My name is Phil Ward, I live in St. Paul Minnesota. During the winter months I drive for a car service at night, all night. I look at popular sites around town in the dark and in the early morning hours, when the streets are deserted and no one else is around. After a few years of looking at deserted and dark landscapes and landmarks, I started taking pictures, trying to capture what I was seeing. It isn't easy to get the perfect shot. The weather won't cooperate, or my dispatcher calls, just as I've set up my tripod for a long exposure, and I have to break everything down into my small camera bag again. Sometimes I have to go back to the same spot over and over.

I am fascinated by urban landscapes and the interplay of nature and decay on man-made architecture and structures like train bridges and old, repurposed buildings. Sometimes it's interesting to take a picture of the back door of an establishment, rather than the front facade. People may not realize what they are looking at, even if it is a familiar landmark like the Minneapolis Basilica, viewed from the back parking lot.

I hope you enjoy looking at the images from my photo project, as I continue to expand it.

Phil