Downtown Minneapolis Skyline

Capturing the Skyline from Overlooks around Minneapolis

By Andy Johnson III

August 20^th, 2024

Street photography and urban scenes have once again engaged my creative energy and this time in the Twin Cities area here in Minnesota. I first developed an interest in this type of photography while living in Southern California so living in the Minneapolis area for a second time is giving me a chance to see the city again with fresh eyes through the lens of photography. Working in South Minneapolis at Hope Academy has also put me in touch with these scenes on a more regular basis, enabling me to notice the beauty and the light all around me. The following collection is some of my favorite shots of the Skyline from the last 6 months or so.

35W Mississippi River Bridge

Every time I cross this bridge, I notice the incredible scene and think that I just have to find a way to take some photos. Finally, I just put on my four-way blinkers, pulled over on the side of the road and shot some pictures. The clouds on this particular day were just too good to pass up.

Franklin Avenue Bridge

Sometimes I go on a walk at work and my typical path leads me across the Franklin Avenue bridge where I get this incredible view of downtown Minneapolis with traffic coming and going in the foreground.

7th Street Off-Ramp

This is the off-ramp that I take everyday on my way into work. There's a place to pull off and safely stop so sometimes when the light is right, I just have to pull over to take some pictures of this scene.

Dartmouth Bridge

This is probably the most unsafe picture I've taken in awhile. I parked my car off the nearest exit and carried my camera and tripod along the thin stretch of road out onto the Dartmouth Bridge in 94 Westbound traffic to get this picture.

Peavey Park

Right behind Hope Academy, there's a view across Peavey Park and into downtown. Sometimes when leaving school I notice this view and just have to stop to take some photos.