Look up at the Minneapolis Skyline

Look up at the Minneapolis Skyline, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

I am always happy to get emails from people who happen to stumble upon my work. I love taking images....lots of images. Other than the inner passion, there is no external driving force. I have never been sent out on assignment or had any expectations placed upon me to produce a body of work (well, other than my Iceland trip I guess). I guess that's one of the reasons I still love it. There is rarely a day that goes by that I don't dream of wandering off to some far off place to bring back images of the world....."as I see it". It is that dream that continues to fuel my constant immersion into the craft and art I guess.

So, all that gibberish being said, I am always quite humbly honored when i get a complement or reply as was the case today. While working up in Minneapolis on the Republican convention, I had a few precious moments to wander the city to capture the "World as I see it". Well, today I received an email from some folks up there wanting to use some of my images from up there on their website. Like I said, that's not what drives my passion, but it sure is cool when those kind of emails come in :)

St. Paul's in Saint Paul

As I wandered around in one of the most majestic cathedrals I have seen outside of Europe, it was hard to get a vision out my head. Just as I walked up the front stairs, I noticed the chaos starting to unfold just down the road. In sharp contrast to the calm, etherial, and serene feeling inside of The Cathedral of Saint Paul was a somewhat out of control mob scene growing down at the bridge protesting the Republican speeches of the evening. Rumor had it that a few were attempting to break into the Convention Center that evening. Although I was in awe of this beautiful space, there was definitely an adventurous and curious side of me that wanted to head into the thick of it like a war photographer. Well, the more cerebral side of me won over and so I bring you this. Hope you like :)

Cathedral St. Paul :: HDR

Here is a little info off of the Cathedral's website to go with this image. As with so many other shoots, I run arround like a mad man capturing the essence of the location, and neglect to grab any info. I guess thats another great use for the internet!

Check out the larger view on the view on black link for the detail on the red rim at the base of the dome. These cameras are freakin' amazing!

The Cathedral of Saint Paul is one of the largest and most historic churches in the United States. Its architectural grandeur and prominent site make it an integral part of the landscape of the capital city of Minnesota—whose name derives from the title of this great building. The Cathedral is rightly listed as a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a treasure for all Americans and one that we can proudly compare to the great cathedrals of Europe.

St Pauls - behind the Alter

There was so much to explore in this cathedral I didn't know where to start. There was a mass scheduled in about an hour, so I had to shuffle. I am still amazed at how easy it was to wander around these cathedrals in the midwest with a tripod. I was never once questioned......in fact, I was even escorted around and educated a bit on the history and details! I think hanging out in the aisle slamming a Nikon D3 shutter during a mass would have been pushing it just a wee bit however!

St. Paul's Cathedral in Saint Paul :: HDR

By the final day of the convention, my events were over. With a little free time for shooting, I decided to head over to St. Paul to capture some images of this incredible cathedral. The over-processed crazy sky works for me because of the caos that was unfolding just outside of the camera viewfinder. The protesters were in full swing causing the local authorities to shut down the bridge into the older part of town and the convention center.....trapping most of them in a controlled space. I looked over the fiasco from the top of the hill, laughed a bit as I shook my head, captured some exterior shots, went in to grab a few interiors, called my driver, and safely headed back to my Minneapolis. I will post a few more shots of this incredible landmark over the next couple of days!

Time to get up already?!?!?!

And now for something completely different! Its a pretty well known fact that I am not a real morning person. You can see that from the time stamps on my blog posts and the lack of sunrise shots in my photostream. I have slammed the snooze button too many times to remember missing hundreds of sunrises.

This image was created while out of town at the Rep. Convention I was working at this summer. My local photoclub had a theme for the month of "think small". As I was checking out the room after I arrived, I noticed my reflection in these bottle caps and thought this small subject image might work. Well, out came the tripod, camera, and cable release. After about 30 or so different exposures, I had this ridiculous picture of me. Not a very flattering shot I might add!

This months theme is "UFO". I am totally lost for that one. Any creative ideas out there in flickr land???

Another Minneapolis Skyline :: HDR

What I remember most about this shot was the strange looks I got from a few pedestrians. I am sure most were wondering what I was doing wandering around the city in the middle of a bright day with a tripod. Minneapolis has quite a nice mix of glass and concrete structures that help create a really nice skyline. I guess, now that I really think about my trip, what really stood out was the kindness of the people that live there!

Another quick note......This sky wasn't purpley (is that a word) before I posted it. I think I need to switch my color space from ProPhoto to sRGB before posting. I kinda like it this way though, so I left it.

Suite at the Chambers Hotel

I have stayed in a lot of hotels in my travels over the years, but I have never stayed in one that I could see myself living in! This place, The Chambers Hotel, in Minneapolis, MN took the term "Rock Star Status" to a new level for me.

The entire hotel was designed very artistically, like a  New York loft or a South Beach Boutique hotel. There were black wood floors throughout, plasma TV's, programmable house light panels with rack lighting, artwork, and full length picture windows. French linens, a full walkin closet, a leather furniture sitting area, and a bed to die for complemented the bedroom area. The bathroom was complete with its own lighting system, European fixtures, a heated tile floor, seamless glass shower enclosure, a 2' x 3' rain shower, French lavender hand soap, and a full size bath.

Truly one of the coolest hotels I have ever had the privilege of staying in!

St Mary's Basilica

The interiors of this Basilica and St. Pauls rivaled just about anything I have ever seen in Europe. What really made them a score for me was the lack of tourists and their apparent openness to tripod toters like myself. Enjoy :)

If your interested in more, here is some info from Wikipedia.....

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The Basilica of Saint Mary was the first basilica established in the United States of America, honored by Pope Pius XI in 1926. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Basilica of Saint Mary is the Co-Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.[2]

Recognized as one of the finest examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in the country, the Basilica of Saint Mary was constructed between 1907 and 1915 to the design of celebrated Franco-American architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray. Dominating its own city block on Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, the Basilica of Saint Mary is a grand architectural landmark housing a bustling and lively urban community.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

In 1991 the old copper roof was replaced with a newer one to stop the water damage and leaks that were occurring. Restoration work on the exterior and damaged plaster within the church is ongoing.

 Since 1995, the site has been host to the Basilica Block Party weekend music festival. Proceeds have gone toward repairing the aging structure and assisting the needs of poor families in the area. Furthermore, DeLaSalle High School uses the church for its commencement ceremonies every spring.

Minneapolis

This post finds me back in good ole Florida. Its been a really cool 2 weeks and once again, I feel pretty fortunate have been a part......be it a small part....of history. Now that the conventions are over, we can all look forward to an interesting 2 months in this race to the finish line.

On a totally different note...Ike, I don't like Ike! Hurricane Ike that is. Lets hope this beast stays well south of us. I'm betting Cuba gets worked! We'll see.......

Mega Audio console

When Gretchen Wilsons crew loaded this piece of work into the venue, I was told that it was a $ 300,000 audio console. Let me see....audio console or a house....hmmm, let me think about that for a minute. I'm going for the house!

Central Lutheran Church

I had a little free time to explore this Church the other day here in Minneapolis. Its rare indeed that a photographer is greeted with open arms as he barges into a church with a tripod. Not only was I welcomed, but I was given a pretty detailed description of this incredible sanctuary and its history. Below is a little bit of info from their website.

Central’s neo-gothic sanctuary is the focal point of its facilities. Completed in 1928, the sanctuary is a combination of English and French gothic designs, laid out in the shape of a cross. Its inspiring worship space has a seating capacity of 2500. The altar is solid Colfax sandstone; the pulpit and lectern are oak, carved with scriptural symbols. A wedding chapel and baptismal chapel are located on either side of the main chancel. The soaring interior, rising to more than 65 feet, is enhanced with large stained glass windows of a patterned design similar to those of Westminster Abbey. Each of the smaller main floor windows represents a country in which the Reformation was prominent, beginning with Germany at the front right. The exterior of the building is constructed of Indiana limestone, surmounted by a slender spire of copper and crowned with a brass cross. The education wing was added to the original structure in 1952, the parish house in 1957, the South Commons in 1980 and the bell tower in 2006.

Minneapolis Skyline

The skyline of Minneapolis is an incredible mix of contemporary glass, steel, and granite structures. I had a little time yesterday to trek around a bit and capture a few images of the city. After checking out the news today, its nice to be here instead of St Paul. It seems like some of the demonstrations are getting a little out of hand!

Although this convention is getting off to a very non conventional start (pardon the pun), I think it might get back on track. The hurricane seemed to be a lighter event than origionally predicted. The Atlantic, however, is looking a little scary now though!

Our event tonight was a success. I had hoped to get a few pics of Le Ann Rimes intimate performance, but I somehow ended up backstage without my camera as her performance started. With the crowd that was there, I was really happy to have my space!

One last thing, I am watching the hurricane wrap up footage from today. Those reporters getting blown around are absolutely hilarious, but Geraldo Rivera? What an idiot!!!

First night - Pink Party

Well, this celebration is quickly loosing its focus, The Republican National Convention is currently in "re-plan and watch the hurricane" mode. The general consensus seems to be that a party atmosphere would be extremely inappropriate if there is significant damage in the Gulf. It obviously looks like devastation is inevitable at this point.

Last nights party went on as planned. A pink theme for some very special guests. As it stands now, we are still on track to load in tomorrows event at 6AM. It looks like the evening might be reformatted as a sort of relief fundraiser of sorts. This week is going to evolve day by day as the effects of the storm are about to unfold over the next few hours!