narrative
-
A Week in Japan
As promised in my last post, I’m finally getting around to writing about my recent trip to Japan. The memories are still fresh, and I want to get it down before everything I did starts blending together. Below you’ll find a brief itinerary from my trip and some of the best highlights (there were many).…
-
Photography at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
A little over a week ago, my parents flew to Minnesota to see my wife in a ballet performance. I took the Friday before the show off work; and on the recommendation of a friend, took my parents to the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The Arboretum was recently named the top botanical garden in…
-
Watching the NFL Meat Being Made
In the third quarter of Thursday night’s matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, Danny Trevathan delivered a dirty hit on a defenseless receiver, Davante Adams. Video of the collision is disturbing, as Adams’ mouthguard pops up above the collapsing players. What an idiotic, dangerous hit by Danny Trevathan. pic.twitter.com/cgBOkTooS1 — Brad…
-
Color and Monochrome in Taylors Falls
I took advantage of a free schedule yesterday with a trip to Stillwater, Minnesota. After breakfast at Oasis Cafe (highly recommended) and a stop in Valley Bookseller (also recommended), my friend and I decided to make the 30-mile drive north to Taylors Falls. The little town across the river from Wisconsin boasts some pretty challenging…
-
Facing My Fear of Faces
I’m back! First, some personal news: On June 2, at approximately 5:30 p.m., I married the love of my life in Lyons, Colorado. It was a perfect wedding and I can’t thank everyone who made it that way enough. We don’t have photos yet, but I’ll post a few here when we get them. Leading…
-
Profiles + Silhouettes
I left work around noon today to enjoy the overdue spring weather in St. Paul. I biked home, read a book in the park, and finally grabbed my camera to stroll around Lowertown without a subject in mind. Before long I got a decent silhouette, so I decided to focus on capturing more profiles and…
-
Two Stories of Life After Prison in Minnesota
Coincidentally, today Minnesota’s twin daily newspapers ran stories on life after prison. One had a happy (or at least hopeful) ending; the other, not so much. In the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Andy Mannix covers the “Second Chances 5K”—a race for current and former inmates aimed at emphasizing that many people “still have something to offer society”…
-
One Shot
One of the first beginner photography blog posts I read when I got my camera had this very simple tip: Keep your camera with you all the time. It’s a mantra that shows up consistently. I haven’t been the best at living up to this maxim—I still find it awkward at times to have my…
-
Reviving My Love for the NBA
It’s 1997. I’m six. And two nights after Michael Jordan’s improbable “Flu Game,” I watch as Steve Kerr sinks the game-winning shot to give the Chicago Bulls their second-straight NBA title, the team’s fifth in seven years. The Bulls’ league dominance started before I was even born, but I feel a part of it nonetheless.…
-
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park + Valley Grove Church
I drove an hour south of St. Paul yesterday to explore a Minnesota state park and take some photos. The sun had raised the temperature to just below freezing: the perfect weather for a hike. Still, I went prepared. Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park is a relatively small natural area (only 1,646 acres). The forest was once…