I was driving home on a chilly November evening, and when I crossed the Mississippi River just north of downtown Minneapolis, I nearly had an accident. I saw a scene with the river as smooth as glass and giving off a spectacular reflection. I saw low clouds allowing the tops of the skyscrapers to peak out between them on occasion. It was a scene unlike any I have ever photographed before. But I was on my way home from work, so I did not have my camera with me. Thankfully I do not live too far away from that scene.

I arrived home, ran into the house, grabbed my camera and tripod and raced back to that bridge (which is the Plymouth Ave. Bridge that crosses the Mississippi River just north of downtown Minneapolis). I parked out in front of the Pryes Brewing Company. I could have parked at Boom Island and had a much shorter walk, but you have to pay to park on Boom Island, and the process of paying to park there most likely would have taken longer than the extra walk did. So, I get to the spot I wanted to shoot this scene from, which was right next to the Boom Island Lighthouse. I set up my tripod, I set up the camera, I was all ready to go... and the battery in the camera was dead. It was such a defeating feeling. Now, mind you, it was only my 2nd time taking out this brand new camera of mine. None of my previous cameras had ever run out of battery juice so fast, so having a dead battery totally caught me off guard. Feeling defeated, I took a few photos of the scene on my cell phone. And while Cell Phone pics have come a long way, they still do not compare at all, especially with night images. 

I got back to my car, started it up, and as I pulled away from Pryes Brewing, I remembered that I did not live that far from this spot and that I still have a backup battery at home that I knew was fully charged. So, that thought wiped away the frustration and replaced it with determination. It took me all of 10-minutes to return to Pryes Brewing with a fully charged 2nd battery. Ten minutes. So, I made my journey across the Plymouth Avenue Bridge again, returned to my spot next to the Boom Island Lighthouse, and I was happy to see the river was still reflective, and the clouds were still dancing with the tops of the skyscrapers in Minneapolis.

I then proceeded to take this photo and a handful of others. I love the way these turned out. The subtle colors, the breathtaking reflections in the Mississippi River, and the clouds mingling with the Minneapolis Skyline. This photo couldn't have turned out better. 

I ended up making two alternate versions of this photo. One is Black and White, and the other has some enhanced color in it. I'd love to hear which of the three you enjoy the most!

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