Phil Ward Photography

My name is Phil Ward, I am a Twin Cities area photographer specializing in long exposure night photography, pictures of the urban landscape, abandoned buildings, musicians and bands.

 My background in photography began very humbly, and in the middle of the night. You see, during the winter months I drive for a car service at night, all night.  After several years of looking at popular sites around town, deserted in the dark and in the early morning hours, I started taking pictures, trying to capture what I was seeing.  At first it wasn't easy to get the perfect shot. My camera wasn't very good, and in addition, I had the weather and other outside factors to contend with. Many times I would manage to set up my gear and tripod and get the image I wanted in my frame, only to be snapped back to reality as my dispatcher called me on my next order. I had to break everything down into my small camera bag again. Sometimes I had to go back to the same spot over and over before I finally captured that great image.  After thousands of photos snapped in the darkness and steady equipment upgrades along the way, I gradually honed my technique. I hope you enjoy my ever-expanding galleries.

I am fascinated by urban landscapes and the interplay of nature and decay on man-made architecture and structures like train bridges and old, repurposed buildings.  Sometimes it's interesting to take a picture of the back door of an establishment, rather than the front facade. People may not realize what they are looking at, even if it is a familiar landmark like the Minneapolis Basilica, viewed from the back parking lot. 

Phil

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