Alright, I took the photo of the photo, but this lovely print shown here was taken by a Landscape Photographer named Doug Cummelin. He specializes in capturing the beauty of Northern Minnesota, but his art has taken him all over the country. His experience with photography started when he was very young as he remembers his dad taking the family photo every year. I had the pleasure of meeting Doug one evening while I was spending time with my brother (Casey) and his college friend.

The three of us met up and had dinner at Lucky’s 13 Pub which is connected to the mall in Burnsville, MN. After eating and socializing, Casey wanted a bottle of water, so we ventured into the mall. After walking around for a few minutes, I stumbled upon Doug’s little shop. As a photographer, it caught my eye pretty quickly, so I had to check it out. The other two left me behind.

After browsing for a couple minutes, I caught up to the others and told them about the awesome photos I had seen and how they needed to check them out too! I led them to this amazing photo of a barn in front of the Great Teton Mountains. It was captivating, especially on the large canvas. Click HERE to see it! They agreed that it was pretty extraordinary and we continued to observe more of Doug’s work.

I was flipping through the stack of photos he had for sale when Casey said, “You should buy one.” It didn’t take much convincing, so I started looking for one that I wanted. I came upon the sunset photo of Homer Lake and I knew it was the one.

I went up to the front of the store and sparked up a conversation with Doug to get an idea of how he started photography. The four of us talked not only about the technical things, but also the philosophical things involved in photography. I don’t often get to talk in-depth about photography with anyone, so it was a nice change! We wrapped up the conversation because it was getting late (and I had to work the next day). So I thanked Doug for his time and we went home.

As an artist, and small business owner, I tend to get so focused on what I’m doing. I worry that I’m not going to be successful as a photographer. Cameras are becoming cheaper and easier to use, so why would someone want to buy my photos when they could just do it themselves?

Well this is what I’ve discovered: it’s not just about the photo, it’s about how it makes you feel. When I look at the photo of Homer Lake, it reminds me that if I work hard enough, I can achieve whatever I want. I might not be where I want to be right now, but I will get there.

I think it’s so important to support local artists because you can talk about their art with them and understand why and how they created the things they did. I’m not saying getting home decor from a big store is wrong (because Hobby Lobby definitely has some cute items), but you don’t get to know who created those pieces and why.

Doug took the photo of Homer Lake on his first trip back to the Boundary Waters since his childhood. Homer Lake lies at the end of the Caribou Trail before Brule Lake. And I can relate to that, because my first and only Boundary Waters experience was on Brule Lake. If I would have purchased a similar photo from a big store, I probably wouldn’t have known those things.

I am so glad Casey needed water, otherwise I may have not discovered Doug’s photography shop! Don’t ever let your spontaneity die because you can meet some awesome people along the way!

Check out Doug’s Facebook page and Website!

Until next time!

Δ Abbi