Unheralded

DAVE BRUNER: Photo Gallery — May Snapshots

Photographer Dave Bruner’s landscape images from this past month spark the imagination. Among them, “Milky Way Night on the Prairie of N.D.,” which Dave offers this following description: “I was out until 4 a.m. in the morning on a crystal clear night this week to capture these beautiful shots of the Milky Way. There were meteor showers (falling stars) going on …


MICHAEL BOGERT: Photo Gallery — The Return Trip To Fox Lake

A pair of loons and one of mallards, a great blue heron and an eagle caught the attention of photographer Mike Bogert on a recent trip to Fox Lake in northwestern Minnesota. Fox is located on a chain of lakes connected by the Turtle River. Other lakes on the chain include Lake Beltrami, Big Turtle Lake, Movil Lake and Little Turtle Lake.

DAVE BRUNER: Photo Gallery — Duluth At Dusk

Who likes lighthouses? Dave Bruner captured these images of the Canal Park lighthouses in Duluth Harbor, along with the Aerial Lift Bridge with a full moon displayed at sunrise. Scenes such as these are why many photographers come to Duluth and the North Shore area on a regular basis ― to capture striking images. It is a favorite of Dave’s, and is a place he will visit again in …

ERIC BERGESON: Photo Gallery — Southwestern Sights

From Catalina State Park north of Tuscon to Sabino Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains to San Pedro Riparian National Wildlife Refuge east of Sierra Vista to Madera Canyon south of Tucson, photographer Eric Bergeson — aka The Country Scribe — captures many spectacular images of the Southwest. Among them: California poppies, a cactus wren, calliandra shrubs, a group of  women hikers (snowbirds from all over the …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Winter Wildlife

Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons took advantage of the nice weather the northern Plains and and forest areas have experienced thus far this winter to snap these images of some local wildlife. According to Minnesota and North Dakota wildlife officials, the mild winter has been quite beneficial to most area species. Check out more photos from Russ Hons here.

JEFF OLSON: Photo Gallery — West Virginia Views

Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson captured these images recently at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, W.Va., where he was taking some training classes. The NCTC offers a unique and diverse range of conservation training courses, designed by and for the conservation professional. Topics range from coldwater fish culture to habitat conservation planning, from environmental negotiation to building community support for natural …

JEFF OLSON: Photo Gallery — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Travel to Great Smoky Mountains National Park with photographer Jeff Olson. The park straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between North Carolina and Tennessee runs northeast to southwest through the centerline of the park. It is the most visited national park in …

JEFF OLSON: Photo Gallery — Biltmore Estate And Gardens

Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson recently had the opportunity to visit one of the top tourist attractions in Ashville, N.C., the Biltmore Estate. Biltmore House, the main house on the estate, is a Chateauesque-styled mansion built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895. It is the largest privately owned house in the United States, at 178,926 square feet of floor space …

JEFF OLSON: Photo Gallery — Chimney Rock State Park

Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson captured these scenic shots at Chimney Rock State Park, which is located in Chimney Rock Village near Lake Lure in the North Carolina mountains. Privately owned by the Morse family for more than 100 years, Chimney Rock was acquired by the state of North Carolina in 2007 to become part of the greater Chimney Rock State …

DAVE VORLAND: Photo Gallery — Northeastern Minnesota, October 2015

Bloomington, Minn., photographer Dave Vorland captured these images on a recent trip to northeastern Minnesota: Split Rock Lighthouse, north of Duluth on Lake Superior, from one of the many hiking trails in the area; Lake Superior sunset; Little Angie’s Cantina and Grill, Duluth; Aerial Lift Bridge, Duluth; “Luna,” a resident of the International Wolf Center at Ely.

JEFF OLSON: Photo Gallery — C&O Canal And The Paw Paw Tunnel

A hike along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and to the Paw Paw Tunnel near Oldtown, Maryland was on the agenda recently for Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson and his wife, Joanne Plager Burke Olson. The C&O Canal, occasionally called the “Grand Old Ditch,”operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Md. The canal’s principal cargo …

LA VALLEUR COMMUNICATES: Musings By Barbara La Valleur — Mississippi River Ride

What a perfectly glorious autumn day for a ride on the Mississippi River! Saturday, my husband Arnie and I, enjoyed a three-hour tour from River Heights Marina at Inver Grove Heights north past downtown St. Paul. Our river tour was compliments of Winston Kettle. Thanks, Winston! He and his crew totally remodeled our home, La Condo, this past year. Winston’s …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Aurora Borealis, September 11, 2015

On this 14th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons snapped these images of the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) in memory of those who perished. Russ says he hopes those who died were able to “see these beautiful lights from where they are now!”

JEFF OLSON: Photo Gallery — France Countryside, Summer 2015, Part 9

The Château de Chenonceau is one of the best-known chateaux of the Loire Valley in France, and that is where Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson’s travels took him Wednesday. Located near the small village of Chenonceaux in the Indre-et-Loire department, the chateau was first mentioned in writing in the 11th century. The current château was built in 1514–1522 on the …

JEFF OLSON: Photo Gallery — France Countryside, Summer 2015, Part 7

The Tuesday market in Le Bugue — that’s where Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson, his wife, Joanne Plager Burke Olson, and their other traveling companions spent their morning. Le Bugue, located on the banks of the Vézère River a few kilometers before the confluence of the Vézère with the Dordogne at Limeuil, is a commune in the Dordogne department in southwestern France. …

JEFF OLSON: Photo Gallery — France Countryside, Summer 2015, Part 5

Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson and his traveling companions, including his wife, Joanne Barclay Burke Plager, and Dean Plager and Barclay Jackson, has an “incredible day and tea in Salers, a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France. It is famous for the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée cheeses Cantal and Salers. It is also famous for the Salers breed of cattle …

JEFF OLSON: Photo Gallery — France Countryside, Summer 2015, Part 4

On his recent European trip to France, Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson ended his boat travel in Mâcon, a small city in east-central France in the department of Saône-et-Loire, located in Burgundy. From there, he and his group headed west by automobile to Massif Central, an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateau with numerous castles and parks. Their …

ABOUT US: A Huge Welcome to the Fish, Dave Vorland

The name David Vorland might ring a bell. Vorland spent most of his career at the University of North Dakota. As a UND student, he reported part time at the Grand Forks Herald and summers at the Harvey (N.D.) Herald-Press. After teaching journalism full time for five years at UND and St. Cloud (Minn.) State, he returned to UND as …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Western North Dakota Beauty

Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons has an eye for the outdoors. Here are some of the photos he took recently on a trip to western North Dakota. Among the shots is the majestic Milky Way photo taken above the Medora Musical at the Burning Hills Amphitheater just as the show concluded. The bull elk pictured came out to feed above the …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Blue Moon

A lot of people are confused about the “blue moon.” The moon isn’t really blue, it is just named that because it is rare. It happens about every three years and is called that when there are two full moons in the same month. We had one July 2 and had another July 31. The official exact moment of the full moon was at 4:43 …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Fargo AirSho

It was hot and sunny Sunday in Fargo, but that didn’t stop thousands of fans of all ages from coming out to see the Fargo AirSho and to welcome back the U.S. Navy Blue Angels after a 4-year hiatus. The show was nonstop for more than five hours and was thrilling. If you weren’t able to see the performance live, here …