Living History Farms
6th Annual Photography Day Living History Farms
Saturday, September 17th 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
NEW: Sunday, September 18th 12:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m.
Spend two days taking pictures with and learning from industry professionals in Iowa’s largest
(500 acres) outdoor classroom! Photography instructors will be on hand to help you finally get all those photography questions answered. Imagine having the perfect opportunity and the perfect place to spend some one-on-one time with some of the best photographers in Iowa. All the experts and instructors are graciously donating their time. Their reward is in helping you to become a better photographer. It’s a fun filled event you will not want to miss!
ColdSnap Photography will be presenting three topics:
The Natural Landscape
People & Place; Travel Photography
Photographing Family & Familiar People
We are located at the “Implement Dealer” just down a block on the left when you enter the grounds.
SATURDAY
- More than 20 photography instructors will be on hand.
- More than 30 seminars on Saturday are included with the price of admission.
- Canon, Nikon and Tamron will be on hand to answer questions.
- Test-drive the newest camera equipment from Canon, Nikon and Tamron.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
- Come back to practice what you learned in class on Saturday.
- Instructors will be walking the grounds to help answer any additional questions.
EVENT INFORMATION
- NEW: $20 ticket price includes all seminars and gate admission for both days.
- NEW: Ability to pre-pay online for the event and lunch to avoid long lines.
- Special Photography Day hotel room rates at the Sleep Inn & Comfort Suites.
- Check http://www.lhf.org/photographyday for additional details.
Living History Farms
11121 Hickman Road, Urbandale, Iowa (515-278-5286)
Sponsored by Christian Photo
6721 Douglas Avenue, Urbandale (515-270-8030)
Photographing The Northern Lights
This last week I was fortunate to” catch” the northern lights and make some awesome photographs. Actually if you want to photograph the aurora borealis it requires good planning, patience, and a significant amount of luck.
Aurora Borealis is named after the Roman Goddess of Dawn (Aurora) and the Greek term for northern wind (Boreas.) The aurora borealis is caused by the ionization of nitrogen atoms in the atmosphere, this ionization occurs as a result of solar flares or solar storms that pass through the earth’s atmosphere. The conditions for the aurora borealis are most prominent near the fall and spring equinoxes. Some researchers believe we are entering a period of increased activity for the aurora.
The aurora borealis is only visible at night typically from 10pm to 2am. Best displays are seen away from the lights of a town or city, and ideally when the moon is not out. For more information about the aurora go to the
Geophysical Institute, or the NOAAweb site. These web sites have lots of information about the northern lights in addition to forecast features which attempt to forecast when the displays are at their best. Keep in mind that any forecast is like trying to forecast weather–or more accurately even more challenging because scientists know less about the phenomenon than they do about weather conditions.
Camera Technique: Photographically speaking you will need a good camera with a semi-wide or wide angle lens, a sturdy tripod, and a cable release. Ideally your lens is f4 or faster. The intensity of the display will determine your exposure. In order to capture or “freeze” the shapes of the light-glow you will want to use as fast a shutter speed as possible. Set the ISO on your camera to 800 or faster, noise is an issue. Set the aperture of your lens at it’s most open setting; ie f4 or f2.8. Set your shutter speed to the “BULB” setting. Your exposures may range anywhere from 10 seconds up to several minutes depending upon the intensity of the display. Make a test exposure and check your histogram then adjust your exposure accordingly.
Focus–trying to focus at night is the tricky part. Here are some tips: get to your location early enough to focus on the horizon or other feature in the foreground, remember to turn the auto focus off once you have focused. Use a flash light to shine on a prominent object and focus on that object. If your camera is equipped with Live- View you can pick an object and zoom into that object. Finally you can shoot a test image and then preview it and zoom in to check your focus adjusting as necessary.
Vantage Point: where you go to photograph the northern lights will take a little planning. Optimally you need a clear view of the north horizon, and preferably one that is well away from city light shine. The less light shine the better the display will appear. A tree or some other prominent feature in the foreground helps to place the lights in a context with the landscape. Viewing over a lake or other open water will add reflections and interest to the image.
Post processing: shoot in camera RAW. You will have more lee-way to process the image and fine-tune the exposure and noise effects. If you are not familiar with how to post process your images consider taking a print-making workshop.
Great Places For Spring Wildflowers
|
Great Places For Spring Photography
|
Lake Superior Provincial Park
|
Lake Superior Provincial Park is located in Ontario Canada, on the east end of Lake Superior. The park is known for it’s rugged misty hills, deep canyons, sand mixed with ledge rock shoreline, and swift flowing rivers.
Places to Photograph; Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies Roadtrip:
Originally Posted November 2010
Like most road-trips I ended up with the feeling that we spent too much time in the car and yet not enough time on the road to see every-thing I had hoped to see. By the end we drove about 4000 miles in 12 days, we covered alot of territory and came away with some awesome images!
This last August Val and I hit the road with a vague notion of our destination somewhere out west. Our first stop was Medora, North Dakota. Situated on the south end of Teddy Roosevelt National Park, Medora, is the gateway to one of the midwest’s best kept secrets. For those who have never been to Teddy Roosevelt Park you should put it on your list of places to go. The park teems with wildlife including; bison, elk, mule deer, antelope, coyotes, prairie dogs, wild turkeys, jackrabbits, golden eagles, wild horses and more. The landscape is rich and colorful. For hotel accommodations book your hotel room at the recently completely rebuilt Rough Rider Hotel in Medora.
Without a doubt these hotel accommodations were the best we found anywhere on our trip and they were by no means the most expensive. During most of the trip we camped at various campgrounds about every other night.
After one short morning of photography at Teddy Roosevelt we pressed on to the west. Our next destination was a quick and rather unproductive trip into Glacier National Park which was disappointing because of the crowds and road construction. We decided to continue to our next goal; Banff/Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies.
Once we crossed into Canada we elected to take Canadian Highway 40 north to Banff Park. This road is a gravel back road that is also called a “Range Road”. It meandered through the foothills of the Rockies and followed a wide river valley through the back country-it was a great way to approach the park and offered many photographic opportunities along the way.
Nearing Banff park we took Trans Canada 1 to the Icefields Parkway which connects Banff andJasper National Parks. For the next 5-6 days we drove up and down the Parkway to a variety of destinations. I don’t have the space here to recount each and every place so I will list a few highlights:
My first recommendation is to travel the entire length of the Parkway. 20 years ago I travelled to Banff Park but did not make the drive all the way to Jasper, that was a mistake.
Moraine Lake is north of Banff about 15 miles, just outside Lake Louise Village. Well worth the drive and short hike to the lookout over the lake.
The Bow River Parkway follows the Bow River for much of the southern portion of the drive. Great views of the river valley and mountains. Stop at any of the numerous pullouts and walk out onto the river flats for spectacular photographic opportunities.
In Jasper Park don’t miss Maligne Lake, the ferry boat ride is worth the money, it will take you to the far end of the lake for spectacular views of the mountains and islands. Take the last ferry of the day for the best light.
Don’t miss the Mount Edith Cavell Drive to the Angel Glacier and Cavell Pond with its floating ice chunks from several glaciers that surround it -great photo opps.
When we left the Park we drove east on Highway 11 towards Rocky Mountain House, this route took us along the Saskatchewan River. About 30 miles outside of the park the Saskatchewan River is dammed to create Lake Abraham. This area was one of the pleasant surprises on the trip and resulted in some great photographs. There are numerous pullouts and side roads along this 22 mile long lake, take any one of the side roads for a great vista of this beautiful mountain lake.
The prairies of Alberta and Saskatchewan offered some great views and photographic opportunities. The side trip to Prince Albert National Park was disappointing as we did not have enough time to thoroughly explore and canoe into the back country where the real beauty lies.
This is nowhere near a complete list of all the places we visited but hopefully I have given you a few ideas.
Photograph Newfoundland!
Originally posted January 2011
I have been very fortunate in my photographic career I have managed to land some very interesting projects. These projects have taken me to some wonderful places around the globe and I look forward to expanding my travels and exploring many more new places before I hang up my camera. Without a doubt one of my favorite places is Newfoundland.
Of all the places I have visited Newfoundland is the one place where I feel I could call home. In many ways it is similar to the North Shore of Lake Superior. Both places have a long history of commercial fishing, both places have a rugged Spartan landscape, and both places have a local population with a strong altruistic nature. It is because of these similarities that makes exploring and photographing Newfoundland so easy and natural for me. I have met many wonderful people and found beautiful glorious places to photograph. 
St. John’s is a bustling city with great night life and cultural opportunities. George street during the summer is the place to visit ; just about every pub or eating establishment has live music. Signal Hill nearby is worth the visit for the vista views of the ocean and the military tattoo performances that are held there during the day. A walk through the hillside communities bordering the harbor to photograph the townhomes built in traditional maritime architecture is a great way to spend the afternoon.
The Avalon Pennisula is rich with marine wildlife. For some great Humpback Whale and bird watching go to Witless Bay and take a tour with Obrien’s. At the southern end of the Avalon is a desolate region home to bogs full of orchids and other exotic wildflowers and roving herds of Woodland Caribou. On the southwest corner of the Avalon is Cape St. Mary’s home to 50,000 pairs of nesting Gannets and other shore birds. 
Moving straight north and a little west brings you to the Bonavista region on the north coast of the island. Trinity is the oldest village continuously inhabited by Europeans in North America. This little fishing village is a great place to catch aZodiac for whale watching or photographing eagles along the cliffs of the shoreline. On the tip of the Bonavista Peninsula is the little town of Elliston or the “Root-Cellar Capital of North America”. In addition to root-cellars the Puffin photography is fantastic.
Our final location on our tour of Newfoundland is the Twillingate area. This region is a series of islands and peninsulas connected by bridges, causeways and ferries. In addition to the fishing villages the inlets and bays act like a net to catch floating icebergs that come down from Greenland and the Arctic Circle. Without a doubt this is the best place to photograph icebergs in Newfoundland. Exploring this region always turns up a new little fishing settlement or interesting local to talk with.
Newfoundland is a photographers paradise. It is unique in its diversity of subject matter; wildlife, wildflowers, landscape, people and historic architecture.
12 Locations of Light I
This series is not intended to be a comprehensive list of places to photograph on Lake Superior, rather it is simply 12 of my favorite photography locations on the lake. Most of the locations listed I have been to several times–some so many times I can’t count. Ironically, however, I had never made a complete circle of the lake until this last fall when I lead the “Circle Tour” workshop. Previously when I went exploring around the lake I would go either north or south and make it half way around then turn around and come back by the same route. Now I can finally say I have made the complete circle tour.
The Route we will take for our “Circle Tour” will be clockwise around the lake. We will begin near Duluth Minnesota and conclude near Superior Wisconsin.
Part One:
Stoney Point
Stoney Point is located mid-way between Duluth and Two Harbors. Take the Scenic Highway 61 from Duluth. Opposite the entrance to “Tom’s Logging Camp” on the right side of the road is a gravel road called Stoney Point Rd. Turn right and follow this road about 1 mile just before the gravel road rejoins Scenic Hwy 61 is a wide spot in the road sufficient to park your car. Work the shoreline back down the shore in the direction you came. This is one of my favorite locations anywhere on Lake Superior and it is located very near to my home base. This location is rich with photographic subject matter and the light always seems to be moody and mystical.
GPS: 46 55′ 42.31″N 91 48′ 48.59″W
Two Harbors
Our next location is the area around Two Harbors. There are in fact several great places to photograph around town. Perhaps the best location is the “Breakwater” in Two Harbors. This structure was built to protect the harbor in Agate Bay. It juts into the lake on Lighthouse Point. To get there from Hwy 61 in Two Harbors go to the intersection of 7th Ave and turn right towards the lake, go 7 blocks. On your left you will notice Waterfront Gallery and ColdSnap Photography, stop in and visit if you have the time. From the gallery turn north east on 1st Ave and go 4 blocks to 3rd St. Turn right and go about the equivalent to 3 blocks to the parking lot. Please note that for several weeks in the summer of 2011 the parking lot will be under construction, alternative parking should be available. The breakwater and trails around “Lighthouse Point” are great places to photograph.
GPS: 47 00′ 38.47″N 91 39′ 51.70″W
Hovland
While this location is limited in subject matter I am fascinated by the “Hovland Dock” which is the run down remains of a cement dock structure that harkens back to an era of ferryboat service on Lake Superior. From Hwy 61 turn right on County Hwy 88 or Chicago Bay Road. Go about 3-400 ft to dock structure on your right.
GPS: 47 50′ 20.14″N 89 58′ 12.61″W
Red Rock Point
Perhaps my favorite place on all of Lake Superior. This location has light that is always magical. The flora is a rich combination of boreal forest and tundra lichens on the rocky shoreline. I have been here countless times and every time I go to photograph I come away with another image that I can’t wait to display. The property is owned by the Grand Portage Reservation and is open to the public but please tread lightly; no camping overnight and no fires allowed. On Hwy 61 go to mileage marker 139.5, look for dirt forest road on right side of the highway. Turn off highway onto the dirt road, go about 1-200 ft and park your car. Follow the old forest road on foot out to the point. Please respect private property on the northeast and southwest ends of the shoreline.
GPS: 47 54′ 23.40″N 89 45′ 33.05″W
Ice Report for the North Shore
Originally posted March 2011
Ice Report for the North Shore
So far this year the ice has been fickle. One morning last week after a day of strong southernly winds there was a thin mass of ice chunks forming along the shoreline, it hung just off shore for a brief morning and then it floated away. The harbors and protected areas have formed pancake ice and offer some photographic opportunities, otherwise it is still a wait and see situation. Should the conditions change (which can happen in a few hours) I will send out a special report.
12 Locations of Light III
Originally Posted March 2011
This is the third and final installment in the 12 Locations of Light series–12 of my favorite places to photograph on Lake Superior. We begin this portion of the Circle Tour in Wawa Ontario on the east end of Lake Superior.
From Wawa Ontario go south on Hwy 17 for about 10 miles to Lake Superior Provincial Park. Proceeding south on Hwy 17 you will be in the park for about the next 40 miles or so. There are many photographic opportunities along this stretch of road. I will only have the time and space to refer to a few of my favorites. Beginning at the north end of the park and going south there is;
Old Woman Bay, a large sand beach bay with the outlet of the Old Woman River. Views of the steep hills surrounding the bay are best at sunset.
Sand River, several miles of hiking trail line the river inland from the lake. You will be treated with wonderful views of cascades and waterfalls, Lady Evelyn Falls is about 2-3 miles upstream and worth the hike.
Katherine Cove and Beach are very photogenic with a great view of the lake from the beach and rocky point that protrudes into the lake next to the parking lot.
You could spend a week or more exploring and photographing all of this park, at about 600 sq miles it is one of Ontario’s largest parks.
GPS: 
Old Woman Bay:
47 47′ 35.13″N
84 53′ 58.04″W
Sand River:
47 25′ 55.40″N
84 43′ 47.47″W
Katherine Cove:
47 26′ 37.46″N
84 44′ 57.24″W
Back on the road to the US (border crossing at Sault St. Marie) we are now headed west along the south shore of the lake. There are many destinations that we are by-passing but space restricts us to only the highlights here. Our first stop back in the US will be the Grand Sable Dunes which is located just a couple of miles west of Grand Marais Michigan. Grand Marais is the largest town in the area and a good spot to base out of-although hotel accommodations are somewhat limited and for the most part very basic. A great place to eat is the West Bay Diner-it has the Youper character and attitude combined with good food-don’t say I didn’t warn you!
The best place to access the Dunes is north of Grand Sable Lake just off Co Hwy 58. From downtown Grand Marais go south on Hwy 77, about ½ mile out of town (before the top of the hill) you will see a gravel road on your right-Co Hwy 772, turn right and go about 1/2 mile where you will come to a stop sign and the road will join Co Hwy 58, proceed another mile and you will see Grand Sable Lake on your left, on your right you will see the dunes. Just as the road leaves the lakeshore you will see a wide spot in the road that works nicely for parking . Park your car here and walk back towards the dunes. You will see a number of trails that lead into the dunes. Pick a trail and start hiking. It is about a mile as the crow flies to the lake, allow an hour or more for you to hike up and down the dunes to get to the lake. It is worth the walk as there are many things to see and scenes to photograph along the way. Please note that hiking in sand is very strenuous, I would allow a long afternoon for this location. Best time is when the light is long in the early morning or late afternoon to evening.
GPS:
Parking location along highway:
46 39′ 06.25″N
86 02′ 00.24″W
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
From the Grand Sable Dunes you can drive west on Co Hwy 58 into the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Park. There are many locations to visit in this large park. Again I will only hit on a few highlights here. In the fall Co Hwy 58 is a wonderful destination in itself. The road is lined with maples, oaks, and other hardwood species making it a colorful drive. Here are a couple of other locations along the way:
Au Sable Beach, Point, and Lighthouse
The best access is from Hurricane River Campground. Park at the campground and hike the beach trail to the Lighthouse. There are three visible shipwrecks along the beach, you will see them from the trail. The lighthouse is also great to photograph. Both times I have hiked this trail I have done it late in the day, returning after dark, the light was great on both occasions. Don’t forget to bring a flashlight along for hiking in the dark.
Miners Beach
On the west end of the lakeshore park is Miners Beach. This location is a great sunrise shoot. The beach has wonderful photographic opportunities at both ends. The west end of the beach has the Miners River Outlet. On the east end of the beach is a small unnamed stream that flows off a rock shelf and drops about two feet onto the beach where it flows into the lake-very nice. If you climb up onto the rock shelf that the stream flows over you will see a small foot path headed into the woods in an easterly direction. This path is only for the sure-footed and adventurous. If you follow this path about ¼ of a mile you will come to a rock overlook and be treated to one of the best views of the Pictured Rocks Sandstone cliffs that you can find anywhere on land in the park.
GPS locations:
Au Sable Lighthouse:
46 40′ 23.13″N
86 08″ 20.97″ W
Miners Beach:
46 40′ 29.89″N
86 32′ 15.48″W
Keweenaw Peninsula
Our final location on our circle tour is the Keweenaw Peninsula. This area is very large and once again it has many photographic opportunities and locations. One could plan an entire week trip just to photograph this wonderful area. It is rich with natural and historic beauty. The Houghton/Hancock area makes a great base of operations. For the best Italian food check out Gemignani’s restaurant in Hancock. Here are two locations to photograph on the Keweenaw:
Old Quincy Mine
The Old Quincy Mine site sits atop Quincy Hill that overlooks Houghton and Hancock. From downtown Houghton take Hwy 41 north, the highway goes right by the entrance to the historic site. The Quincy Mine Site is a collection of buildings in various states of ruin. These are the remains of a once profitable underground copper mine. Today it offers great photographic opportunities. The sandstone block buildings are rich in texture, color, and history. Late evening to sunset is the best time for photography.
Eagle Harbor Lighthouse
From Houghton take Hwy 41/26 north to Phoenix. In Phoenix Hwy 26 branches to the left (west) follow Hwy 26 a windy narrow road for another 8 miles or so. In Eagle Harbor follow the signs to the Lighthouse on the west edge of town. Sunrise or sunset can be a great time for photography here. Either before or after your photography outing pay a visit to the Jampot a little country store run by Society of St. Johns’ Monks located just north of Eagle River. They make great cookies, jam, and fruit-cake, but watch out for the fruit-cake as it is liberally soaked in rum!
GPS locations:
Old Quincy Mine:
47 08′ 39.50″N
88 34′ 05.89″W
Eagle Harbor Lighthouse:
47 27′ 34.61″N
88 09′ 33.38″W
12 Locations of Light II
Originally posted February 2011
This is the second part of a three part series called 12 Locations of Light. It is not intended to be a comprehensive list of places to photograph on Lake Superior, rather it is simply 12 of my favorite photography locations on the lake. Most of the locations listed I have been to several times–some so many times I can’t count.
The Route we will take for our “Circle Tour” will be clockwise around the lake. We will begin near Duluth Minnesota and conclude near Superior Wisconsin.
Part Two:
Hurkett Dock
Hurkett Dock is located aproximately 50 miles east of Thunder
Bay on TransCanada Hwy 11/17. At the sign for Hurkett turn right onto Hwy 582, take this road just over one mile where you will see a small gravel road on your right that goes over a RR track. There is a sign that indicates the road leads to a water access. Take this gravel road about one mile. Park in the parking lot. There is a lot to photograph here, old abandon fishing boats, working fishing boats, shacks, back water with wild rice, views of the lake. The light has always been great every time I have been to this location. The backwater bay and opposite shoreline around the bay is part of the Hurkett Cove Conservation Area .
Most of my photography here has been in the morning.
GPS:
48 50′ 25.61″ N
88 29′ 17.29″ W
Rossport
Once you are back out on the TransCanada Hwy 11/17 Rossport is about 60 miles east. Turn right at the sign for Rossport and follow Main Street a short distance into town. There are four significant locations at Rossport;
1) Rossport Inn a great little B&B run by Ned Basher and his wife. While the RR tracks run about 30 feet in front of the hotel and the trains going by will most likely wake you during the night, it is a great place to stay and eat.
2) Serendipity Gardens is a great restaurant for any meal during the day.
3) Town dock, there are several boats that dock here and more than one Capitan who is willing to charter his boat. Rossport is the gateway to the Channel Islands a beautiful part of the lake and worth the cost of the boat charter for an afternoon of shooting. Battle Island Lighthouse sits atop a large rock on the last island before the open water of the lake. Ned at the Rossport Inn can hook you up with a boat Capitan.
4) As you leave Rossport and get back on the TransCanada Hwy 11/17 about two miles east on the highway look for a little rock island just 100 feet out in the lake, just past this island is a gravel road to turn off on. Park on the gravel road and walk back down the highway (inside the guard rail) to the view of the island.
Morning or evening is a good time to photograph here.
GPS:
48 50′ 11.78″ N
87 30′ 22.65″ W
Neys Provincial Park
Once you are back on the TransCanada Hwy 11/17 Neys Provincial Park is aprox 54 miles further east. Access to the park is controlled thru a park access road. The park is open from May 21st thru Sept 19th. I have been in the park on a couple of occasions after the normal season but this requires hiking over 3 miles down into the park and back out. Neys is not a large park, and most of the primary photo opportunities are in fairly easy walking distance of the parking lot (when the park is open.) The beach area parking lot is the best spot to start from. The beach offers great views of the lake and a stream that flows into Lake Superior. Hike about 1/2 mile to the rock point east of the beach for some spectacular views of Canadian Shield rock stretching out into the lake. Also out on the point are the remains of some Herring Skiffs from a bygone era of commercial fishing. Morning or evening is a good time to photograph here.
GPS:
48 46′ 47.26″ N
86 36′ 55.85″ W
Michipicoten First Nation-Red Point
From Neys Park it is about 135 miles east to our next location; Red Point on the Michipicoten First Nation. From Wawa go a little over 3 miles east on TransCanada 11/17 to High Falls Road, turn right and follow this road through the town. On your right you will see “High Falls” well worth the stop. Keep on Michipicoten Harbor Road past the waterfalls for approximately 6 miles, turn right onto Red Point Road, go another two miles. The road will come to Red Point Beach a community park and sacred ground for the Michipicoten First Nation. When I was there I spoke with some local people who told me it was fine to enjoy and photograph the area-however, please respect the sacredness of this area. From the beach you will see Red Point a large rock that juts into the lake, it is truly one of the most interesting geological features found anywhere on Lake Superior. The rock is a mix of basalt lava and small to medium granite stones mixed into the basalt lava shelf. The texture and color of the rock is very photogenic and makes for interesting foreground.
Morning or evening is a good time to photograph here.
GPS:
47 57′ 37.26″ N
84 56′ 01.52″ W
Stack Ice on Lake Superior
Ice Report for the North Shore
Originally posted March 2011
There is still some ”pancake ice” down in the narrows near Duluth, and protected harbors. The open lake is fairly clear. The chance for any significant stack ice is slim to none for this year.
Places To Photograph Spring Wildflowers
Places To Go For Spring Wildflowers
Originally posted April 2010
Here are a few of my favorite places to photograph spring ephemeral wildflowers in Southern Minnesota:
Nerstrand Woods State Park-The classic location in Minnesota, it is situated in the heart of the “Big Woods” region of Southern Minnesota near Faribault.
Riverbend Nature Center-situated next to Faribault-several miles of trails with a great variety of spring wildflowers.
Rice County Caron Park–is a great place to explore-it is typically much less travelled than Nerstrand or Riverbend yet offers the same wildflower opportunities.
Carley State Park-Bluebells, bluebells, bluebells! One of my most favorite locations. Located just a couple miles outside of Plainview, where they host the Bluebell Festival, this year it is May 7th.
Whitewater State Park-In the heart of bluff country Whitewater State Park has great spring wildflowers and right behind the visitors center is a bird-feeding station which you will want to photograph. They attract hundreds of birds of amazing diversity.
Beaver Creek Valley State Park-In the very south east of the state. This park has the most spectacular displays of False Rue Anemone that I have ever seen anywhere.
Prairie locations:
Prairie Coteau SNA–Located in the SW corner of the state, this SNA is a great location for a diverse population of prairie wildflowers including; Prairie Smoke, Pasque Flowers, White Lady Slippers and much more.
Cottonwood Prairie SNA- Located not far from Red Rock Prairie Preserve and the Jeffers Petroglyphs this location is a three for one deal! I love the subtle landforms and diversity of plants found at all three locations.
Red Rock Prairie Preserve (TNC)
Mound Prairie SNA–located in the SE corner of Minnesota this SNA has a wonderful population of the Prairie Jeweled Shooting Star, one of my favorite wildflowers to photograph.