Sometimes getting a photo means standing in a spot where you’re not really supposed to be.
The reconstruction of Interstate 35W in Minneapolis had ground on for about 3 years and the end was not in sight. It had created chaos for traffic, and opportunities for photos.
I already knew about this spot – it overlooks the highway and has a great view of the skyline, but shooting there was problematic. There’s a high fence in the way, surrounded by a thicket of scraggly trees and bushes. And it’s behind a rundown apartment building in a bad part of town, on the edge of a parking lot populated by a few rustbuckets and their dodgy and possibly intoxicated owners.
Driving by one day, I noticed the fence had been removed to allow access for construction workers; you could now walk right down to the highway. I knew this wouldn’t last long.
I came back just after sundown a few days later. It was dark, windy and a bit cold as I parked in that creepy lot, made my way down a weedy embankment to a spot near the roaring highway. I set up a tripod with a pan head, and took 3 shots to combine later, while frequently looking over both shoulders and trying to act invisible.
Opportunity knocks but once. You can’t get to this spot today.