The651.com

Do you fancy yourself a photographer? Or do you aspire to be one? Do you have a digital camera, some time, and a little creativity? I think you do!

As you probably don’t know, I myself am a photographer. I can spend a whole day driving around town, snapping photos of strange people, places and things and have a great time doing it. I can also go into my own backyard and capture something artistic and cool with a few clicks of a button. Seeing art in the mundane is really not as hard as it seems. You just have to look! Art is in nature, it’s in the urban landscape; it’s in architecture, every day life, and yes, even in your own backyard.

This week I was inspired by an outdoor fashion shoot in a local park that a group of artists I work with at l’etoile magazine did (will post a link to that once the final photos are edited and placed in a layout). It captured the essence of the Minnesota winter and it reminded me of all the spectacular photo opps that the snowy season holds — even though I myself often balk at the idea of venturing out into the frigid, frozen tundra. I figured if a wispy model can stand out in the snow in a white fur mini-dress for that long, I’ve got no excuse not to get out and shoot a bit myself…bundled up of course!

So, dear readers, I propose this:

Get out and snap some winter-inspired photos. They can be of anything or anyone. They can range from snow covered trees to sloppy streets to icy slopes and everything in between. What does the Minnesota winter mean to you? Tell us in your photo!

Send up to three photos to me at kate@letoilemagazine.com with the subject line “WINTER WONDERLAND” and I’ll post them here in a couple weeks. I’ll even pick one winner to be interviewed about their work on the651.com AND I’ll whip together a cool St. Paul prize package as well.

Here are a few wintery shots by me, to get the ball rolling: