Tag Archives: Outdoor Guy Photography

The Upside To Road Construction

DailyPhotoProject

I remember seeing that orange construction sign one day while commuting to work.  It stated that the Lafayette Bridge & Hwy 52 road/bridge construction project would begin in the Spring of 2011 and end in the Fall of 2015.  All I thought was that it would be a very long disturbance to my daily routine.  I never considered the upside to it all.  I never imagined that a road/bridge construction project would spawn a *two-year-long daily photography project (2014-15).

LayfetteBridge

The construction meant that the route I traveled while commuting to and from work would be met with daily delays.  Little did I know that this would spawn a discovery of areas of St. Paul that I had typically only seen from the Lafayette Bridge or from I94.  Little did I imagine that these areas were full of seemingly endless photo opportunities.  Little did I imagine that I would completely immerse myself into a windshield photography-style of shooting.

07-06-14 My Exit

The early stages of the construction project began a distance before the Layfayette Bridge.  The Concord Street and Plato Boulevard  overpasses came first.  Traffic would back up to Concord Street as a result; this is where my exploration of West St. Paul began.  There were no shortages of options off of the Concord Street exit from Caesar Chavez Street (opposite direction of Concord Street).  I was afforded three different routes into Downtown/Lowertown St. Paul via the Robert Street, Wabasha Street and Smith Avenue bridges over the Mississippi River.

NewRoute

Once across the river my route options to arrive at Energy Park Drive (via Lexington or Front Street) were numerous.  I spent a fair amount time traveling/shooting Robert Street, University Avenue, 5th Street, Lexington Avenue and Selby Avenue.  I’ve found many delightful things along the way.  Cora’s Best WingsDon Panchos Bakery, Great Harvest Bread Co., Mississippi Market, St. Paul Farmer’s Market, Rice Park, Mears Park an Kellogg Mall Park to mention a few.

A routine is not whimsical, but rather purposeful.  A routine is common-place.   Routines are sometimes necessary to facilitate an orderly means to traverse through your daily activities.  My initial routine upset was re-focused [literally] and I found a way to enjoy an unanticipated change.  This next year, deviate from a routine; change it up and create a new one.  You never know what is around that next corner or down that street you often drive by.  Hopefully it will be something interesting, entertaining, tasty or otherwise pleasing.  Happy New Year everyone!

*My photo-posting commitment was less formal prior to 2014 when I began self-hosting my blog out of storage space limitations. I began shooting in all the areas mentioned above in 2011 when the construction began.  Much of 2013 is intact on my previous blog Outdoor Guy Photography.  All posts prior to July 2012 were deleted :-/  More photos of St. Paul can be found in my 2013 Weekly Shots series.  Unfortunately, the entire 52 week series did not survive site size trimming.  3 GB is the max size for a free 
wordpress.com site - hence the reason I moved to self-hosting.  I've used bluehost.com for 2 - going on 3 years now and have been very happy.

An Anniversary

Tic-Toc.  Time has run away with itself again.  5 years have passed.  Poof.

5 years

It all started with my Outdoor Guy Photography blog.  It looks like my 2010 and most of my 2011 posts & photos have gone by the wayside due to blog size restriction from dropping my premium subscription – for that very reason – storage.  I decided to host my own blog, this blog, with bluehost.com (a WP partner).  Easy-peasy; it’s a breeze.

I’ve read a few posts today from different photo bloggers stating that they intend to cease posting.  I’ve read other posts in past weeks stating some are scaling back their blogging or stopping altogether.  I get it…blogging takes time.  I think there is also a natural ebb and flow of desire directly related to your level of excitement and inspiration with want you are doing.

I have really enjoyed the sharing aspect and have learned a lot from following many different individuals, viewing their work and reading about their journey regarding a limited variety of topics (mostly photography-related).  Interacting with other photographers and photography enthusiasts has been great.  The feedback that fellow bloggers provide is also wonderful.

I am finishing out 2014’s photo a day project.  We’ll see what the next year in photography/blogging brings.  It may be time to switch things up a bit.  In closing I would like to thank those that follow and comment often; it has been a wonderful experience.

Eau Claire County Abandoned | WI Driftless Area

Luck was with us once again on our travels to and from Augusta, WI last Sunday.  It was a double good find once again.  Two abandoned farmsteads.  These two had some character and wonderful light.

We barely covered the whole county and I am sure there are even more in the area.  There were several coop farms along our route.  Lots of coop farms usually means there is a very good chance that there will be other abandoned farmsteads in the vicinity.  That’s been my experience anyway.

We actually ran into a third but the day was getting on, the sun was going down and we were tired.  There is always next time.

Dan Traun, Photographer

Born and raised near the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area in the scenic Mississippi River town of Red Wing, Dan Traun photographs everyday life and publishes those images on Dan Traun Photography.

Previously, he published his photography via Outdoor Guy Photography; the site remains online to showcase some of his work from 2012 to 2013.

Currently, Dan is working with his wife, Cynthia, also a photographer.  The couple’s portrait/wedding work can be found at Traun Photography. Additionally, a collection of Dan’s photos from 2011-2013 is showcased here with prints available for purchase.

Dan became fascinated with photography at a young age while snapping casual shots of his everyday surroundings and of local events. His interest in photography grew as he did. He soon began photographing the countrysides of Minnesota and Wisconsin and has many fond memories of back roads, picturesque scenery and time spent with family/friends.

This long-time photographer’s experience ranges from portrait to studio, event, Nature, panoramic, scenic and urban styles of photography. His preferred styles are scenic (water/landscapes) and urban (street/architecture) photography.

Creating a timeless photo, Dan believes, requires knowledge of the subject or area. Sometimes that means photographing the scene/subject over many years and at different times of the year.

Dan observes that each day begins with unique circumstances and conditions which yield continuing change and variety in nature’s beauty. Given his love of history, he strives to freeze moments in time for future generations. Photos are just as much a part of history, says Dan, as the story itself.

The In-Between, Day 3 | Minnesota North Shore #exploremn

Fall 2013 MN North Shore series

Day 3 was the day – the morning actually – the sunrise shoot we had hoped for back in July when we planned this trip.  I love it when a plan comes together!  Hollow Rock was right outside our cabin; a mere 100 yards or so to the shooting location on the rocky beach.  That morning was absolutely gorgeous.  Everything came together nicely.  The clouds, color and sun all working in perfect harmony.

Gunflint Trail to Grand Portage

After an epic sunrise experience we set out to explore forest roads between the Gunflint Trail and Grand Portage.  The color around Grand Portage [although past prime] was better than Grand Marais.  I’ve never seen so many Ruffed Grouse in my life.  I seen as many birds on this trip as I had all the years I used to upland hunt.  We were also searching for the third waterfall, Partridge Falls, on the Pigeon River and eventually found it.  We were unable to find a decent falls vantage point down river for a good photograph, but enjoyed the location just the same.  It is quite peaceful out in the middle of nowhere.  Natures beauty really consumes and carries you around from one location to the next.  At one point our travels were impeded by the handiwork some busy beavers.

One bit of advice whilst out and about in strange lands and big wilderness – study a map or two before you set out.  GPS, on more than one occasion, failed to provide adequate direction.  A little bit of mystery is fine, but having a general idea of where you will be traveling – starting and ending up – is paramount to a good trip.  “Ready to Navigate” displayed on the GPS, although humorous, is not helpful at all.  As you can see from the Lightroom Map Module below from GPS data, we covered some ground over three days.  It was a fabulous trip and experience with my betrothed.

MN North Shore

Here are some photos from Day 3.

The In-Between, Day 2 | Minnesota North Shore #exploremn

Fall 2013 MN North Shore series

Day 2 on MN North Shore began exquisitely.  We made our way down to waters edge for the Sunrise @ Grand Marais shoot.  Nature cooperated nicely.  From there, we back-tracked a bit to Cascade River State Park for a beautiful morning hike up the river gorge among the picturesque cascades.

Park History

Years ago, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had a camp at the Cascade River. The men in this camp worked on a variety of conservation projects. Today, you can see some of their handiwork on the trails that wind along the river. One enrollee told how they cut and moved the large pine logs from Cascade down to Gooseberry Falls State Park to finish buildings in that park. From the beginning, Cascade was thought of as a state park, but it wasn’t until 1957 that it was officially designated as such. -wikipedia

Cascade River State Park photos

Next we got off the beaten path (Hwy 61) and made our way towards another destination (Hollow Rock Resort).  After checking in we were off on the Gunflint Trail to drive a loop through the forest in search of Devilfish overlook.    We got closed, but missed a road and stumbled on a Red Fox – cute little bugger; then just continued on our way.  We decided to take another run at a sunset at Honeymoon Bluff that overlooks Hungry Jack Lake off the Gunflint Trail.  The second attempt yielded better results than the first.

Another full day on the MN North Shore.  Love this place.  There is a surprise around every corner.

The in-between photos

Grand Portage State Park – Gunflint Trail | MN North Shore #exploremn

Fall 2013 MN North Shore series

A favorite destination along the MN North Shore – actually all the way up to the northern tip – is Grand Portage State Park where the Pigeon River flows over the tallest waterfall in Minnesota.  It is a pretty spectacular site.  It is one of the destinations along the shore that Cyndie and I very much enjoy photographing.  A great attribute of the park is that it is handicapped accessible with a paved trail, boardwalk and ramps to a viewing platform.  The path the falls is a short distance through the forest.  It was overcast that day, but that didn’t seem to dampen the glow of yellow and orange of the Autumn color – it was quite brilliant.

There is a 3.5 mile trail out to middle falls as well.  We found the third waterfall on the pigeon river too (Partridge Falls).  Partridge Falls is pretty good size, but it lacks a decent down-river vantage point.  More on that later…

Here are two views of the high falls and another of the pigeon river flowing toward Lake Superior.

North Shore Abstracts – Gunflint Trail | MN North Shore #exploremn

Fall 2013 MN North Shore series

You can find yourself doing all sorts of things when you are out and about along MN North Shore.  We made good use of our midday going to and from locations.  The lovely Autumn colors provided some great backdrops for some abstract shots.  It is something different to do photographically and some time you get some pretty interesting shots.

For those of you who have never done anything like this, you can get shots like this with a small aperture (f/16 – f/32) and a slow shutter speed.  Click the shutter and move your camera either up or down from where you started.  Side to side works well to.  You can also zoom in or out to create a pretty neat effect.  Go nuts; there is no wrong method.

Sunrise @ Hollow Rock | MN North Shore #exploremn

Fall 2013 MN North Shore series

Hollow Rock

resortlocationHollow Rock is located a handful of miles South of Grand Portage, MN on MN North Shore.  Hollow Rock Resort is situated in between Hollow Rock Creek and Hollow Rock Road.  The rock formation is located right off of the shore from the resort.  Cyndie and I stayed in Cabin #5 – Moose; Hollow Rock was right out the cabin’s front door.

Being right on location was certainly nice.  All that was needed was to wake up, have some coffee and then set up to shoot.  The in-floor heat was a plus; it made the cabin nice and cozy.  I was also happy to see the tank-less water heater.  It is always good to have hot water.  This is what I like to refer to as remote/comfortable.  There is no cable TV, cellular service or Internet here.  It was quite peaceful.  A great place to get lost for a few days.

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Here are a few other shots from the cabin and around the immediate area outside the cabin.

At this particular time of year, the sunrise lines up nicely with hole in Hollow Rock.  We had a picture-perfect morning for a sunrise.  The weather, clouds and color came together quite nicely.  Here are four frames from that magnificent sunrise shoot.

I continued to practice my time-lapse photography at this location as well.  I had the same issues as before, but I am pleased with the results.

Part One

Part Two

The In-Between, Day 1 | Minnesota North Shore

day1This was a complete impromptu kind of trip.  Being the planner that I am I still put together an itinerary of possibilities.  We did plan to focus on photographing waterfall in the state parks this trip.  We no sooner made the plan and were met with a potential hurdle.  Just outside of Duluth on I35 we were met with a wall of fog.  If you have ever been to Duluth or been there multiple times, there is a good chance you have experienced this king of fog of epic proportions.  Visibility was nil.  All was not lost as Duluth was not the destination, but rather a blip on the trail of this particular journey.  Little did we know the fog would run the whole length of the North Shore and only really clear one morning during our visit.  It made for an interesting trip photographically, that is for sure.

This post and the next few after will recap the details of each day of our trip to the North Shore.  I will highlight where we went, what we did and saw and where we ate and stayed.

Knife River, MN was our first stop.  You couldn’t see much of Lake Superior, but you could smell the fresh air and the lake.  Russ Kendall’s Smokehouse is always on the itinerary.  Cyndie isn’t a fan of smoked fish, but I am.  I got a quick fix in the parking lot and even shared a bit with the seagulls.  Just down the road from Kendall’s on the opposite side of the road are some fantastic old vehicles.  I photograph them every trip.

The first day we milled about in Two Harbors a bit and then made our way to Gooseberry Falls State Park.covepoint  It was this first day that we noticed the abandoned building, but we didn’t photograph it until we returned later in the trip.  This was a long day filled with many miles and great sites.  Cooter Pottery  and Two Island River/Taconite Harbor were great destinations of the day.  We settled in at Cove Point Lodge for the night.  We had a wonderful dinner just up the road at Cove Point Crossings Bar & Grill.

As you can see by the satellite view there is a nice point to observe the bay and lake from.  There is a trail all the way out to the point.  This was an interesting and picturesque hike after breakfast the next morning  in the fog .

Here are my shots of the Minnesota North Shore – The in between, Day 1