Thank You for Today - Minneapolis Reflections
On the last morning of my work conference in Minneapolis, I woke early and was delighted to find the sky finally cooperating. All week it had been overcast or raining, but now a few scattered clouds promised a sunrise worth seeing. The remnants of night still lingered - the street lamps on the bridge glowed warmly - while the sky slowly began to radiate in soft oranges. I made my way to the banks of the Mississippi River, across from downtown, where the Third Avenue Bridge stretched gracefully toward the city.
The river was calm, holding the bridge and skyline in a near-perfect mirror, a “second city” floating just below the surface. In that moment, it was simply quiet: the sound of the water, the cool morning air, and the quiet hum of hymns in my head. Later, a friend commented that the reflections made it look like a whole other world beneath the surface, an imaginary place that’s hidden but waiting to be discovered and explored. That thought stayed with me, adding another layer to the image and the reflections from this moment.
I shot this at 20 mm, f/14, ISO 100, slowing the shutter to 0.6 seconds to smooth the water without losing detail in the reflections. Afterward, I looped across the Stone Arch Bridge and wandered the walking paths between the river and the city streets. By the time I returned, I knew this image - the still water, the bridge leading to the city, and the first light of day - would be my favorite from the trip.
Thank You for Today - Minneapolis Reflections
On the last morning of my work conference in Minneapolis, I woke early and was delighted to find the sky finally cooperating. All week it had been overcast or raining, but now a few scattered clouds promised a sunrise worth seeing. The remnants of night still lingered - the street lamps on the bridge glowed warmly - while the sky slowly began to radiate in soft oranges. I made my way to the banks of the Mississippi River, across from downtown, where the Third Avenue Bridge stretched gracefully toward the city.
The river was calm, holding the bridge and skyline in a near-perfect mirror, a “second city” floating just below the surface. In that moment, it was simply quiet: the sound of the water, the cool morning air, and the quiet hum of hymns in my head. Later, a friend commented that the reflections made it look like a whole other world beneath the surface, an imaginary place that’s hidden but waiting to be discovered and explored. That thought stayed with me, adding another layer to the image and the reflections from this moment.
I shot this at 20 mm, f/14, ISO 100, slowing the shutter to 0.6 seconds to smooth the water without losing detail in the reflections. Afterward, I looped across the Stone Arch Bridge and wandered the walking paths between the river and the city streets. By the time I returned, I knew this image - the still water, the bridge leading to the city, and the first light of day - would be my favorite from the trip.