In the land of 10,00 lakes, hardy Minnesotans are in the water and on it year round and none is more popular than Lake Minnetonka. Competitive sailing is a national draw, wakeboard surfing has opened up to athletes who’ve lost limbs and every New Years Day hundreds of ” you betchas” leap into an opening in the ice in Excelsior to raise money for various local causes. By the way, water temperature hovers just above 32 degrees during the Polar Plunge !
In one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes, Tosha and I celebrated a stunning sunset. A gifted lifestyle photographer, Tosh appreciated my desire to steal a moment of beauty, hers and nature’s, as the sun slid beneath the distant horizon . It was a fun shoot on an evening when the water was relatively warm for Minnesota and the only ripples on the surface were hers.
I first laid eyes on Elle’s braid in a pizzeria in Tonka Bay. Standing behind her, I turned to the manager, Gary Ezell, and said I’ve got to shoot her, I love that braid. He introduced us ( she is a part time employee), and within a week, we were joined by her mom Carol and sister Anna. In an 1880’s barn, Carol lent a hand while holding a reflector in a dimly lit setting. Then we hooked up again for a memorable shoot at Shady Grove, a roadside pull off where, years ago, a boys’ home once stood.
Perched upon her father’s 1966 Nova SS, Jen Maloney poses beside her brand new husband Mike at the Mayo Brothers farm near Rochester. It was a long day of shooting; 12 hours, then a drive back home to Shorewood. Since this August day in 2011, I’ve shot every significant family event with my friends Jen and Mike. Great fun with swell pals.
Anastasia in color and black and white. A seniors pictures shoot took Stasia and me to the University of Minnesota Arboretum and specifically to the Japanese Gardens. The location reminded me of the area surrounding the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. I used a single flash for fill and converted some of the images to black and white for their nifty graphic quality. These days, Stasia is training to be a registered nurse like her mom.
This image, shot a couple summers ago, reminds me of the Simon and Garfunkle song, ” Mother and Child Reunion”. Malory was pregnant at the time, due in a few months, so we did a shoot on the southern shore of Lake Minnetonka . We will meet up again something this coming summer for another ” team shoot”.
Late in the day when light is soft and beguiling, Francesca, Chris and I froze a tender moment during their first pregnancy. We made a series of images about a mile north of Victoria in Carver County, one of my favorite locations for portraiture.
It’s a sure fire bet every New Year’s Day, hundreds of brave souls will plunge into 32 degree water to benefit needy causes. The annual ritual has raised tens of thousands of dollars and in the process, Minneapolis metro polar plungers suffer from intense cold for local institutions and charities. I’ll pass thank you, but I’m delighted that 500 others were willing to risk hypothermia for others in need.
