“There aren’t a lot of people I know that will stand outside when it’s 18 degrees below, waiting for the sun to rise on Lake Superior,” says photographer Jackie Scherer about herself. Fond of capturing unique moments in nature and wildlife with her Nikon D600, Scherer was exploring Raspberry Island in Saint Paul for the first time with a friend at 7 p.m. one cold snowy night last January. She and her friend were going on a “photo walk” seeking skyline shots. Inspiration struck in the shape of a brightly lit, arching fortune cookie-like structure boasting a tennis racket pattern along its sleek, plunging, appliance-meets-nature design: the band shell with a steely, distinctly modern flavor on the northeastern tip of the island.
“I had taken several shots of the band shell from different angles before I found this particular alignment,” Scherer says of her shot that placed third in the City Landmarks category of the Picture Saint Paul photo contest last year. She took three photos from that angle with 15-second exposure set on F/22, ISO 100 at 85 millimeters, opting for a black-and-white filter with selective coloring to make the red pop.
Scherer works full-time as an assistant property manager of a 540-unit apartment complex in Saint Paul and finds time for photography on weekends, using it to explore beautiful places in the city and farther north. She brings back photographs—say, of this architectural curiosity—to share her awe with friends.
Look for Scherer’s photos in the St. Paul Pioneer Press and in future editions of Saint Paul Magazine.
