in the United States. It receives more than 200,000 visitors a year from around the world. Here are a few images I made during my two hour visit there. When architecture is this well planned and thought out, it is a delight for a photographer to discover and document. It feels like exploring a hidden treasure map to me. Do you think I found any surprising architectural alignments in my images? Also interesting is a 360 degree spherical panorama which can be seen by clicking this link (scroll to the bottom of the page). Use your mouse to move around in the image.
http://www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/ Have a very Happy Memorial Day weekend! ©2011 Lisa M. Bond Photography Originally published Feb. 14, 2012 Wishing you all a Happy Valentine’s Day! Originally published Jan. 21, 2012 Have you ever heard someone give this sage advice: When you are watching a sunset turn around and see what is going on behind you. It is true that the golden light of sunrises and sunsets is beautiful to look at from every angle, whether you are facing the sun drop or rise, or watching it drape everything else in a sheer curtain of amber color. Since I have a habit of being tunnel visioned anyway and it gets drastically worse when I'm looking through a camera, I have developed a routine of looking behind myself when I am out shooting. I do this for several reasons. One is to make sure I'm not missing something and two is to do the critical check for any black bears that might be sneaking up behind me. So far I've only seen a chipmunk and a raccoon, thank goodness! My bear bells must be working. Last fall, I went up to Palisade Head in Tettegouche State Park for the full moon in October. As I was waiting for the sun to rise the next morning, I decided to make that obligatory turn behind me and look what I saw! I could hardly believe my eyes. What had seemed like an eyesore the day before, this 324 foot radio tower took on some otherworldly glow as the full moon was setting behind it. I'm thinking my old buddy Joe Reifer would have loved this site. If you want to see some cool, out-of-this-world photography, check out Joe's website at:
http://www.joereifer.com Originally published Oct. 29, 2011
Minnesotans are enjoying some mild weather with days in the low 50s and lows in the 30s. While many of the poplars and birch dropped their leaves a couple weeks ago, some trees are just now displaying their color. The area I live in has a forest of red and white oaks and there are lots of deep reds and rusts in the trees right now. Some maples have started to turn their brilliant oranges, yellows and reds. Looking out my window I am captivated by the show of those colors against the October blue sky or the occasional steely gray sky that rolls through. I find myself wishing I could transfer those colors into a room in my house so I could enjoy them all year long. I never really think too much about the color gray because it, well it reminds me of November and the relentlessly gray skies that hang around. But seeing the gray sky or the gray rocks of the north shore of Lake Superior against the rust or orange leaves of Oak or Maple or the deep reds or even yellows is really beautiful. I could enjoy a fireplace of gray stones surrounded by orange, yellow, red, or rust decor. What do you think? Originally published Oct. 9, 2011 Minnesota has several wonders of nature it can brag about. One of course is that it has over 10,000 lakes. Another is that it has 74 State Parks and a website packed with information to help you get there: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/index.html This is one time of year that our State Parks see a lot of traffic because of the fall colors. It is a great excuse to get outside and head any direction to the nearest park entrance. Nature is pure goodness for the soul and there is no substitute for taking a nice long walk through the woods or along the water. It is a perfect reward for having spent a week in front of your computer or to get your kids off the electronics. Everyone will be a little happier and a little more relaxed when Monday rolls around. We have 8 parks that border Lake Superior and provide breathtaking coastal views that convince the eye it is actually an ocean. It is possible to hit several of those in a day trip although it's probably better to stay overnight somewhere so you can really enjoy your time. I made a day trip on Friday and went into 3 of the parks. It was a lot of driving but I was looking for a flavor of what they had to offer. One destination was the popular Gooseberry Falls SP. People love waterfalls. Young couples, old couples, kids, photographers, hikers, bikers. There is something about the look and sound of a waterfall that is enchanting. An annual vehicle park pass is a mere $25 which is really an incredible deal considering how many parks we have. If someone visited every park in a year, that would be less than 34 cents per park admission fee. Is there anything comparable? That is a steal! Here we are with another October day that is going to be close to 80 degrees. The day is young and the colors are popping. Minnesotans know weather can turn on a dime and this could be here next week: Don't delay, visit a park today!
Originally published Sept. 13, 2011
I have been doing fine art photography at the State Fair for several years now. If you are reading this from outside Minnesota, you may not know that our State Fair is loved by many residents and gets around 1.7 million attendees a year, although I think a few are probably repeat visitors. Photography can run the gamut from food, people, animals, night life, rides, games, fireworks, and live music either as single subjects or in a multitude of combinations. I have so much fun that I wish they would come up with an unlimited pass to all 12 days of the fair. This year I decided I would take advantage of some of the rides with elevation in order to gain a higher perspective. That included the Sky Ride, the Chair Lift Ride, and the big Ferris Wheel on the Midway. Here are a few of the aerial images taken during my 3 visits. Only a little over 300 days to go until next year! |
AuthorI am a photographer who lives in Minnesota. I blog about Minnesota, photography, music, food and miscellaneous topics. Archives
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