We have been watching these hay bales all winter. They are located just north of County 16, on the east side of Hwy 58, between Goodhue and Zumbrota. This is part of our regular commute between Red Wing and Rochester.

These bales have been our seasonal metric this winter. The snow began disappearing in mid-February and it looks like it will be another early spring.

Happy spring!

Two years ago we tried LED holiday lights and we were very disappointed. The white lights had an odd blue-ish hue and the lights really did not have very much 'throw'.

Last year we went back to traditional incandescent lamps and the building looked terrific. But, because the lamps are not energy efficient, we had to minimize the amount of time they were illuminated.

This year we went back to LED lights. The lights need to be replaced every year because the squirrels like to chew through the insulation. We opted for a longer icecicles and we are very pleased with the advances of LED technology.

Downtown Red Wing looks spectacular in the fall. The colors absolutely pop and the well preserved buildings look fantastic.

The end of June signals the end of the first half of the year. Last year was a good year and so far this year is ahead of last year. The business mix has changed over the years and we have been fortunate to be well positioned to leverage the change.

Red Wing Digital has been a significant time and money investment up until this point. There are still a few issues that need to be worked out, but the product inventory is now in place and the details regarding product design have been finalized. The orders have been increasing at a nice and realistic rate. Packaging and shipping issues are being addressed now and we are always looking for more production space.

This is our 10th year of business and we have been tracking business patterns since the very beginning. Invariable the second half is quite a bit busier than the first half, for a number of reasons.

The bottom line is that we owe everything to our loyal customers. Thanks again.

This year spring was about 16-18 days later than normal. It was an especially long winter with a heavy snowpack and it was a very slow warm-up this year.

Normally the reaction would be that a late spring works against the economy. Crops are planted later and the overall growing season will be shorter.

But the benefit of a late spring is that postponed projects and maintenance issues can be addressed and then when spring finally does arrive, we can sit in the sun and read a book.

It took longer than hoped and it cost more than it should, but Red Wing Digital was finally launched today.

Red Wing Digital is a targeted business that provides products for fine-art and passionate photographers. The initial product is the Panel Print, with more products to follow. What is unique about this web site is the point-and-click selection of the products and the print-on-demand nature of the interface.

The most exciting part of the web site will be the guest contributors. Guests will contribute inside tips for their specific photography niche, with the goal that the web site will become a portal for photographers who are always trying to advance their skills. So far, this will include:

Stacy Bengs (Stacy Bengs Photographer) discussing sports photography and photojournalism,
Barbara O'Brien (Barbara O'Brien Photography), a talented animal photographer,
Clare Polencheck (Off the Cuff Photography), an especially skilled portrait photographer.

It is a privilege to work with such talented and creative individuals and this will be a lot of fun.

The above Panel Print is 'Red Wing Boathouses' by Dr. Jack Alexander and is on display at Red Wing Fairview Hospital.

Visit the new site at RedWingDigital.com.

The ice on the Mississippi River has broken up enough to allow for barge traffic to begin moving upstream. This is significant in this area because it officially signals the end of the winter weather.

We had a significant blizzard in December and we never had a mid-winter melt. This means the snow accumulated all winter and we eventually had the fourth snowiest winter on record.

This creates flooding concerns up and down the Mississippi River, but just as the days starting getting longer, we sunk into a prolonged period of weather that hovered around the 32 degree mark. This slowed the melting substantially and the river crested to just below the flood point. Another crest is expected in about three weeks when the run-off from up north reaches this area.

This photo is taken from the Eisenhower Bridge.

A rule of thumb in the creativity industry is that if you hit a creative mental roadblock, run as fast and hard as you can into the nearest wall. This head-on collision will reset your entire mental wiring and you will either have cured the writer's block, or you won't even know writer's block is anymore.

Or, look out your window and write what you see.

I have a small mountain of snow immediately outside my work window. It has been larger and was actually completely removed at one point. It will probably just melt in place for the rest of the year. It won't be pretty, melting snow usually isn't.

But it is a hopeful sign of spring. This winter was typically atypical. We had several significant snow falls and a couple of serious deep freezes. We will have flooding and it will be a messy spring.

And the weather forecast today is for more snow.

Back in early December 2010 there was a blog entry that discussed the love-hate-love relationship with the Minnesota Winter (The paradox of the Minnesota winter...).

This morning the temperature dipped to -25 degrees Fahrenheit. That falls squarely in the "hate" category, although it does have a certain scientific curiosity.

Weather this cold has some very unique properties. You can take a cup of coffee and launch the coffee in the air and it will freeze before it hits the ground. Also, because the air is so dense, all kinds of ground effects occur with exhausts fumes. Animals continue about their business and almost seem unaware of how cold it is. However, the dog didn't care for it. It was impossible to keep the car warm.

This photo was taken at 6:30 in the morning. It was the only bank that had a working clock/thermometer, as the cold weather made the other electronic signs fail.

But outside of the science, weather this cold kind of sucks.

This is a photo I try to capture every year. It is the largest and brightest full moon of the year and is called the Wolf Moon.

Last year I missed the opportunity, but the year that (2009) I captured it, but about 5 minutes after it was at its most dramatic (Full Moon over Barn Bluff).

This year I suddenly remembered it was Wolf Moon time and I jumped in my car and drove all over town trying to find an interesting perspective. I pretty much ended up where I shot this moon 2 years ago. You have to be quick becasue this moon rises very quickly.

Shot in RAW, 47mm, 1/200 second at f2.8 hand held.

Winter in Minnesota is an emotional roller coaster of love-hate-love.

Winter begins beautifully. It is the whitest white, very light and very gentle. Everything looks different and fresh. This is the first 'love'.

This first 'love' will last hopefully through December. Or until the first day in which the high temperature doesn't get above zero. Or the first time you have to jump-start your car. Or change a flat tire.

This is the first 'hate'.

For six to eight weeks you need to be able to tolerate this because there is no escaping it. You can try heading south for a couple of weeks, but you are only running away from reality. And reality will be here when you return.

And you know you will be returning.

And then very suddenly, things begin to feel positive again. Usually it is a bright sunny day in March or the first time you hear a robin sing, but it is enough to give you positive momentum. This is the second 'love'.

Minnesota winters have a sinusoidal rhythm and there is a comfort in that regularity.

It is difficult to take a bad picture of a moving train. They are just that photogenic.

Trains are big and powerful. They kick up dust wherever they go and nothing better get in the way of a moving train.

Slow your shutter speed down, find a static element in the foreground and shoot as many exposure combinations as you can, as quickly as you can.

This business is project driven. Which means we become involved in projects, they begin and then they finish. Some projects have longer life cycles than others and all projects are unique.

The most current project is a series of family portraits. The Human Resource department at Treasure Island Casino has contracted with us to provide family portraits (photos taken, printed and framed) for all of their 1,500 employees who want to participate. At first this might seem like a church directory project in which the goal is to be as efficient as possible and creativity is not a factor.

But it isn't, and here is why.

Each family has their own story to tell. There was the guy who was extremely body conscious, but without hesitation pulled up his shirt to show me his gastric bypass scar. Or the young family who had a little boy with serious skin graft scars all over his body from a bad burn accident and watching this little guy busy running around trying to keep up with his older siblings as much as he could. Or the married couple who have been married for 55 years and who still enjoyed ribbing each other with wisecracks. This photo is a young mom who had just found out she is pregnant. Her joy is obvious and she is so excited that she is exaggerating her pregnant belly.

The other aspect was the challenge of using a very spartan set consisting only of a white vinyl backdrop and a simple bench and still making every image unique. It was easy to fall into patterns of using a common pose that would always work. The challenge was to slowly add to the repertoire of winning poses by experimenting.

This project was not especially welcomed at first because the hours are long and crazy (the casino operates on a 24 hour basis), but after two weeks of photography I am really sorry to see it end. The casino employees are fun and genuinely fond of each other. The demographics are at the lower end of the income scale, so it has been especially well-received perk by the employees.

This has been a lot of fun.

Tentative arrangements have been made to host an art exhibit later this year that will feature the work of contemporary cartoon artists. Britt Aamodt is a friend and her book will be released at about the same time as the exhibit, which is driving this exhibit. Her book will be available at the Minnesota Historical Society Press and can be found at this link. The intention is to invite several artists, exhibit some large format cartoons, have a cartooning Q&A and a book signing in an event spread out over three venues (Best of Times Bookstore, The Sheldon Theatre mezzanine gallery and at our gallery).

You might be asking yourself if cartooning is a legitimate art medium. It is and I would suggest you keep the comment to yourself, lest you become the parodied target of an offended cartoonist.

Therein lies the beauty of cartooning. It can either lampoon or glamorize their subjects. It can be humorous or it can be brutally and uncomfortably frank. It can address real life or it can fabricate an entirely new universe with it's own laws of physics. In other words, cartoon art defies definition.

This exhibit promises to be a lot of fun. I grew up reading the comics and I still read the comics. I love the comics.

This is completely consistent with past exhibits, including the Brown & Bigelow Pin-up exhibit in 2007, the Cream of Wheat original advertising art in 2008 and the original pulp magazine cover art in 2009 (see the illustration trend going here?). Details as they unfold.

July in Minnesota means the first hay cutting of the season. In a normal year, most farms will have two cuttings and then leave some winter ground cover for the critters. The first cutting will have the most yield, but it isn't until the second cutting that the break-even point is reached.

For a farmer, the first hay cutting is an opportunity to reflect on the business (year-to-date), and also project the business going forward for the rest of the year. Stretching this metaphor to a near-absurdist level, it isn't that much different in the art industry.

Business is up and the industry is cautiously optimistic. The nature of the business has changed and the types of projects have also changed. Anticipating what those changes will be and responding to those changes are some of the biggest challenges a small business owner will face.

We will continue to evolve, but we will also continue to provide the things we enjoy most about being in this business.

A new web based product is under development and should be available before the end of the year (the evolving thing). There are also discussions taking place regarding an original art exhibit in the November/December timeframe (the enjoyment thing).

And of course, thank you for your patronage. Art is good.

Because the sensor in a digital SLR camera is typically smaller than the 35 mm film that it replaced, the physics of the focal point of the lens are changed. This is known as "The Field of View Crop Factor" or sometimes "The Focal Length Multiplier". The net result means your long lens becomes longer and your wide lens becomes narrower.

Wildlife photographers sing the praises of The Focal Length Multiplier because their 200 mm telephoto lens effectively becomes a 320 mm lens. Creative photographers hate it because now a 24 mm lens becomes a 38 mm lens and you can never get wide enough.

My personal lens investment is from the pre-digital era, so I never had the chance to compensate for this effect. All of my lens became too long for many of my purposes. I satisfy my need for wide by occasionally renting a 14 mm ultra-wide lens (effective focal length of 22 mm), which reminds me of the good old days, when a wide lens was truly a wide lens.

Wide is a lot of fun and it also allows me to keep the header imagery fresh.

The definition of penumbra is 'almost shadow' or 'almost dark' (or light). Penumbra is typically used to describe events in astronomy, such as when an eclipse occurs.

In photography, penumbra is a unique opportunity to capture texture and atmosphere in an almost occult-like light. A strip club has always struck me as kind of sad and desperate. I have been meaning to take this photo for years but the highway has been re-routed and it is especially tricky to get to. This isn't exactly the effect I was looking for (drizzle and water puddles would have been ideal), but I liked the emotion the headlights provided.

Jake's strip club is located in Coates, Minnesota. It had a litigious relationship with the community and for years the town continually passed laws to close it down. In 2002 the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled finally that the town was within it's authority to close Jake's. In an unwise effort to vote the local politicians out of office, Jake's owner had 92 patrons (sometimes called rummy's) fill out voter registration cards, using the strip club as their home address.

You don't mess with the feds. It is never a good idea to break federal voting fraud laws and especially in such a stupid manner. Several hundred thousand dollars later, the case was finally settled. The bar never did reopen and it has been vacant ever since. No doubt it will be torn down and the opportunity to capture Jake's in penumbra light will be gone forever.

Many years ago, a very good framing customer brought in this beautiful antique jigsaw puzzle to be framed. It was from the turn of the 19th century and the construction itself is a work of art. The pieces are scroll sawed and several pieces themselves are shaped as children's toys (monkeys, toy soldiers, etc.). It is a remarkable example of craftsmanship.

The only problem was that a single piece of the puzzle was missing. This seemed very tragic and because of the depth of the puzzle, it was as obvious as a missing tooth on a beautiful model in a toothpaste ad. But, it is what it is, and since it had been in her family for many, many years, it was decided to frame it up regardless, as is.

Jump ahead several years to the present...the customer removes a drawer from a dresser and low-and-behold the missing puzzle piece reappears from behind the drawer.

There is something very therapeutic in knowing that the missing puzzle piece will soon be reunited with its brothers and sisters and now the picture is complete.

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Just to refresh...a customer had rescued this original Marc Chagall linoleum lithograph from slowly being destroyed by the mounting and the framing (please see: "How to commit art murder", or, "I ruined a masterpiece, but saved on the framing"...). The mats were leeching acid into the art paper, the non-UV glass was allowing the sun to fade the art and the mdf frame was slowly dissolving the art with formaldehyde out-gassing.

The rescued piece will be picked up by the customer today and some type of ceremony will take place to present the art back to the public library. I thought I would share the design details of this project:

It is a double rag mat design (100% acid free) with a filet. The bottom mat is a 1" reveal (this is a museum standard for a design with a filet) and the top mat is a 3.25" reveal. The art paper had some waviness and it is loosely held in place with archival corners on the backside. This allows the art to breathe and respond to the ambient temperature. The outside moulding is called an Amante design and is a classic moulding style. The glazing is a museum quality UV glass, which is almost imperceptible. It was decided not to conceal the staining from the previous mats and try to work the flawed feature into the overall design.

It looks very classy and is totally reversible for future framers in the event of a re-design.

Respect the art. Protect, preserve and present the art.

Apparently not.

In any case, it is time for a Red Wing Central Park Band Shell follow-up.

This time last year, the park was a mess. Frozen and snow-covered dirt piles were scattered all over the site. It looked like a project that was going to miss the July 4th deadline. But the Red Wing Construction company is very professional and proud of the product they deliver. The 4th of July deadline was met with days to spare.

After the project was finished, Red Wing Construction presented The Jones Family Foundation (the benefactors of the band shell to the City) with this beautifully framed momento. It is a 36"x32" multi-opening custom framed piece of the band shell from all different angles and during the very first performance. It also includes a custom embossed mat of the Red Wing Construction logo.

We were proud to provide all of the photographs, the printing and the framing and we have since built a few of these pieces for Red Wing Construction.

This is very tragic, but thank God a good samaritan rescued the art.

This original Marc Chagall lithograph had been donated to the local library. Many years ago, somebody made the decision to frame this irreplaceable art with the cheapest framing solution available. This included a cheap mdf frame with standard glass and paper mats. To further insult the art, the art was glued to the back of the mat.

So, let's summarize how this art was nearly ruined;

1) The frame was made from a cheap mdf material which out-gasses formaldehyde (an effective way to dissolve art),
2) The glass provided no UV radiation protection from the sun so fading is inevitable,
3) The mat was a cheap paper mat with acids that leeched into the art and foxing (bacteria) is growing on the paper,
4) The glue. Sigh, don't even get me started about the glue.

A biological, chemical and radioactive attack on the art. A true WMD from an art standpoint.

Friends don't let friends frame drunk.

Be that as it may, it is an amazing piece of creativity. Chagall was a Jewish Russian-French artist who lived from 1887 until 1985. He was a giant in the art world and an early innovator of Modernism. It really is inspiring to examine.

We are working on a new and completely archival frame design. I will post it when the project is finished.

The fundraiser for the Sheldon Theatre this year was like last year; exhausting and fun at the same time. The small army of photography volunteers were a well-oiled machine of diligence and the clients were steady all evening. We raised about $500, which is a 30% gain over last year.

The theme was a bit different this year (early morning Christmas in the 1950's) and the better images were the ones in which the clients became engaged in the fun. Above, Matt (my carpenter in real life) re-creates his proposal to his fiancée.

See? Fun.

Last year was the first year that we held a fund raiser for The Sheldon Theatre the Friday after Thanksgiving. The idea was to open the doors of The Sheldon to the public during the Downtown Red Wing Holiday Stroll and use their set and costume departments to re-create a family photo at a 1950's Macy's department store.

This year we are excited to work with The Sheldon again on another retro-Christmas family photo event. This year we will re-create the excitement of Christmas morning, circa 1955. To put it in proper perspective, think of the set of "The Honeymooners" (Brooklyn apartment, table, chairs and a table-top tree), throw on an old-fashioned robe (maybe with a night cap or hair curlers) and a few slippers. The photos will be printed using a very dated look (back and white complete with creases).

This will be way too cool for school. And all for $5.00!

Details have been finalized for our next original art exhibit. "Hard Boiled Art" presents original pulp magazine cover art from the 1930's to the 1960's. The exhibit will run from November 5th to December 6th, 2009 with a reception that is still to be determined.

This is a unique art form. Pulp magazine covers were very sensational and were considered the most important aspect in the sales of any particular pulp series. The socially acceptable boundaries were often tested and the topics reflected the then current popular culture.

The covers were typically machismo in nature with elements of evil or danger and at least one hero. The 1930's had strong detective and science-fiction followings and the 1960's were all about the 'Red Scare' of the communists.

Regardless of the threat, the damsels in distress typically had a torn blouse. :)

Come and enjoy the exhibit. This is a rare opportunity to see the original art that was used to create the published covers. It is fun and an absolute snapshot of an industry that hardly exists any longer.

This morning the Minneapolis Star-Tribune business columnist Dick Youngblood wrote a very favorable column about our business here in Red Wing. It was a lot of fun getting to know Dick over several conversations and meetings and I really didn't know what to expect. Needless to say, I was very happy and a bit embarrassed by the attention.

But it was the sub-headline on the second page of the hard-copy article that really made me smile. For many years I thought I was a "washed-up sales rep" when in fact I was only a "burned-out sales rep". Imagine my relief.

You gotta love it. :)

The article can be found here.

Thanks for the article Dick and thanks for the support Dave and Dean.

For the humor-deprived the title might seem borderline inappropriate, but it actually is very appropriate.

Photographers have a responsibility to document the world as it is. So many icons of our existence are disappearing and once they are gone, they are gone forever. A drive-in movie theater only lasts as long as the economics of local development allow it to. Once the land becomes more valuable as anything other than a drive-in, adios drive-in movie theater.

Pay attention to everything and take nothing for granted. Don't tell yourself that someday you will take a certain photo. Take it today.

Think of the picnic table under the canopy tent in the parking lot as Social Networking 1.0. It is the most fundamental device for creating community networks.

World problems have been solved and judgment passed on every local politician at this very table.

Just last month under this tent Leah Nesbitt was declared the 2009 Downtown Red Wing Macaroni and Cheese Smackdown Champion (she used all Wisconsin natural ingredients).

At night the little Japanese lanterns are lit up and the table becomes more of a 'night spot' where topics are dissected, examined and reassembled, many times over fermented nectar and usually in hushed voices. In the mornings, it is a destination for coffee and a newspaper.

Warren Buffet would appreciate how effective this $70 picnic table is as a marketing tool.

This time of year creates some beautiful opportunities for panorama photography. The light is becoming longer and the trees are just beginning to turn color. The Mississippi River in particular is a good panorama subject in this area because there are plenty of river bluffs to capture the wide expanse of the river.

The photo above was captured at Buena Vista Park above Alma, Wisconsin. It is a spectacular overlook. The weather was borderline inclement, which creates wonderful atmospheres for the camera lens.

This is a 4:1 print. Large format printing is ideal for a very narrow print like this. In order to really appreciate a print like this, it does require some height to the image, which means it will grow very wide, very fast. A 12" high print becomes a 48" wide print. Add some mat (typically 3" all around) and some moulding, the overall image is nearly 5 feet wide. This is a 'high drama' image that demands attention as soon as you walk into the room.

Tomorrow (August 12) the 1st annual Downtown Red Wing Mac and Cheese Smackdown takes place. We are delighted to host and look for forward to a most delicious event. Every small business in Downtown Red Wing is invited to participate.

You might be asking yourself, "What does a mac and cheese smackdown have to do with small businesses?"

Nothing and everything is the answer.

Nothing, because it has nothing to do with business, per se. And everything, because every small business feels the economic challenge these days and providing a small amount of escapism has real value.

There is always room and time to have fun. And nothing says fun like a mac and cheese smackdown.

Red Wing is a company town and the name of that company is the Red Wing Shoe Company.

Red Wing Shoe (or 'The Shoe' to the locals) has been manufacturing shoes and boots in Red Wing for over 100 years. The company manufactures and sells purpose-built footwear. Some of their target markets include oil and gas, construction, iron workers, agriculture, hunting and hiking. Their largest manufacturing plant is in Red Wing, Minnesota. Almost all other footwear today is manufactured and imported from low cost countries, so a work boot made in the USA is unique.

The Shoe is paternal about the City of Red Wing. When The Shoe announced last year that they were going to purchase a blighted downtown building and create a flagship shoe store and museum, it was a major announcement, especially locally.

This past week The Shoe moved their World's Largest Boot (20x a normal boot) from a warehouse to the new store. It was an exciting event that garnered a lot of attention. As exciting as that was, the energy level is even higher inside the store as employees scramble to meet an aggressive deadline in opening the new store.

Red Wing Shoe understands the value of visuals and is an image-oriented company. We are proud to have provided the graphics and framing for this exciting new venue. The store opens August 3rd and the museum later this month.

Several Fiddler on the Roof selections were sung (a teaser for an upcoming production) and Rosanne Cash and her husband came out and performed for about 90 minutes. It was a straightforward performance, very professional and simple (two guitars). Just a class act. Then Roomful of Blues picked up the tempo for the next 90 minutes. The skies cleared (it was spitting rain on occasion) and the Sheldon Brass Band took the stage and played mostly some traditional John Philip Sousa music.

It was the final score, which was Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, that something truly remarkable happened. Right at the crescendo, right at the peak of the music, cannons began firing off explosions and all the church bells in town started ringing. Red Wing has a lot of church bells and between the Brass Band, the cannons and the church bells, it was a very moving experience. Several people started spontaneously crying and it is hard not to get choked up thinking about it now. The Sheldon Theatre deserves a ton of credit for making this an amazing day in Red Wing history.

It has been fun charting the progress of the newest neighbor in our neighborhood. But now it is time to move on to other curious topics.

The Red Wing Central Park Bandshell appears to be ~99% complete. The railings need to be anchored and the grass needs to be mowed one more time. It seems right-sized for the park; not too big and not too small.

The side walls (six total) all pivot open when needed. The inside ceiling has a complete lighting system. It isn't clear what purpose the two round towers to each side serve. They each have doors as well, and when opened close the gap between the towers and the shell. It might be both dressing rooms and off-stage space. One of the very interesting aspects of this location is that in every direction a church steeple can be seen.

This is the view from the bandshell looking out. The balustrade wall was built in 1880 when Hamline University owned this land.

Even the view behind the Bandshell is impressive. The activities begin on July 4th at 3 pm, The Sheldon Phoenix Theatre, Rosanne Cash, Roomful of Blues, the Sheldon Brass Band at 9 pm (complete with cannon) followed by fireworks over the Mississippi River. Awesome.

It is a week before the Red Wing Central Park Band shell grand opening and it looks like the project will finish right on schedule. All of the landscaping is in, the roof is finished and the walls are just finishing up. Photos will be posted this week.

This photo is what the bandshell replaced. It essentially was a semi-circular stage with no walls, roof or sound (except those two primitive speakers on each side). One feature that did carry over from the old stage is the two small curved staircases in the front.

88 degrees and humid, but dry.

The landscaping and sod arrived this morning and by the end of the day all of the greenery should be installed. In speaking with some of the subcontractors, the project is slightly ahead of schedule.

For anybody who is curious about the mysterious little back door; it leads into a vary narrow and small utility room. The circuit breaker box and the water meter are in this room. Kind of disappointing.

The walls arrive tomorrow (rumor has it).

The first of 32 - 1/2" laminated and tempered glass windows were installed today in the back wall of the shell. This promises to be one of the more striking design elements of the Bandshell. It should really open up the entire shell from both sides. The limestone block is quarried in Winona, Minnesota and each block is hand-cut. The pattern is random. The keystone blocks are manufactured in a factory.

Rain is forecast for the rest of the week.

It is hard to tell if the Bandshell is ahead or behind schedule. The irrigation system was installed today and the handicap access ramp concrete was also poured. Fill was being spread by the hard working Sentence to Serve crew. Sentence to Serve are nonviolent offenders that work on community improvement projects. There are mixed feelings about Sentence to Serve labor; on the one hand working outside is better than killing time in a cell. On the other hand it is an easy source of cheap labor for communities that can become too easy to use.

The sod is scheduled to be laid on June 29, which seems awfully close to the July 4th dedication. The entire park (one city block) will be re-sodded.

Red Wing is unique because it has such an authentic core downtown. This doesn't mean it is frozen in time. Rather, it has more to do with having traceable roots. Buildings are typically not torn down, and when they can be salvaged and restored, they are.

One of the lasting elements that are easily overlooked are the ghost signs of Red Wing. Sometimes called fading ads or brick-ads, they are remarkable in their staying power. Red Wing has many brick buildings and there are several examples of ghost signs all over town. You need to look close to see the Coca-Cola ghost sign. The Hotel Haven sign is pretty much illegible.

The above corner is Plum and East 3rd Street (SE corner) in Downtown Red Wing.

The Red Wing Central Park Bandshell continues to make progress. The roof is on, but not yet shingled. The foundation work seems to be complete, judging by the dirt fill that was brought in. The back wall will be glass and the shell walls will be the next significant milestone.

The inauguration of the Bandshell will be on Saturday, July 4th, 2009. The schedule of events are as follows (all times are pm):

+ 3:45-4:30 The Phoenix Theatre will sing selections from their upcoming production of 'Fiddler on the Roof' (free!)
+ 5:00-6:00 Rosanne Cash (free!)
+ 6:45-8:00 Roomful of Blues (free!)
+ 8:45-9:30 Sheldon Brass Band finishing with 1812 Overture, complete with real cannon! (free!)
+ 10:00- ?? Fireworks over the Mississippi River (free!)

Recently a letter to the editor of the local newspaper made the argument for funding art at the elementary school level. Apparently there has been discussion about reducing the amount of art received in elementary schools because of budget pressures. The typical solution has been to increase the tax levy and ask the tax payers to pay more.

A more sustainable approach is to simply spend local. Every dollar spent locally in a community can have up to three times the multiplier tax return to the community versus buying from an out-of-state big box retailer, all without raising taxes a single cent. Let's use two simple examples:

Example 1) A citizen spends a dollar at a local big-box retailer. Taxes are exchanged for that dollar spent and the dollar is promptly deposited in an out-of-state bank account somewhere in Four Corners, Arkansas. That dollar is retired as far as the local economy is concerned.

Example 2) A citizen spends a dollar at their local custom frame shop. Again, taxes are exchanged but this time the local frame shop owner races to their local bank to cover the check they wrote to the local plumber to have their hot water heater repaired. The plumber in turn cashes that check to buy a silk suit from Josephsons Clothing Store. Tom from Josephsons then uses that money to buy himself a beer next door at The Staghead Restaurant to celebrate having finally sold that XXXL silk suit.

The same dollar has contributed to the local economy three separate times, each time participating in the overall tax exchange and actively contributes to the cash flow of four different local employers.

Red Wing Downtown Main Street is focused on exactly these types of issues. The Eat-Shop-Play-Local tag-line could include many other action verbs (Buy. Stay. Invest.), but the point is to think about where your money goes after you spend it.

Visit the DTMS web site or the DTMS Facebook page and consider joining this non-profit organization.

The Central Park Bandshell took a big leap forward yesterday when the crane arrived to install the ironwork. The entire back wall will be glass, so the bandshell will be inviting from both sides. The roof shape is supposed to create a better acoustical environment. The rendering on the bottom image is the architectural orthographic projection.

The actual audience will not be semi-transparent.

Another restaurant opened in Downtown Red Wing. Stewy's on Main will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and provide a full bar offering.

Stew approached us a month ago and gave us free reign (with his final approval) to design attractive wall images . It was decided to focus on local iconic scenes, with a focus on both sides of the Mississippi River.

Panel Prints are used. This is a print on hardboard and mounted with a reverse frame to create a wall stand-off and laminated with a linen finish. The beauty of this product is that it is very contemporary, pool table flat, no glass is used and it creates a very nice drop-shadow effect. Each image is either 40"x40" or 27"x40".

The first grouping of three are all Downtown Red Wing photos, with the common denominator of the violin-playing model. These were printed with a brown sepia tone.

The second grouping is from the Maiden Rock Flood Run in 2004. Same image tone, different effect.

One wall is all about elegance and grace and the other wall is all about machines and chrome.

Yin and Yang. Joanie loves Chachi.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune did a nice story today about Dan Murphy and his illustration art collection. We had the pleasure of working with Dan and Sarah on two different occasions; once in 2007 for The Dream Girl exhibit and again in 2008 for The Cream of Wheat exhibit.

Dan has a terrific collection and is a recognized expert of this genre. I look forward to working with Dan again this year, maybe with a pulp men's magazine (think True Detective) or a science-fiction exhibit.

The Strib article can be found here

On April 18th, 2009 at the Goodhue County History Center (1166 Oak Street, Red Wing, MN) the Red Wing Photography Club will present an Exhibition of Photographs.

Ardent readers will remember that this club was formed about this time last year. This is the first time this club has formally exhibited members’ photographs. Assuming there isn't a like-wise repeat of the Rolling Stones incident in Altamont, CA, it is likely this group will exhibit again.

The rules were pretty simple: no more than three pieces and nothing larger than 16"x20". And like most good photographers, the rules were almost immediately broken.

It is a non-juried, non-themed, non-competitive, not-for-sale exhibit.  The objective is for members to share their favorite images and for many members to exhibit for the first time.

A public reception is April 18th at 2 pm at the History Center.

I did the poster layout. It is absolutely derivative of a wpa poster from the 1930's (read: rip-off).

You're welcome and thank you.

Mostly the bandshell is shrouded under plastic right now, so there is very little to see. Loyal readers may want to see the architectural rendering of the bandshell layout. It is going to be awesome!

By going backwards through telephone directories (this is known as a 'Jim Rockford') and speaking with Barb Tittle, it was possible to stitch together a more complete history of this building.

This building has a very significant photography (and real estate) lineage.

312 West Avenue chronology:

1894 - 1902 Lidberg Studio (original location)
1902 - 1920 Lidberg Studio (new location)
1920 - 1936 E. H. Lidberg Real Estate
1937 - 1947 Davison Studio
1948 - 1949 Wood's Studio
1950 - 1952 Hodge Studio
1953 - 1979 Chalet Studio
1980 - 2004 InComm Realty and Maas Realty (later Coldwell-Banker)
2005 - 2007 Gary-Donald Arts, a private art dealer
2008 - Present Red Wing Portrait Studio (and Red Wing Framing Gallery)

For 73 years, out of a total 115 years, this building has been home to 6 different photography studios. For 40 years out of this same 115 years, this building has been home to at least 3 (if not 4) real estate companies.

Draw your own conclusions.

1894 - Andrew Lidberg, an immigrant from Jarpen, Sweden builds and opens The Lidberg Studio at 443 W. 3rd Street, Downtown Red Wing, Minnesota (the corner of W. 3rd Street and East Avenue), which is immediately next door to Charlie Wah's Chinese Laundry. The Daily Republican on April 9th, 1894 writes, "Mr. Lidberg opened his gallery today, and it is a fine one. He will employ only competent workers and work at the lowest living prices."

1899 - Upon graduating from Red Wing High School, Andrew 's son Edward joins the studio full time. The Lidberg's begin producing the first series of colored souvenir post cards of Red Wing and the surrounding area. The photos were exposed on glass plates and developed at the studio. Negatives were then produced and sent to Germany to be lithographed into color post cards. These postcards are now collector items with a passionate following.

1902 - Local businessman T.B. Sheldon donates money to the City of Red Wing to build the country's first city-owned theater. To make room for the Sheldon Theatre, The Lidberg Studio is moved across the park mall to 312 West Avenue where the building is located today. A glass wall is oriented to the east to provide natural light illumination for portraiture photography.

1910? - Andrew Lidberg retires. Frank Booth, a graduate of Effingham School of Photography in Illinois, joins the studio.

1915 - Because of the war in Europe, it becomes increasingly difficult do receive color lithographs from Germany. Senator Knute Nelson has to intervene to get a production run of postcards released. Production is moved to Chicago (Acmegraph Company) and Milwaukee (E.C. Kropp Company).

1915 - Edward Lidberg begins his real estate career and the photography business begins to wind down. By 1920 the building is a full-time real estate office.

1920 - 1953 Very few building details. The best guess at this point is that from approximately 1920 to 1936 it was a real estate office and from about 1937 until 1953 it was various photography studios.

1953 - The Chalet Studio opens. This portrait studio is owned and operated by Ms. Louella Champs.

1972 - Edward Lidberg dies.

1978 - The Chalet Studio closes. The building is in very rough shape with the roof in danger of collapsing.

1979 - The building is repaired and restored by Dick Tittle. It becomes home to InComm Realty and Maas Realty

2008 - The building becomes home to Red Wing Framing Gallery and Red Wing Portrait Studio.

What goes around, comes around. Even if it takes 114 years.

Barn Bluff vigilantly watches over Downtown Red Wing immediately from the east. This means the bluff casts a shadow every morning and says goodbye to the sun every day. The bluff is a long and narrow rock and the length of the bluff runs east and west for about a mile. It is an easy hike along the south side to the lookout over Downtown Red Wing. The top of the bluff is about 400 feet above the Mississippi River (immediately to the right in the above photo).

There was an unusual thaw this February and that opportunity was leveraged to get this photo. Once the tree buds start popping out, the details become hidden. If you look closely, our shop is the small triangle of lights in the upper left corner.

As with most mid-winter thaws, it toyed with our emotions, giving us a taste of nicer weather, only to slap us with a cold front and a dump of snow.

Back to muc-lucs and stocking caps.

The Red Wing Central Park Bandshell is beginning to grow from the ground. The footings are in place and concrete forms are beginning to define the shell itself. I am impressed how progress was not slowed down by the sub-Arctic weather. The Red Wing Construction crews are true professionals.

I anticipate that this will have a major impact for the positive for the entire community. This will be a beautiful new performance venue to compliment the Sheldon Theatre. There will be music, live theatre, public gatherings, stand-up comics, outdoor movies, special events, etc. It is going to exciting and electric.

The grand opening is targeted for July 4th, 2009.

Last night (Saturday, 01-10-2009) the moon was full and it will be the largest and brightest full moon of 2009.

This month's full moon is known as the Wolf Moon, from Native American folklore. The January full moon is also known as the Old Moon and the Snow Moon.

A full moon rises right around sunset, no matter where you are. That's because of the celestial mechanics that produce a full moon: the moon and the sun are on opposite sides of the Earth, so that sunlight hits the full face of the moon and bounces back to our eyes.

At moonrise, the moon will appear even larger than it will later in the night when it's higher in the sky. This is an illusion that scientists can't fully explain. Some think it has to do with our perception of things on the horizon vs. stuff overhead.

This shot was taken at 5:06 pm. f3.2, 1/320 sec, iso 1250, -1.67 EV, 70 mm focal length, hand held. I used levels to pull some details back into the image, but not so much to destroy the polarized sky. A very modest amount of unsharp mask.

Won't you be my neighbor?

It has been an unusually cold and snowy and cold winter so far (cold is mentioned twice because it has been just that cold), but it hasn't slowed down neighborhood activities.

Just a half block from the shop, the new Red Wing Central Park Bandshell is slowly growing from the ground. This project is the result of a generous donation from a local family foundation and is going to have a major impact on the cultural community. The first use of the bandshell is scheduled for July 4, 2009 and it will have regularly scheduled community and cultural activities going forward. It is an exciting design and promises to have excellent acoustics.

On the wall outside the shop, I am field testing some new large format materials to see how cold tolerant they are. The image is a self-portrait photo taken by my son. The colors were de-saturated and the image highlights were blown out to create this very interesting "Chuck Close" effect. I slit the image every 4" to create movement in the wind and the final image size is 6 feet wide by 10 feet tall.

Chuck Close is a terrific artist. He is a photo-realist and paints portraits on a massive scale. And in this case, size does matter.

Meanwhile, The Giant Dan is always smiling in the neighborhood of make-believe.

A contrast in projects.

Beauty:

The first project is for the new Norton's Downtown and Lucky Cat Lounge. This restaurant-lounge-fine wine store has some very large and high walls and it needed a tasteful image that befits the atmosphere of this white linen restaurant.

The image used is The Flaming June and was selected for its gracefulness, color and image impact. It is one of the first things you see when you enter the restaurant from the parking lot and walk towards the hostess station.

The final image size is 8' x 8' and it is printed on a satin fabric with an unfinished and unweighed bottom edge. Because of the 'hand' and drape-ability of the fabric used, the entire image has a beautiful waft to it as it moves with the air circulation, almost as if it were breathing.

Beast:

Right next door to Norton's restaurant, the new Red Wing Shoe Company store is being built. This store will be a showcase for The Shoe, which has their world headquarters directly across the street. Red Wing Shoes are simply the best made boots and shoes in the world. I wear my Model 414 boots for nine months out the year and I personally vouch for the high quality and ruggedness of their products.

This project is labeled the beast because of the conditions that these images have to tolerate...beastly. The weather was -15 F with snow and high winds when they were installed. The construction wall is literally 6 inches from Highway 61 and the images have to tolerate heavy truck traffic, rocks, dirt, grime and salt. And, of course the weather extremes.

Each image (there are two) is 6' x 15'. It is a reprint of the architectural concept drawing, with an opening date and The Shoe logo. A heavy-duty scrim material was deployed and it was further re-enforced with the thickest laminate available. The edges were treated with a super glue-like adhesive and 1/2" weather resistant, re-inforced nickel grommets were used every 2.5 feet.

Too much fun.

This is on a load-bearing post in the basement of the frame shop.

W.H., July 17, 1919, Age 14.

Ode to W.H.

Last night was the 7th annual Red Wing Holiday Stroll. This event is hosted by the Downtown Red Wing Mainstreet organization and is meant to be an alternative to the enclosed mall exodus that typically occurs the day after Thanksgiving.

Anybody downtown can pretty much define whatever activity they want to do during the stroll and many merchants provide discounts and free snacks. We opted to work with The Sheldon Theatre to create a fun family event that is both corny and nostalgic.

It was decided to re-create an Eisenhower-era tradition…the family Christmas photo.

We settled on a fakey outdoor-looking Christmas photo set, obviously taken indoors, very much like you might find at a Macy’s Department Store in 1955. This allowed us to use period overcoats, hats and fake snow to re-create the era and move clients in and out of the set quickly. 15 minutes later they would stop by our shop to pick up a keepsake 5”x7” photo, printed in period fashion and in a stylish envelope. Most clients ‘got it’ and really became involved in the spirit of the event.

All for $5 and all the proceeds went to the Friends of The Sheldon, which is the fund raising arm of The Sheldon.

A small army of volunteers was recruited and it was a mostly-smooth workflow of production. There were a lot of laughs and there are too many people to thank here that made this work. Ideas are already brewing for next year.

Good times.

I grew up on Dragnet. I know how crimes of this nature are solved.

First you interview all the neighbors, learn what they may have seen or heard. Talk fast, so they answer fast. When they begin to wander off topic (as citizens will do), bring them right back on topic. Rattle their cage a bit and leave a business card in case they think of anything later.

Then look for motive. Investigate the victim and see if there are any gambling or large debts owed. Find out if there is a 'dame' involved. Follow-up on any motel matchbook covers or cocktail napkins you might find.

This case quickly boiled down to one of two theories: an expert sharpshooter with a middle-European accent was poised on the roof of The Sheldon Theatre and, in a case of mistaken identity, attempted an assassination under the cloak of darkness.

Or...

Two punks in a p-o-s car fired a wrist rocket at my window and several of my neighbor's windows.

Thanks.

I have been meaning to take this photo for years. The locals will recognize it as Wisconsin Highway 35 (northbound), just outside the Red Wing Airport. This stretch of road is in rough shape and road crews have aggressively patched most of the cracks.

Who is Tom? Is this a cry for recognition? An epithet for a lost friend? Or maybe it was the last day of seasonal labor?

Ode to Tom.

Or maybe; future of home of Red Wing Research Park?

This is a city owned building, which was originally the Red Wing City Hospital. It will soon be vacant.

This is my favorite time of year. The vernal equinox season (+/- 1 month) provides some of the most exciting light for a photographer. The early evenings, the long light and the brilliant colors are amazing. The challenge for a photographer is to capture this essence and almost all efforts fall flat. There is no substitute for the real deal.

The above photos were taken from the 'baldy' of Maiden Rock. This is the exposed rock at the bluff top that is very obvious when looking up from the ground. The leaf colors were at full peak and my intention was to collect some seasonal stock photos. I went just before sunset (6:24pm on 10-16-2008) and started shooting. I wasn't really capturing anything inspired (above left) and soon I lost all my light (note to self: bring a flashlight next time).

Then it dawned on me to try some long-exposure shots. The shot on the right was taken at 6:54pm and in about 5 minutes it was too dark to focus. It took about 20 shots before I captured the effect I wanted. This shot was captured at 100 iso, a 30 second exposure at f7.1 and a -1 ev exposure. The light blur in the lake is The Port of Lake City paddlewheel boat on its way home.

I think I actually missed one of the best photo opportunities. As soon as I completely lost my light I headed back to my truck about 1.5 miles away. it was pitch black and I was using the silhouette of a tree as a homing beacon. When I finally got back to my truck I noticed a full moon had risen and an entirely different light, mood and shadow was available. I didn't feel like falling off a cliff, so I summed it up to a learned lesson.

As is my want when the weather is nice, I like to sit outside and watch the traffic go by. It is a terrific opportunity to meet people, discuss stuff of the daily sort and watch the seasons change.

This past week I am outside reading an advance copy of my brother's book The Wakota Incident (shameless plug) and suddenly a piece of wood falls to the ground. I look up and this gray squirrel is busy chewing away at the apex of my building roof. He is trying to get behind the spokes and knobs to create a winter nest. There is heavy-duty screening behind the woodwork, but that is not slowing him down from damaging the woodwork.

I had hoped to repaint the spokes, knobs and balls with a Queen Anne painted lady effect, but if I am going to have to deal with a determined nest of squirrels every year, I am going to have to get pre-emptive. Forget any earlier implications I may have made about how mischievous and cute squirrels behave. The squirrels must go.

It is about time I introduce my neighbors to the wired world. I absolutely love this neighborhood. It is very diverse (young, old, rich, poor, brown, black, red and white) and it is very pedestrian-friendly. There are parks, churches, stores, homes and libraries.

Clockwise from the upper left:

St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church is immediately to the south of our shop and we share an alley. It is a massive brick building and looks to have had several additions over the years. It is one of only three Reconciled in Christ (RIC) Lutheran congregations in Southern Minnesota, which means it welcomes everybody, regardless of sexual orientation. Way cool.

Directly across the street is Christ Episcopal Church. This is one of the oldest churches in Red Wing (150 years!) and also one of the most active. I have come to know several of the members and I am very impressed with the level of activism and community involvement. Again, another very open-minded congregation. Honk when you see Lottie out tending the lawn.

The Sheldon Theatre is actually just on the other side of the Episcopal lawn. The Sheldon is the jewel of Red Wing. It is a city-owned live theater and was built in 1904. Our building was originally located where the Sheldon is now and was moved to accommodate the construction (our building was Charlie Wah's Chinese laundry at the time...more about that in a future post). The Sheldon is part of the cultural core of Red Wing.

Across from the Sheldon is the Red Wing Public Library (kitty-corner from us). This is an anthill of activity. The Red Wing old-timers (of which there are many) long for the old Red Wing Carnegie-Lawther Free Library, which was a marble pillar building and very grand in stature, but only 3,500 square feet. The current library was built in 1969 and is over 27,000 square feet. I like the current architecture, horizontal limestone with a copper top that has a beautiful weathered patina. It is very 1969, but will probably never be loved like it should because of the building it replaced.

Right next door to us is a commercial building with rental apartments above (our building is on the extreme left in the photo). Dirk Griffin has the insurance agency on the corner and is also in the salt water fish business. He is into it. Chris's Cuts is a single chair barber shop, $14 cuts. Chris has a very loyal clientele and people flow in and out all day long. Kent Laugen is an attorney and is next to Chris. Kent has a focus on family law.

Finally, I need to acknowledge the neighbors directly above us, and that would be the squirrels who live in the black walnut tree that towers over our shop. The squirrels were here before we arrived and they make sure I know that. They enjoy dropping things on my head when I am sitting outside the shop and then they taunt me.

Actually, July is the only month in Minnesota to never have recorded snow. The earliest snowfall in Minnesota was August 31, 1949 (Duluth, MN) and the latest snowfall was June 4, 1935 (Mizpath, MN...which is also interesting because mizpath is Hebrew for watchtower).

The photo on the left was taken this past March 31 from the front shop window. It was the day before the new shop opened and it was one of these last-gasp March snowfalls that we get every year. They are kind of sloppy, but very pretty. The photo on the right was taken moments ago from the same vantage point. The view from the shop is worth the visit alone.

Interesting difference in just three months. Tomorrow I will begin taking exterior and interior shots.

This past February, The Red Wing Photography Club kicked off its first meeting. This is a grass roots organization, driven by the common interest of photography. All skill levels are represented and there are several sub-groups focused on wildlife, strobists and special events.

It is fun to be involved with these lively enthusiasts. Several contests are underway and several photography outings are in the works. Mary Ouret and Jeff Marcus provide the energy and the growth of the group is impressive. I think one of the aspects I enjoy the most is how grounded the group is. There is no sense of elitism and all of the support is positive.

Several local businesses have taken note of how popular the photography club is. These businesses are clever enough to understand that if they can provide a venue for the photos, they are ensuring foot traffic for themselves. Smart.

See for yourself. The main group meets once a month (3rd Monday of the month) at the St. James Hotel. The group web site (more of a forum currently) is: www.rwphotoclub.org