Lake Harriet bandshell

from flickr user maria.cain22
The Lake Harriet bandshell in Minneapolis looks magnificent in this over-exposed black and white photo. Its tone lend to a sense of gritty urbanism.

Sunlit buds!

from flickr user lilfishstudios
The sun shining through the buds on a flowering plum in Brainerd, MN.

See more photos at the Lil Fish Studios blog.

A sign I've never seen before

from flickr user altfelix11
The old sign for the Twin Star Post/VFW Post #8854 on Concordia Avenue overlooking Interstate 94 in St. Paul. And yes, that is an advertisement for Diet-Rite cola. I've never seen Diet-Rite advertised. How old is this sign?

Not helping

from flickr user CarloBambino
A nice photo capturing the rather placid water of a Minnesota lake as the sun sets but the real focus is on the two men in the canoe - particularly the guy in the back with the handle of his oar in the water as opposed to the business end.

The story behind the model photo shoot

from flickr user Jeremiah Peterson
While this photo could be passed by as "just another retouched photo of a couple models", the photographer's story behind creating this photo is what truly caught my attention:

Shot this on a tripod, then moved the subjects and shot 7 pics in that same location at different exposures to create an hdr. Loaded the hdr as the background in photoshop, then set the other shot with the subjects on top, masked, adjusted etc... This is a composite, but they were actually standing in that spot. So it's not really a composite in my book I guess.

Volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland

from flickr user Guðmundur Guðbergsson
This photo, taken Saturday, shows the plume of ash rising skyward from an Icelandic volcano. While I'm no expert about anything Iceland, I have to assume that this volcano is the one wreaking havoc on international air travel throughout a number of European airports. What do you think Bjork is saying about the Iceland volcano?

Pink Flamingos rule

from flickr user theDancingLlama
Taken at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, this pink flamingo seems cautious about the throngs of people watching him or her.

Mississippi River Minneapolis

from flickr user thedabble
Well lookie here, a river inside its banks. This photo of the Missippi River in Minneapolis is cool (to me) just because of its vantage point. It truly captures the industrial roots of Minneapolis.

Anonymous protest against the Church of Scientology

from flickr user Fibonacci Blue
Minneapolis, Minnesota

April 10, 2010

The internet based phenomenon called Anonymous protested outside the Minneapolis Church of Scientology for the 25th consecutive month since February 2008. Their complaints against Scientology are numerous: behaving like a for profit business instead of a religion, members working long hours for little or no pay, members coerced to have abortions, families divided, staff members physically beaten and virtually imprisoned. Scientology has a history of attacking or taking legal action against critics, so protesters typically wear masks for anonymity.

Red Sox Twins Baseball

from flickr user Big League Stew
Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau stretches prior to the Twins' home opener baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at their new stadium, Target Field, in Minneapolis, Monday, April 12, 2010.

F-16 Flyover, Target Field Opening Day; Minneapolis, MN

from flickr user ottergoose
F-16's from the 148th Fighter Wing of the Minnesota Air National Guard helped christen Target Field at the conclusion of the National Anthem on opening day.

Stairs, sun

from flickr user xenia elizabeth
Taken in Stillwater, MN, this photo has an almost 1970s feel due to the colors captured.

Forgotten/Not Forgotten

from flickr user Chauncer
One of the abandoned buildings on the TCRC campus with the birthplace of Minnesota, Coldwater Spring, in the background.

Here's some information on the Bureau of Mines Twin Cities Research Center from the National Park Service:

In 1951, the Bureau of Mines officially acquired the property around Coldwater Spring for its Twin Cities Research Center (TCRC) from Veterans Administration, although it had begun occupying the campus in 1949. Formal research began on the property in the early 1950s and continued for the next 46 years. During its short history, the TCRC accomplished nationally and internationally significant breakthroughs in mine and mine safety technology.

Specifically, the TCRC:
- Conducted research on applications for drilling on the moon as part of NASA’s Apollo Moon Program;
- Developed the Tilden process for separating non-magnetic taconite from ore which led to the development of the taconite industry on Minnesota’s western Mesabi range, on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and other locations worldwide;
- Developed diesel engine safety techniques to reduce the potential for ignition of methane gas and the reduction in toxic and carcinogenic exhaust fumes in underground mines;
- Developed a vehicle and equipment operator notification system to reduce the number of collisions and injuries during backing-up operations, a system now employed on school buses, dump trucks, and many other types of equipment and vehicles;
- Developed an ultra-low radio frequency system that could penetrate thousands of feet of rock, an application now marketed worldwide.

Despite these accomplishments, in January 1996 President Clinton signed the Balanced Budget Downpayment Act, terminating funding for the Bureau of Mines nationally. In March 1996 the TCRC closed.

Target Field sunset

from flickr user galwaychase
This photo of Target Field, taken from center field during Friday's exhibition opener, shows the impressive size of the new home of the Minnesota Twins' new stadium even while it sits on a relatively tiny piece of real estate. The sun setting to the west on the first major league game at the stadium lends a golden tone to the newly christened stadium.

Sunset at Target Field

from flickr user Ben and Laura
This is what outdoor baseball looks like in 2010 in Minneapolis. Taken Friday, during the first major league baseball game at Target Field in Minneapolis, this photo captures the first time the sun has set during an outdoor Minnesota Twins game in nearly three decades.

Stillwater Flooding

from flickr user MNkiteman
This is a aerial view of the St. Croix River that runs between Minnesota and Wisconsin. At the time this photo was taken the Stillwater Bridge was closed and the lift is in the up position. The river was just a few inches below the lowest portion of the bridge. The white plastic covers a dike made up of thousands of sandbags that protect the city when the water rises.

Pedestrian bridge

from flickr user danjohnfoley
The repetitive nature of the steel structure of this pedestrian bridge (near the Walker art museum?) only lends to its photographability (if that's a word).

Joe Mauer at Target Field

from flickr user squarelogo
Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer is seen here swinging hard at a pitch thrown during Friday's exhibition game against the St. Louis Cardinals at the Twins' new home, Target Field in Minneapolis. Although the Twins lost the Friday game, they redeemed themselves by winning the Saturday exhibition game.

The best photo of Minnesota ever

from flickr user meowhous
These two cats have found true love - or maybe just a comfy yet crowded basket. Welcome to the new theme for MinnPics - cats. It's not that far-fetched as I am a cat owner and have a fondness for cats both big and small. I'm currently working on redesigning the theme here and hopefully by the weekend MinnPics will be a haven for cat lovers!