March 25, 2013 by Cynthia Traun (Mackowick)

A Hometown Affair

A group of photographers from the Red Wing Photography Club met up on this beautiful sunshiny day back in June of last year in Red Wing, MN with the sole intention of photographing the city and all of it’s beauty. Venturing out with a group of photographers can be interesting and an outing that you can learn from. How does your shooting buddy see the world behind that trusty camera– Different no doubt. The goal of it all is to gain different perspectives on how other photographers not only view the world and how they wish to portray its beauty, but it is also wonderful to see how they work and how you can learn from them. On this particular day, we met at the local Farmers Market where you can find vendors selling fresh canned fruit, fresh vegetables right from the garden, fresh baked bread (yummy), flower arrangements, plus much, much, more. We spent a couple of hours touring the city that we have all seen a thousand times. You know- Those roads that we all travel on as we make our way to work or play, it is those streets that we take for granted at times. I would have to say that I love living in the Mississippi Valley and Southeastern MN Bluff country. Coming down into the quaint town of Red Wing from the North on Hwy 61 is always an amazing site for me and never gets old.

We had a fun and productive day walking the alleys and photographing the local businesses – trying to view the streets of Red Wing, MN in a different way and taking off those “took for granted” sunglasses.

Sit back and enjoy the views you might have overlooked in Red Wing, MN.

Red Wing, MN Train Depot

Gernentz Auto Service

A simple greeting

A great day for a dog to take its owner for a walk

The old and the new

March 10, 2013 by Cynthia Traun (Mackowick)

A weekend made for memories

Memorial Day of 2012- A day to remember and give thanks to the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

It was a beautiful sun-shiny day with a slight breeze. Certainly, a day photographing the countryside was called for. We packed the car with the necessary items needed for a full day of photography fun. Photography gear, Check. Cooler full of food and drink, check. The four legged wonders (Tindra and Audrey), check. The “girls” are 13 and 14 years of age, and weigh around 11 Lbs but they are still full of spit and vinegar (Dan says just like their human mamma) 🙂 Now, if you have ever had the privilege to know a Dachshund or have been owned by a Dachshund, you know their little noses can get them into trouble. Especially when they can figure out how to get on top of tables, counters, basins, into garbage and food containers, etc, etc. Tindra can sniff out any morsel of food… anywhere. The girls motto- Where there is a will, there is a way 🙂

The girls had a spring in their step and were excited that they were able to grace us with their presence. Fresh country air, and all that comes along with it… So exciting! Off we go.

On our outings, we find at least one abandoned house, building, or farmstead and that day was no different. As we pulled onto this particular property, the excitement of photographing the establishment kept rising. With a huge smile on my face, I jumped out of the car and headed for the house… Off I go without looking back. Realizing later, of course, that I had just left the girls unattended with a package of beef jerky and a bag of animal crackers in the car. Needless to say that when we returned (and we never leave for too long), the girls had polished off both bags of food. Mostly Tindra and boy, she was thirsty!! We had to wait and see what happened… A little while later a sound was heard from the back- the sound that gets you moving and fast. Saving the car upholstery, my hands were the only thing close enough to catch what was spewing from Tindra’s mouth. A mixture of beef jerky and animal crackers… YUCK! After pulling over and cleaning up, we headed on our way. Tindra slept for the rest of the trip but was fine by the time we had returned home- Bad Mamma, poor little furry wonder 🙂

The day spent traveling around the Red Wing, MN and surrounding area was a day I’ll never forget- one full of laughter, amusement, excitement, and for Tindra- pleasure followed by anguish. Although Tindra will never learn a lesson, we did and have since purchased a Dachshund proof food container that we travel with.

Running Free

Three Amigos

Butting heads

Audrey on the lookout

Driving Miss Daisy

Beyond the Door

Forgotten Hallway

Dan the Man 🙂

March 9, 2013 by Cynthia Traun (Mackowick)

The Round Barn, Red Wing, MN

After our trip touring the countryside in Wisconsin for round barns last April, we decided to contact a local Bed and Breakfast, which just happens to be called The Round Barn. Robin and Elaine Kleffman, owners of the The Round Barn Bed and Breakfast and restored round barn, were gracious enough to give us a private tour of the facilities.

I could not say enough of the hospitality of the owners and the history involved with astonishing example of architecture. The round barn was originally built in 1915 by Henry and Mary Dammon for their dairy cattle, and subsequently used as a honey processing facility by Earl and Retha Griffith. The barn has been renovated and is used for wedding receptions, dances, parties and reunions.

The house was built on a design from 1861 by architect Samuel Sloan and is beyond beautiful. The charm of the place shines as you drive onto the property and you are filled with tranquility as you step out of your car. I still would like to taste Robin’s award winning bread as he pulls it from the wood-fired hearth bread oven.

If ever in the area, I would highly recommend a stay!

March 9, 2013 by Cynthia Traun (Mackowick)

A photography day in the merry month of May

It’s May now (or was back then), the sun was shining and the birds were singing; what better to do than take a drive out in the country with friends that share the same passion for photography?

Being a part of the Red Wing Photography Club has introduced me to a number of photographers. Each photographer has their own view on the word and their own different way on how they wish to portray it; to see how another views the world is fun for me and is always a learning experience. Whether the type of photography be Macro, Landscape, Portrait, Street photography, Journalism, or any other type … Well, it is up to the photographer as to how they choose to capture that day, how they wish to capture that moment in time. The beauty of photography is that the appeal of the photograph is in the eye of the maker and the beholder.

This particular day took us over the Wisconsin way; a hop, skip, and a jump across the mighty Mississippi. It was nice for Dan and I to meet Norbert Marklin, a very talented and inspiring local photographer.