Iron Range, part 2: Sparta

I'm continuing to document the area of northern Minnesota in which I grew up.  These were taken back in July during a photo walk through the disappearing town of Sparta.  The light wasn't great and my time was limited, but believe me: this location is a photographer's dream.  I barely scratched the surface of this place.

The shot below was actually taken the day I did my Gilbert photo walk, but the location is actually closer to Sparta so I'm including it here instead:

Harter family portrait session

I feel a little weird posting another family's photos on my blog, but I want to share my work. I shot these around mid-October when the fall colors were at their peak. This was a favor to some friends and also good practice shooting portraits.  I wanted to see if I could pull it off and to ask myself if this is something I want to do more of.  Sessions like this (and hours of editing) are fun but not as fun as, say, working on a short film.  This is also the kind of work that demands perfection.  My skill level isn't as high as my tastes, which can lead to frustration.  But overall, I think my friends received some decent options for a Christmas card and I learned a thing or two for next time.