Kate and I made my our to this floating city on January 30th. It was a beautiful day out and we arrived around 1:30PM.
I was amazed at the turnout! There had to be a couple of hundred people out and about. Kids on skis and sleds, dogs of all shapes and sizes, couples out for a mid-day date, and a surprising amount of photographers of all ages.
My first instinct was to start shooting, but the sun was on full blast and I knew I'd get some harsh shadows if I wasn't careful so I tried to pick and choose, getting shots in the shade where possible.
The shear number of shanties was amazing! Way more than I expected. It was so busy at the time that we had a rough time getting into all but a handful. We stopped in the Dance Shanty, the FantaShanty, the Tea Shanty (forget its real name), and one other that I'm unsure of the theme.
The people were great. It had a very Minnesotan vibe, one which I haven't experienced in a while. The closest thing recently would probably have to be movies in Loring Park over the summer. Everyone was having a good time and were very happy to let me photograph them.
Before I left I ran out to the middle of the lake trying to get a shot of a guy drilling an ice hole, only to get out there when the motor died! The trip was a blast. More so than I imagined! I'd like to go again next year, but set aside more than a couple hours so I could make my way through all the shanties.
-Brandon Lattin
