Downtown Minneapolis

from flickr user Shia Yang
Anyone can take a photo of a skyline but this photo of the Minneapolis skyline is one of the best I've ever seen. Patience, a good eye and a good camera makes it happen.

The cordial cocoon

from flickr user Ruptured Dog
Wow. I'm a huge fan of light art like this and while this is simple it gives me my fix for the day.

Milkweed Seeds

from flickr user djsime
A killer photo taken at Austin, Minnesota's Hormel Nature Center. The Milkweed seed pods are filled with smooth as silk seed material making the weed pleasant to have in your neighborhood.

Haunted House

from flickr user glness
An awesome photographic trick with the light from an obvious long exposure pouring out through the windows of this abandoned house near Vergas, MN. Perfect for Halloween.

Ski Jump in Autumn or Stairway to Heaven?

from flickr user Croixboy
The rather impressive ski jump at Hyland Hills Ski Area in Bloomington, MN.

Target Field, Minneapolis, MN

from flickr user kla4067
Nearly complete in September 2009, Target Field becomes the new home of the Minnesota Twins Baseball team as of opening day April 12, 2010. Will seat 40,000 screaming baseball fans.

This shot looks like it was taken with a tilt shift lens but what you see is the effect of a distorted plastic window on a DC9 while approaching MSP.

Love and murder

from flickr user photosynthetique
This photo, taken during a band's photo shoot, is wonderfully staged. I am digging the themes of life and death with the promise of hidden roses and a hidden butcher knife while being united by some red wine which could also be used to signify blood. Nice work.

Pumpkinzilla

from flickr user John McNab
Chris Stevens, shown with his five-year-old daughter Kaley, will enter this 1,340-pound pumpkin in the Stillwater, Minnesota, Giant Pumpkin Contest on Saturday. The Stevens family grew the pumpkin this summer in their family garden south of New Richmond, Wisconsin.

Photo credit: Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Zombie Santa

from flickr user Danny Guy
Taken almost three weeks ago during the fifth annual Minneapolis Zombie Pub Crawl, Zombie Santa Claus looks like he's been getting more than his fill of delicious brains. I just hope he isn't the Santa to make his way down my chimney this year.

Where trees go to die

from flickr user helmblogger
Taken in the backwaters of the Mississippi River, this photo captures the somewhat barren feel of the backwater areas of Minnesota's big rivers. They're not pretty to look at but all of those dead trees are a beaver's best friend.

A fence of trees

from flickr user boscbo
This shady photo, taken near Stillwater, MN, is a perfect example of what happens when you take a photo from in the shadows. It's great for creating a silhouette effect and that's exactly what this photographer did. An excellent showcase of what Minnesota looks like at this time of year - with just 6% of the state's corn crop harvested compared to an average of 44% in previous years.

A rural patchwork

from flickr user rkehret42
This photo, showcasing the rolling hills of southeastern Minnesota between Harmony and Preston, presents us with a varied texture of farm fields and woods that give the area its character.

Gathering Snow

from flickr user PXLated
Left Alone, Abandoned & Cold. Taken near Minnetrista, MN.

Oberg Mountain Loop

from flickr user siskokid
The Oberg Mountain Loop is one of the North Shore's most scenic hikes. Located just north of Tofte, Minnesota off the Onion River road and Highway 61. Oberg Mountain offers great views of Lake Superior and the surrounding "mountains".

Doubletown

from flickr user austin1227
A Polaroid photo is not usually the subject of anything artistic or creative. The whole idea of a traditional Polaroid photograph is that you get quick results and we all know that quick doesn't usually equal quality. This photo, though, is the exception. I love the reflection captured as well as the rather 70s-era tone of the photo.

Northwest Airlines

from flickr use Points1
This photo of a Northwest Airlines Airbus A330 taking off is at least similar in model to the Northwest Airlines Airbus A320 which overshot the Minneapolis-St. Paul International AIrport Wednesday night by over 150 miles while the pilots were in an apparently heated argument about airline policy. The Delta Airlines-owned jet was out of radio contact for over an hour but even without radio contact, the Department of Homeland Security never bothered to scramble fighter jets in an attempt to intercept what could have been a hijacked flight.

Flight 188's two pilots who missed MSP International are currently on paid leave while the investigation continues. None of the 144 passengers on Flight 188 were injured or even apparently aware that their flight was well over an hour longer than it should have been.

View the crazy flightpath here.

Interesting interview with a Flight 188 passenger

Blessing Biscuit

from flickr user Josh Hed
Blessing of the Animals ceremony at Guardian Angels Church.

Click here for more details about the event.

A good landscape helps

from flickr user *Lampy*
Two dirty Canadian Pacific units lead northbound 199's train near Maple Springs, Minnesota.

Now that is how you photograph a colorful reflection. Nicely done.

Canoe bliss

from flickr user Steve took it
Another gorgeous morning in the amazing Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness along the border of Minnesota and Ontario Canada. This is from a slide. I kind of like the dreamlike soft feel but touch of grain.

A grand structure

from flickr user Jeana Marie Photography
The immense size of this bridge in downtown Minneapolis could easily make a person feel tiny. Just look at how small the Metro Transit bus appears.

Amber Waves

from flickr user siskokid
These impressive waves crashing on the mix of rocks and sandy shoreline could very well be somewhere in Hawaii. Instead it's Minnesota's own Lake Superior. The photo was taken at Artist's Point in Grand Marais, MN.

Downtown Minneapolis

from flickr user Jeremiah Peterson
This photo of downtown Minneapolis, MN - taken from the Stone Arch Bridge - is possibly the best photo of Minneapolis I've come across since the inception of MinnPics. A bit of a long exposure taken at dusk, the photographer captured an immense range of colors and tones which are perfectly saturated and balanced. It's not even outwardly noticeable that it's an HDR image which alone makes it a great example of HDR photography.

Rifle Hill Quarry

from flickr user rkehret42
A color-saturated photo of an apparently abandoned quarry near Cherry Grove, MN. The color of the water is either impressive or downright scary depending on your take.

Surrounded

from flickr user PXLated
The contrast between the soybeans and the towering wind turbine - particularly the one dead-center in the photo - is striking. Taken near Chandler, MN.

Car lights at night

from flickr user Seyser
I love the way a city looks at night - especially when captured in a photo. I'm interested in knowing which city this is. A duplicate of this photo taken during daylight hours mentions South Central College so my guess is North Mankato, MN.

Wolf Creek Falls, Banning State Park

from flickr user djsime
As you probably know from the past few weeks here I'm a fan of the fall color in Minnesota and this waterfall, beautifully framed by fall colors, makes for an excellent photo. I'd also love to see it captured as a long exposure to make the water cascading over the falls smooth as silk.

Pellet Island at Silver Bay Marina

from flickr user Broken Sparrow
I'm a fan of going the extra mile to get the perfect photo and this photographer leaned over a cliff to get the shot. Now that is dedication that's justified by this amazing photo along the cliffs of Lake Superior.

Windpower

from flickr user GreenWhiteOrange
It comes up from time to time, people should out "We need green energy". They then point to immense wind turbines built in China that already dot parts of our state. But green energy is nothing new as witnessed by this windmill in Lake Elmo, MN. This kind of energy powered the wells of the farms that made the expansion and growth of America possible over a century ago.

Avalon River Boat

from flickr user erlin1
Sure, the St. Croix River valley near Stillwater, MN isn't exactly ripe with fall color but yesterday's likely Indian Summer was the perfect opportunity to take a realxing riverboat ride through the scenic area bordering Minnesota and Wisconsin.

No two days in the garden are the same

from flickr user DeepakPrakash
Being somewhat deprived of a normal autumn in Minnesota this year, I'm milking the topic here but this close-up photo of what, from a distance, would seem like some random berries captures the essence of autumn when the leaves on the trees fail to perform.

Two ring circus

from flickr user Almari Photography
Since the weather (and scenery) outside has been nothing short of drab for the past two weeks, I present you with a unique take on a wedding photo. I particularly like this one-finger deviation of flicking off the camera. It makes for a nice way to show off the wedding rings.

Such a strange Fall

from flickr user Dels
Another relatively gloomy autumn day in downtown Minneapolis showcasing the lack of a true fall we have had. The glassy water works well with the lack of vibrant fall colors.
The photographer says: Taken on a photowalk with some co-workers last night. Felt good to get out and shoot a bit.

Home Plate

from flickr user Bjorn1101
A cool photo that shows that the seasons in Minnesota know no boundaries and have no respect for sports but I'm all for outdoor baseball but it seems unlikely to me that Minnesota's Twins will ever succeed in the post-season again. What kind of baseball player would perform well when the temp at gametime is 36 degrees with a light mist falling? And waht's with the World Series scheduled to run in to the month of November this year? Outdoor baseball is a great thing but time will tell if it pans out in what appears today to be a cold Seattle.

A Smooch on the Hiawatha Bridge

from flickr user MatthewJCole
The photographer says: I stopped to take a photo or two in the gathering dusk. These two were in earnest conversation. Apparently it went well.

It's getting steamy

from flickr user binsiff
This South Pacific passenger train, near Red Wing, Minnesota, shows its might as it fills the sky with steam.

Birds on the water

from flickr user Nicholas Alan Johnson
These happily silhouetted birds are captured in the water near Duluth as they stand perched on separate rocks. Witht he weather lately, they may want to think agbout migrating to warmer areas.

The dogs have been docked

from flickr user Jean Arf
I'm not a dog person - by a longshot - but I find this photo simply stunning due to the vibrant colors.

Lake Maria State Park

from flickr user AjRagno
The sun sets over Lake Maria and is perfectly framed by the end of the dock. If I used a thumbs-up/down system, this photo would earn three thumbs up.

Big Island State Park

from flickr user imagination overdrive
A perfect shadow on what appears to be a grey day (Sunday) at Albert Lea, Minnesota's Big Island State Park. My favorite part of this photo is the intense spot of red in the left third of the photo. It's really the only leaf color in the entire scene which makes it that much more cool.

Shiny new red boots

from flickr user massdistraction
At least this particular photographer was prepared for today's weather - an October 12, 2009 snowfall. This is the earliest measurable snowfall in well over 20 years in the greater Twin Cities metro.

Colors Emerge

from flickr user bjorn1101
I jumped the gun a bit with the previous photo because this photo, taken in St. Paul on Friday from the Marshall-Lake Bridge over the Mississippi River, shows a brilliant ridge of oranges and golds. I guess it's location, location, location.

Barn reflected in pond

from flickr user angelrove
This stellar photo of a barn reflecting in the water comes just a day before the Minnesota landscape was first dusted with snow - even before the colors on the trees were able to change.

Day in the park

from flickr user gomattolson
Taken nearly a month ago at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen (or Chaska depending on who you ask), this photo captures a unique perspective of one of the park's walking trails through some brilliantly colored grasses. It may be a bit late to soak up the color of the grasses but the leaves are beginning to reveal their brilliant colors with yellows quickly becoming dominant.

Autumn Glory

from flickr user jchants
Sure autumn's glory may not be fully here yet this year but as this photo from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, MN taken October 20, 2005 shows it isn't all that far away.

Lowry Ave. Bridge *RIP

from flickr user Joseph Ward
Taken last November, this photo is in remembrance of the now-gone Lowry Ave. Bridge in Minneapolis, MN.

Straight From The Horse's Mouth

from flickr user boscbo
An extreme close-up of a patient horse at Aamodt's Apple Farm, Stillwater, MN

Fall Colors

from flickr user easton 2223
Railroad bridge off HWY 61 north of Duluth, MN

Fallen Leaves

from flickr user Rowdy Rider
A unique perspective for a photo nicely captures the autumn color (or lack there of) in one of the Three Rivers Parks in the Twin Cities area. Clcik through to see a comparison of the same area from last year.

Hard at work

from flickr user priyaswtc
With the first frost already passed or looming - depending where you reside in Minnesota - this worker bee's time of work is certainly drawing to a close.

Target Field lit up

from flickr user John McNab
Target Field stadium lights burning for the first time last night. It’s part of the testing process to leave the lights on for 100 hours straight. The first game at Target Field -the Minnesota Twins vs. Boston Red Sox- will be played Monday, April 12, 2010, at 3:10 p.m.