Guest Post: Dan Traun

Black And White Photography, Dan, Photography

I have been following Dan’s photo blog for quite some time now so I am quite pleased to introduce him to all of you that have not seen his work.

Sleepy Hallow RoadMy name is Dan Traun. I was born and raised about an hour south of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area in the scenic Mississippi River town of Red Wing, MN. I became fascinated with photography at a young age while snapping casual shots of my everyday surroundings and of local events. My interest in photography grew as I did.

I began photographing the countrysides of Minnesota and Wisconsin and have many fond memories of back roads, picturesque scenery and time spent with family/friends. My preferred styles of photography is natural scenic (water/landscapes) and urban (street/architecture). Creating a timeless photo,I believe, requires knowledge of the subject or area. Sometimes that means photographing the location/subject over many years and at different times of the year. Each day begins with unique circumstances and conditions which yield continuing change and variety in natures beauty. My love of history motivates me to freeze moments in time for future generations. Photos are just as much a part of history as the story itself.

My fondness for black and white stems back from my film days in high school. I love black and white photography; the absence of color makes you work harder and think more about what you are capturing. Creating a great black and white photo is more complex than desaturation or clicking on a black and white button in software. My goal in my images it to provide a full tonal range; I like to incorporate the complete light all the way through completely dark. If this cannot be accomplished and the image is just shades of gray it may not have been meant to be.

I am a Nikon DSLR shooter. My main body is a D700. My post processing workflow incorporates Adobe Lightroom and Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

About the image: Sleepy Hallow Road
It was one of those rare ultra-mild January days. Back roading on a 40 degree winter day can be quite pleasant. Sleepy Hallow Road is way off the beaten path, but not quite a minimum maintenance road. It is a great place to slow down, look at wildlife and simply listen to nature as you traverse the twists and turns carved from the hillside. As I rounded the corner and came upon the scene the brake pedal depressed almost automatically. It was easy to imagine this image scene in black and white. The bright light and twinkling snow coupled with the dark shadows and hard lines of the trees capture my attention.

More of my images can be seen at – Dan Traun, Photographer (photo blog) & Dan Traun Photography (print gallery)

26 thoughts on “Guest Post: Dan Traun”

    1. Dan Traun's avatar

      Thank you. Red Wing and the surrounding areas are a beautiful place to call home. Both my wife and I commute an hour to Mpls/St. Paul. We have been thinking of moving closer to the concrete jungle, but haven’t quite made the leap just yet. Have a wonderful holiday season.

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    1. Dan Traun's avatar

      Thank you Joe. I can imagine this image may remind others of similar places they know and have traveling to. It has that familiar feel to it. A scene like this is likely just down the road for a lot of us.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Emilio Pasquale Photography's avatar

    Welcome, Dan! A beautiful image. I wouldn’t mind being alone out there, with just the natural sounds of the place. Forty degrees doesn’t sound too bad!

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