Twin Cities Photo Scavenger Hunt

A couple of years ago I read in the New York Times about a photo scavenger hunt. Here's a snippet of the article.

ONE reason people visit New York is to catch a glimpse of things they'd never see in the average American city. Some such sights are mystifying, some charming, some jaw-dropping — and some are even legal.

This week, Weekend in New York offers a photo scavenger hunt, in which you (working alone or in a group) seek out scenes and objects intrinsically New York and capture them with your camera. The hunt could be the centerpiece of your weekend, but also could serve as just a way to enhance your downtime as you wander from restaurant to park to museum, observing the natives in their natural habitat.

Well, I loved the idea, and of course I love my city and think it has plenty to offer in terms of interesting "intrinsically" Twin Cities quirks. So last August I organized a Twin Cities Photo Scavenger Hunt. I decided to do it as a fundraiser for my favorite charity. I recruited teams of two, and asked for a suggested registration fee of $40 per team. I sent out a list of items to photograph, gave people two weeks, and then had a results party at my place.

For the party, I had everyone email me their photos. I wanted to do a slide show of sorts, but my technological savvy and equipment were not up to par, so I printed them all out at Walgreens and hung them all around the house. The top two highest scoring teams (teams were scored based on number of items found, with bonus points for quality, e.g. Best Mullet got an extra point, but everyone who photographed a mullet got 1 point) got fabulous prizes, and in the end I raised a couple hundred dollars for my charity and had a great time.

It's begun again this year. A couple of weeks ago I dug up all the printed photos from last year's party and wrote a "Save-the-Date for the 2nd Annual Twin Cities Photo Scavenger Hunt" note on the back, then mailed them out as postcards to all my friends. The Results Party is next Saturday. Here are some sample items from the Official Twin Cities Photo Scavenger Hunt List:

Category: The Recession

• A recession-themed advertisement - 1 point.
• Multiple “For Sale” signs on the same block - 1 point. (1 Bonus point for most “For Sale” signs)

Category: Very Minnesota

• A Minnesota team mascot (e.g. Goldy Gopher) - 1 point.
• A backyard bonfire - 1 point.

Category: Twin Cities Miscellany.

• Urban wildlife - 1 point. (1 bonus point for must unusual animal or animal caught in the most unusual pose)
• “Free” furniture left on a curb - 1 point.

I'll post some photos after the party next weekend.