Last January, the recently opened Central Park of Maple Grove gave residents the chance to enjoy the thrill of the holiday season outdoors. One popular wintertime activity is skating at Central Park’s ice-skating loop. “It represents the quintessential winter holiday scene in Minnesota,” says photographer Erik Lange. “Doesn’t the opening of A Charlie Brown Christmas start on a skating rink?”
One night, with ice skates and Canon 5D Mark II in hand, Lange’s camera got the best of him. “It was really cold that day, so I went around three times and spent the rest of the time taking pictures,” he says.
When it comes to photography, Lange modestly identifies himself as an amateur; however, he has considered photography a serious hobby since his brother gave him a Pentax K1000 as a high school graduation gift. Aside from being a concert violinist with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra and working for a pharmacy benefit management company, Lange undoubtedly possesses a special talent for capturing moments that are simply engaging. “I thought it was a perfect scene and people seemed to be having so much fun trying out the rink for the first time,” he says.
