Street Photography: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Last year, I went to Minneapolis on a business trip.  It gave me a chance to take a few quick shots of city life in another part of the country.  Here's my humble attempt at street photography.

Pedestrian in Minneapolis

Street photography is generally considered to be "candid" shots of life in public spaces taken in a uncomposed or hastily composed manner.  Street photographs provide a snapshot of life.  They are literally a quick peek at life.  I'm no expert in this genre, but it does provide an opportunity to bring life to the lens.
    
Most of the shots I took were literally snapped through the windows of a light rail train.  Unfortunately, life isn't always easy.

Homeless in Minneapolis

Another trip to Minneapolis provided a chance to walk around in the downtown area.

An Oppressive Looking Old Building

While many street photographers enjoy using film cameras and "lomography" cameras, I found that my cell phone took great photos.  In addition, cell phones are everywhere and escape the notice of most people.

Crossing the Street

A Bird House in Vinings, Georgia

I found this well weathered bird house in a most unusual place.  it is located on a huge oak tree in front of a restaurant near the Vinings Village area.  This photo is really just a quick snap shot taken with a cellphone camera.

Photo: Birdhouse on an Oak Tree

[2025 Update - A couple of years later this tree fell over and damaged two of my favorite restaurants in the Vinings Area. Now, they are both closed and awaiting the construction of something new.]

American Flag Photo in the Golden Hour

A few days ago, I was fortunate to pass by an American flag that was backlit by the setting sun.  It was positively glowing.  When I was sitting at a stoplight, I snapped these quick shots with my cellphone.

The American flag waving near the rear approaches to the Atlanta Battery development

For this one, I added a bit of zoom to catch the star spangled banner's red glow!

The American Flag backlit by the evening sun

As of 2025, this flag pole and its patriotic display continue to stand flying near the back entrance to the Atlanta Braves Stadium and the Battery development that surrounds it.

Smyrna Memorial Cemetery Photos (Smyrna, GA)

We've had a little snow in Smyrna, Georgia, this winter.  I took the opportunity to walk around by the historic Smyrna Memorial Cemetery near the Smyrna Village town center.  These photos were taken with my Fuji Finepix S camera using the Automatic setting.

Smyrna Memorial Cemetery:  Is that a ghost on the lower right?

The old cemetery is small, but it provides a glimpse into Smyrna history and the past.  One thing that is nice about the Village Center area is that it is compact and just the right size for a short walk.  It has shops, city government buildings, a museum, a library, a duck pond, and metal frogs.

It was a cold day for the living.

Here are a few photos that I took around Smyrna's Old Cemetery. The snow made for unusual lighting and is a rare sight in Smyrna, Georgia.

Cemetery Photo: Are those footprints?

The headstones remain gray and stoic in all kinds of weather. But, some catch a bit of snow to wear as a hat for a cold winter day.

Cemetery Photo: A classic headstone

Sikorsky S-58T Air Crane Photo

I recently spotted this vintage helicopter at work over the Cumberland Community Improvement District in Atlanta's Cobb County.  I believe it was lifting air conditioning units to the roof of a nearby building.  This is an Sikorsky S-58T helicopter belonging to Winder, Georgia, based Air Crane.

This family of helicopters first flew in 1954.  It was initially designated as the HSS-1 Seabat by the Navy.  However, eventually it was known as the CH-34 Choctaw by the Army, the SH-34 Seabat, and the UH-34 Seahorse.  In civilian life, it is the Sikorsky S-58T.

It's not every day that you see a workhorse like this in action.  But, we were able to circle about a catch it from a few different angles.

This series of helicopters is known for having air intakes in the nose.  They give the beast a rather cute face.

Uncle Buck's Flying Service Seaplane at Bass Pro Shop.

You never know when you'll encounter something photogenic.  I was at my local BassPro Shop last weekend and I encountered this really cool seaplane hanging from the rafters.  While I'm no aviation expert, this appears to be a Cessna-172 Seaplane.

Uncle Buck's Seaplane hanging from the ceiling of an Atlanta area Bass Pro Shop.

Eastern Fence Lizard Climbing a Wall

A couple of days ago, when I went out at lunch time, I happened to catch movement out of the corner of my eye.  A little tiny lizard was climbing the retaining wall in our parking lot.  I believe it is a Brown Anole. (2025 Edit - Big Update I was wrong. This lizard was no Anole). I just learned in 2025, that this little lizard is actually an Eastern Fence Lizard which is sometimes called a Pine Lizard.

Eastern Fence Lizard Photograph

The Eastern Fence Lizard has a wide range extending from New York and Connecticut down to Georgia and across to Missippi and across the more southern midwestern states and even into Colorado and southern Wyoming.

Eastern Fence Lizard on a Wall

This Eastern Fence Lizard blends in perfectly against this retaining wall.  If she wouldn't have moved, I wouldn't have noticed her at all.

A Camera to Consider

As of November 2025, if you are looking for a camera to zoom in and capture wildlife photos, you might consider the Kodak PIXPRO AZ405-BK 20 MP digital camera with up to 40x zoom capability. It has a lot of capability for a $200. camera.

Kodak PIXPRO AZ405-BK Digital Camera (Amazon Photo)

For having fun with photography, a bridge camera like this can really put amazing capabilities within your grasp and simplify your photography experience.  You can check it out here on Amazon.