As you drive across the Mississippi River on Interstate 35W, you have – for a moment – a great view of the city of Minneapolis. Getting a photo of it is a bit of a challenge.
There’s no pedestrian access on this bridge and only a very narrow shoulder next to the far right lane. Pulling over and stopping, in traffic, would be extremely dicey and probably lead to a prompt interview by the Highway Patrol. Faking a flat tire is not going to work.
Minneapolis and the Mississippi
I had to figure out how to get it from a moving car, at highway speeds – by myself. This led to mounting the camera on a tripod secured to the passenger seat, with a cable release so I could keep my eyes on the road. Next, test shots to get the camera aimed properly, and decide on focal lengh. Then, many experiments to find a combination of shutter speed, f-stop and ISO that would work, given the motion of the car and the low light just after sunset. I finally had an excuse to buy a 50mm lens that opened WIDE. Finally, a series of attempts to get the photo, at dusk, as the light is rapidly dimming.
I made many trips across that bridge, but I got the image I wanted. I think it puts Minneapolis in a good light (literally) and highlights its connection to the Mississippi. That connection is often forgotten today, but in the past, the river was the lifeblood of this city.