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 … Continue reading Color and Monochrome in Taylors Falls
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 … Continue reading Profiles + Silhouettes
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 … Continue reading One Shot
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 … Continue reading Nerstrand Big Woods State Park + Valley Grove Church
I attended the #LoveHopeRise March in St. Paul on Saturday. The event was the first action of the new Love Hope Rise Coalition. Featuring a pre-march social justice fair with various progressive Twin Cities organizations, the march was specifically designed for people with children as well as for people new to demonstration activism. While I … Continue reading Weekend Photography: #LoveHopeRise + St. Paul Skyways
Though it's been getting colder and colder in Minnesota, the snow production in the Twin Cities has been lackluster thus far. I'm of the opinion that if it's going to be cold it should at least snow. Placate us with some pretty scenery, Mother Nature. Yesterday, the snow started to come down in a respectable quantity. … Continue reading Finally, Some Snow
I haven't posted anything since the election. Frankly, it's been hard to think of what to write in the wake of the devastating results. Others have put forth some of their best work in response to the election. Masha Gessen's widely praised piece, Autocracy: Rules for Survival, laid the groundwork for how we adjust to and fight back in this … Continue reading A Foggy Morning in Minneapolis
As more companies consciously make an effort to keep sexism out of their marketing content, others are stuck in the Mad Men mentality of the past. The latest example: GQ published a piece on fall fashion for which they took a group of male rock climbers, a few female models and lots of really expensive clothing to … Continue reading Outdoor Research with the Quickness
Yesterday, my friend Caroline Yang asked if I wanted to come along to shoot an MMA fight at Cabooze in Minneapolis. I've been looking for ways to diversify the subjects of my photos, and this seemed like a great opportunity. Not only had I never shot an MMA fight previously — I'd never even been to an … Continue reading Things I Learned Photographing My First MMA Event
