photography | Minnesota Prairie Roots

Crazy about cars in Kenyon, Part II August 26, 2014

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 6:00 AM
Tags: car show, festivals, Kenyon, Kenyon Rose Fest Car Show, Minnesota, photo essay, photography, small towns, vintage cars

Vintage vehicles lined several blocks of a residential neighborhood just off the main drag through town, Minnesota State Highway 60. The location was perfect for those wishing to check out the downtown.

Vintage vehicles lined several blocks of a residential neighborhood just off the main drag, Minnesota State Highway 60. The location was perfect for those wishing to check out downtown Kenyon.

A RECENT CAR SHOW in Kenyon, at this southern Minnesota community’s annual Rose Fest, presented a multitude of photo ops.

I'm always drawn to details like this dice on a lock.

I’m always drawn to details like this die on a lock.

I focused on the shiny, the unusual, the beautiful, the interesting, the whatever caught my eye.

I called this a hippie van.

And between all that photographing, I met John, a former co-worker of my husband, and John’s wife, Diane. John and Randy had not seen each other in something like 35 years, when they worked together at a Rochester automotive parts store. John recognized Randy first. It was a wonderful moment, to see these two guys reconnect.

So sometimes it is not all about the cars. It is about the people and the moments. And rats if I didn’t fail to photograph that reunion.

Enjoy these images from the Rose Fest Car Show, minus John and Randy.

I prefer original, but some guys like to modify their cars.

Love the graceful curves of this Bel Air.

A mini version of the car always draws my artistic attention.

Composing this image, I appreciated the melding of car and beautiful house. Turns out the house is a funeral home.

So many trophies I wondered if everyone gets one.

I’m ever watchful for shiny bumpers and reflections.

Remember going to the A & W drive-in?

I still don’t understand this staging.

All original.

Always appreciate the dice.

A Chevy my husband likely wishes he owned.

Comments (12)

Roses & cars in Kenyon August 25, 2014

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 6:00 AM
Tags: car show, festivals, Kenyon, Kenyon Rose Fest Car Show, Minnesota, photo essay, photography, roses, small towns, vintage cars

Kenyon, Minnesota, welcomes visitors to its recent Rose Fest.

WOULD YOU EXPECT to find roses at a car show?

I thought not.

One of many beautiful roses spotted at the car show.

But in the small southern Minnesota community of Kenyon, organizers of the Rose Fest Car Show handed out roses to early arrivals. How sweet is that?

Another rose spotted…

An unexpected surprise. A rose on a dashboard. A rose lying on a car seat. A rose on an engine.

Kenyon’s Boulevard of Roses cuts through Minnesota Highway 60. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

Now I’ve been to quite a number of car shows, but never to the one in Kenyon, where roses are planted for blocks in the boulevard of Minnesota State Highway 60 running through the heart of town.

This car show impressed me. I can’t pinpoint precisely why I so enjoyed this show. But I found lots to draw my eye from the quirky to the nostalgic to the shiny and more.

Enjoy these images from the Rose Fest Car Show. And then check back tomorrow for more photos.

Loved this car.

My absolute favorite moment, and shot, for the wistfulness. He was so immersed in admiring those trophies that he didn't even notice me snapping away.

My absolute favorite moment, and shot. This boy was so immersed in admiring trophies that he didn’t even notice me.

But Chad noticed me because I asked him to stand still so I could photograph his tattoo

But Chad noticed me because I asked him to stand still so I could photograph the tattoo of his 1958 VW bus Westfalia…

…which looks like this from the front…

…and this inside, all ready for camping.

Definitely not as family-friendly as Chad’s VW bus art.

Another favorite of mine, the Roadrunner.

Every vehicle is marked, so if you’re a serious student of vintage cars (I’m not), the necessary info is right there.

I’ve never seen anything like this backward opening hood.

Comments (15)

A photographer’s perspective on Faribault Car Cruise Night August 19, 2014

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 6:00 AM
Tags: Central Avenue, Faribault, Faribault Car Cruise Night, historic downtown, Minnesota, photo essay, photography, travel, vintage cars

Two of the numerous vehicles parked in downtown Faribault Friday evening for the last Car Cruise Night of the season.

Two of the vehicles parked in downtown Faribault Friday evening for the last Car Cruise Night of the season.

AFTER ATTENDING NUMEROUS CAR SHOWS in recent years, including two back-to-back this past weekend, I sometimes wonder how I can possibly find anything new to photograph.

But I do.

I set my camera on the pavement for this low down perspective shot.

Hanging out at Faribault Car Cruise Night.

Hood ornaments always draw my attention.

It takes determination to seek out the details, the interesting perspectives, the light, the people and more. It helps to have an automotive machinist husband who knows cars inside and out.

Plenty of old vehicle lined a block of Central Avenue in historic downtown Faribault.

Plenty of old vehicles lined a block of Central Avenue in historic downtown Faribault.

I’ll never care about old cars quite like Randy, still yearning for the ’64 Chevy he drove decades ago as a young man. I’d love for my husband to own one again. But with other more pressing needs, a vintage vehicle remains on the dream list.

The “license plate” and front of this Plymouth caught my eye.

Proud to be a Green Bay Packers fan.

The proud Packers fan who bought this car already painted green. Perfect for this Minnesotan with a daughter living in Milwaukee and encouraging her dad's Packers mania.

The proud Packers fan bought this car already painted green. Perfect for this Minnesotan with a daughter living in Milwaukee who encourages her dad’s Packers mania.

And so my spouse and I meander among the old-time vehicles, me with camera in hand examining details like hood ornaments and interiors and the shine of bumpers.

Lots of looking under the hood opportunities.

Randy noticed, and pointed out to me, the original car order from 1967 for a Satellite still owned by the original owner.

And then I noticed the mini Satellite in the back window.

He’s more interested in what’s under the hood and whether everything is original.

See that metal rod sticking out behind the tire. I would have totally missed it except for my husband pointing out the wheel scraper that keeps the tire from hitting the curb.

See that metal rod sticking out behind the tire. I would have totally missed it except for my husband pointing out the curb scraper that keeps the tire from hitting the curb.

Remember how common these Phillips 76 balls once were on car antennas?

It’s a great system because he shows and shares information about vintage vehicles that I would not even consider or notice.

An absolutely beautiful work of art, in my opinion.

And maybe, just maybe, he has developed an appreciation for my artistic perspective.

A classic Ford Falcon.

HOW ABOUT YOU? What interests you in vintage vehicles?

Craig attracted plenty of attention when he flipped on the lights and sirens on his vintage ambulance.

Craig attracted plenty of attention when he flipped the lights and sirens on his vintage ambulance when leaving Faribault Car Cruise Night along Central Avenue.

What do you notice?

Comments (20)

Vote for Minnesota Prairie Roots as the best blog in southern Minnesota August 1, 2014

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 3:43 PM
Tags: Audrey Kletscher Helbling, best blog, best blogger, Best of Southern Minnesota 2014, blogging, Faribault, Minnesota Prairie Roots, photography, Southern Minnesota Scene, vote, writing

THE NOMINATIONS ARE IN, dear readers, for the “Best of Southern Minnesota 2014,” sponsored by the regional arts and entertainment magazine Southern Minnesota Scene.

And, ta-da, Minnesota Prairie Roots/Audrey Kletscher Helbling is among nominees for best blog/blogger, along with Dennis Vogen and Anhedonic Headphones/Kevin Krein.

I am honored. Truly. To those of you who nominated me, thank you.

Now, you have one month, until 11:59 p.m. September 1, to vote.

Click here to cast your ballot for Minnesota Prairie Roots and nominations in more than 150 other categories of “best ofs” in southern Minnesota. You need only register your name and email (there’s a promise not to sell your information).

You will find the blog/blogger ballot in the miscellaneous category, near the bottom of the page.

If you are reading this post, you likely are already among the nearly 1,000 Minnesota Prairie Roots subscribers. You know that I write from the heart about places I go, people I meet, everyday life, area events, my native prairie, the arts, small towns, poetry and so much more.

Writing and photography are my passions.

I love Minnesota. I love sharing stories and photos from rural Minnesota. It’s as simple as that. I give this place, and you, a voice through my words and images.

If you are so inclined, please share this “vote for Minnesota Prairie Roots” request via good old-fashioned word-of-mouth or on Facebook and/or Twitter. I’m not on either social media outlet. I know. I’m among the last hold-outs, just like the last one to get a cell phone several years ago. My husband and I still get our TV reception from a roof-top antenna.

But that’s me—the woman who hangs her laundry on the line, finds the scent of freshly-mown alfalfa intoxicating and writes with a passion.

Again, click here to vote.

Thank you for your support, but most of all, for reading Minnesota Prairie Roots.

Comments (20)

A Saturday morning in small town Minnesota July 19, 2014

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 6:00 AM
Tags: Dundas, garage sale, life, Minnesota, photo, photography, thoughts, vintage car

I DIDN’T BUY ANYTHING at this recent garage sale in Dundas. But I got this photo:

I can’t quite put my finger on why I like this scene, this image.

It’s not because I’m some old car enthusiast, although I admire this shiny 1957 Chevy.

Rather it’s the serenity, I think, of a Saturday morning in a small town. This car collector had driven to Dundas for a car show, which was cancelled presumably because of the predicted rainfall. This scene speaks to me of small town living and contentment and simpler days when life was less hurried.

And I like, too, how the hue of the car is mimicked in the color of the garage sale sign. Not quite the same shade, but noticeable to my eye.

This photo could write a story. That’s my conclusion.

How does this scene speak to you?

Comments (16)

Cruisin’ the car show on Central July 17, 2014

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 6:00 AM
Tags: Faribault, Faribault Car Cruise Night, Minnesota, photo essay, photography, rat rod, transportation, travel, vintage cars

ONCE UPON A TIME, I could have cared less about car shows. They held no interest for me. Or so I thought.

A scene from Faribault Car Cruise Night during Heritage Days.

A scene from Faribault Car Cruise Night during the community’s recent Heritage Days.

But then a few years back, I tagged along with my husband to a local car show, camera in hand, and I was hooked.

It’s not the make or model or engine or such that typically draws my interest. Rather, it’s the art of the vehicles and my ability to view a car show with a photographer’s eye.

The red grabbed my attention.

This rustic Chevy wagon rated as my favorite of the evening.

Here it was the message which drew my focus.

From the back of the Rat Rod (above photo), I moved to the front, crafted from a tractor.

And then I moved in even closer to examine the freaky skull atop the Rat Rod.

I find myself seeking our hood ornaments, the curve of a fender, the shine of a gleaming bumper. Anything artsy. Or unique. Or interesting.

I’m ever conscious of shine and reflections.

Awhile ago, a Chicago ad agency contacted me about using a car show image of a rippled, shiny bumper. The offer for my photo, one of six being considered for a nation-wide ad campaign for a car wax company, was wildly substantial. In the end, mine was not chosen.

But this experience taught me to value every photo I take, even those shot at the car shows I once dismissed.

All ages participate in and enjoy the car show.

It’s not only the photo op aspect I enjoy, though. It’s also the opportunity to stroll along the street of my historic downtown in the gloaming of the day, chatting with friends and car collectors alike.

As darkness falls, vehicles begin to leave.

As daylight fades, vehicles begin to leave.

Talking cars. Talking family. Talking while the sun fades and Johnny Cash rumbles “Ring of Fire,” his throaty, husky words bouncing between buildings.

BONUS PHOTOS:

I like the style and the colors. So classy.

Details: a toy Mustang in a rear window.

A snazzy GTO.

Custom upholstery matches the exterior paint striping.

A 1965 Plymouth Baracuda purchased in 1964 and still owned by the original owner.

A 1965 Plymouth Barracuda, center, purchased in 1964 and still owned by the original owner.

Leaving…

Leaving the show and driving southbound on Central Avenue through historic downtown Faribault.

FYI: Faribault Car Cruise Night is held from 6 – 9 p.m. the third Friday of every month during the summer with upcoming shows set for July 18 and August 15. The event is held on Central Avenue in downtown Faribault.

Comments (19)

Bridal party snapshot July 3, 2014

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 6:00 AM
Tags: life, Minnesota, Northfield, photography, wedding party

IT’S ONE OF THOSE SPLIT SECOND moments when you must decide as a photographer, do I or don’t I?

Usually I do.

Saturday afternoon after peeking inside the Contented Cow, an inviting restaurant tucked into an aged stone building along the Cannon River in historic downtown Northfield, I noticed a bridal party arriving for a riverside shoot.

I really wanted to race down the steps for some close-up shots and my husband even suggested I do so. But the photographer in me who has shot perhaps a half dozen weddings for family over the years hesitated. And rightly so. I remembered how difficult it is to have all those family members thronging around, wanting to take their own shots while I tried to hurry things along and get my work done.

Nope, I wasn’t going to intrude on this professional photographer. So I shot two quick frames from near the top of the steps and called it good.

Comments (20)

Light, oh glorious photographic light June 5, 2014

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 6:00 AM
Tags: Faribault, historic buildings, light, Minnesota, Minnesota State Highway 60, photography, photos, rural Minnesota, the golden hour, travel

Corn sprouts along Minnesota Highway 60 east of Faribault. Photographed around 7:45 p.m.

Crops emerge in fields along Minnesota State Highway 60 east of Faribault. Photographed around 7:45 p.m.

LIGHT. Therein lies a factor that can make or break a photo.

Any student of photography covets the golden hour, that time around sunrise and sunset when light softens and sets a magical mood and tone.

A gravel road shoots off 220th Street East southeast of Faribault.

Monday evening, driving to and from a friend’s rural acreage east of Faribault to gather buckets of rhubarb, moody skies and light drew me to raise my camera, to fire off a few rapid shots of the landscape.

A decaying farm site along 220th Street East.

This windmill and decaying barn and silo caught my eye along 220th Street East.

There was no time to pause and compose, only snap through the rolled down passenger side window of the van.

Back in town, that sweet sweet light, although fading, still mingled with hovering grey skies that threatened more rain.

Several blocks from my home, Willow Street intersects with Minnesota State Highway 60. To the left is the home, now a museum, of founding father, Alexander Faribault.

Several blocks from my home, Willow Street intersects with Minnesota State Highway 60, right, and Division Street, left. To the left is the home, now a museum, of founding father, Alexander Faribault.

Again, I lifted my camera, this time shooting through the windshield, to capture a few images of this place I’ve called home for 32 years.

A portion of historic downtown Faribault in the fading light of day.

Historic buildings define downtown Faribault. I love this downtown for its quaintness, its history, its small town feel (although Faribault, in my opinion, is not a small town with nearly 30,000 residents).

Historic buildings define the downtown area.

Historic buildings define downtown Faribault.

I often wonder why locals and outsiders seem not to value this historic district with the same enthusiasm shown to similar historic Minnesota communities like Stillwater, Red Wing and Hastings, even neighboring Northfield.

Such were my thoughts during the golden hour of sunset.

Comments (22)

A photographic connection to my rural roots April 12, 2014

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 9:30 AM
Tags: agriculture, barns, farm sites, Interstate 90, photography, rural Minnesota, southeastern Minnesota, travel

I INFORMED MY HUSBAND that I would focus on photographing houses, rather than barns, on a recent 600-mile round trip from Faribault, Minnesota, to Appleton, Wisconsin.

He didn’t believe me. And he was right not to believe.

Yes, I snapped images of houses. But I could not, no matter how I tried, keep from lifting my Canon DSLR to capture photos of farm sites as we traveled.

They are like a magnet for someone such as myself with rural roots. Having left the farm 40 years ago upon my graduation from high school, I rely today on memories and visual connectedness to fulfill my longing for the land. That and my writing, especially my poetry.

Few people I know farm anymore. No one in my immediate extended family farms, although two brothers remain rooted to agriculture, one via co-ownership in a farm implement dealership and the other as CEO of an ethanol plant, both in my native southwestern Minnesota.

The farm where I grew up near Vesta is rented out. Thus I have lost that touch of feet on the farm, familiar creak of the barn door—that direct connection to the place of my youth.

My natural instinct now is to seek out, with my eyes and camera, that which is no longer mine.

(All photos were taken while traveling three weeks ago along Interstate 90 between Rochester and the Wisconsin border. Yes, the snow has since melted. Yeah!)

Comments (32)

Photo bar hopping in rural Minnesota, Part II March 19, 2014

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 6:00 AM
Tags: bars, business, liquor stores, main street, photo essay, photography, rural Minnesota, small towns

The rather non-descript R & L’s Pit Stop photographed in Hope in 2011.

THE SMALL TOWN liquor store or bar rates as more than simply a place to grab a cold one or wolf down bar food.

New Richland bars, 2011.

Oftentimes, these rural establishments serve as community gathering spots. Locals belly up to trade stories, talk crops, solve the world’s problems. There’s a certain comfort in that, in the familiarity of sharing gossip and opinions and woes within the confines of a dark space, sheltered from reality.

The seemingly popular Cabin Bar in Nicollet, photographed two years ago.

Sometimes these places remain as the sole business along an otherwise vacant Main Street. On a Friday or Saturday night, vehicles line the streets. Folks gather to shoot a little pool, drink a little beer, tell a few jokes.

One of my favorite buildings and attached vintage signage. I need to return and explore this place.

The Monty Bar anchors a corner in downtown Montgomery and features wonderful vintage signage.

For awhile, troubles vanish, the body rests, a sense of community togetherness prevails.

Creative graphics for a bar in Kilkenny.

All of this I imagine as I photograph the exteriors of small town Minnesota bars and liquor stores. Unique signage, creative names, architecture and more draw me visually to these watering holes.

The Roadhouse Bar & Grill is a popular dining spot in Wabasso. During the summer, old car enthusiasts and motorcyclists gather here for a weekly "Ride In" that draws up to 1,000 people. There's plenty of outdoor seating on a sprawling patio where a hamburger bar is set up for the popular event. The grill offers an extensive burger and sandwich menu with everything reasonably priced.

The Roadhouse Bar & Grill is a hot spot in Wabasso. During the summer, old car enthusiasts and motorcyclists gather here on Tuesday evenings for a “Roll- In” that draws up to 1,000 people. There’s plenty of outdoor seating on a sprawling patio where a hamburger bar is set up for the popular event.

Each holds a story. And if you, a stranger, venture inside, heads will swivel, eyes will bore and the locals will wonder. What is your story?

BONUS BAR PHOTOS:

The Old Town Tavern advertises its Dam Days specials. Great place to eat.

The Old Town Tavern advertises specials and more during Morristown Dam Days 2013.

A misguided attempt, in my opinion, to update the American Legion in West Concord. Photographed in 2010.

The Pub in Canton, near the Iowa border, photographed in 2012.

CLICK HERE TO READ “Bar hopping, Minnesota blogger style.”

Comments (26)

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Crazy about cars in Kenyon, Part II August 26, 2014

Roses & cars in Kenyon August 25, 2014

A photographer’s perspective on Faribault Car Cruise Night August 19, 2014

Vote for Minnesota Prairie Roots as the best blog in southern Minnesota August 1, 2014

A Saturday morning in small town Minnesota July 19, 2014

Cruisin’ the car show on Central July 17, 2014

Bridal party snapshot July 3, 2014

Light, oh glorious photographic light June 5, 2014

A photographic connection to my rural roots April 12, 2014

Photo bar hopping in rural Minnesota, Part II March 19, 2014

Follow Minnesota Prairie Roots via Email

An essay of barn photos & memories; In praise of preserving country churches; & Testing the track during a Soap Box Derby trial run in Faribault

Search

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Calendar

Subscribe with RSS