An abandoned farmhouse along Minnesota State Highway 19 east of Vesta on the southwestern Minnesota prairie.
WINTER IN MINNESOTA this time of year and in November often seems stripped of color, a drab world of black-and-white mimicking the melancholy mood of those who wish only for spring.
So it takes some effort to appreciate this month of March which can’t quite decide whether to pursue spring or linger awhile yet in winter.
One day she’s dark and brooding, the next bright and cheery. Understanding her mood swings can be a challenge.
Sometimes you just have to accept who she is and realize that even in her colorless world, a certain sense of beauty prevails.
An aging windmill and a cluster of old buildings define this picturesque farm site along Minnesota State Highway 60 just west of Waterville in southeastern Minnesota.
The sweeping curves in the field drew my eye to photograph this scene west of Waterville along State Highway 60.
A lone tree along Minnesota State Highway 60 between Faribault and Waterville on a brooding March morning.
Farm sites mark the landscape along a back county road between New Ulm and Morgan.
All of these images were taken last Saturday morning from a moving vehicle while traveling through southern Minnesota. Each has been edited to create a more artsy, earthy feel.
© Copyright 2012 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
And i love them, look at your beautiful horizons and how you have allowed the eye to wander in and past the central image. Very very good work Audrey and your editing has been spot on. I really really love the first one! c
Thank you, C. This means a lot coming from you.
The beauty of these photos is that I shot them on the fly, as we were traveling at highway speeds. So I had one opportunity to get it right.
I’ve always wanted to photograph that abandoned house, but never had the time or missed it as we drove by. This time, at the last instant, I leaned across the front seat from the passenger side and shot through the driver’s side window. It was absolute, pure luck that I got this image. I desaturated it, cropped out a few trees on the right and upped the contrast a teeny bit for the results you see.
As for the other pix, I stripped them of color and then played around a bit with brightening and contrast and sharpening until I got artsy results that pleased my eyes.
Well they really work! I had to come back for another look!! c
Wow – some great photos here! Love them. And the black and white is marvelous for the subject matter!
Thank you. Converting these images to black-and-white was absolutely the right approach to take.