Sean and Samantha

Today when I got off work I headed to Winona Area Beverage (the liquor store I go to) to pick up some beer, and when I pulled in I noticed two people outside playing music.

I couldn't pass that up.

After I went into the store and picked up my beer, I asked if I could talk to the two people and photograph them.

Their names are Sean and Samantha Barrett, and they're from Middleville, Mich.

The two are traveling and living out of their van with their dog. Both Sean and Samantha seem like very nice people.

It was a nice change of pace to meet some new, interesting people playing music outside the liquor store.

The music was nice too.

This is a prime example of the photos you are able to make just by having your camera with you. Had I not had my camera I most likely wouldn't have stopped to listen to the music, hear the stories or make any photographs.

Thanks for looking!  

All photos ©Joe Ahlquist

Winona Pool and Billiards Club

The other day I had the opportunity to photograph and spend some time at the Winona Pool and Billiards Club for an assignment in one of my classes at Winona State. The assignment was to make a photo story, and this is what I chose to photograph.

I was a little apprehensive at first because I hadn't heard much about the club and I had never been to the club. The club appeared to be pretty exclusive. Everyone at the club was incredibly nice, and inviting. All three people I talked to and photographed at the club were really inviting and friendly to talk to.

Here are my photos. Thanks for looking!

All photos ©Joe Ahlquist

Larry Kendrick, of Winona, Minn., shoots pool at the Winona Pool and Billiards Club Monday, March 25, 2013, in Winona. "It's a sport you can basically play forever," Kendrick said.

David Thompson, of Winona, Minn., shoots pool at the Winona Pool and Billiards Club. Thompson has been playing pool for about eight years and enjoys the competition and the people at the club, he said

Bill Haxton, of Rolling Stone, Minn., shoots pool at the Winona Pool and Billiards Club. Haxton played pool for 24 years before taking a 17 year break while farming, and has now been playing for three years since retiring.

Kendrick re-racks the balls before playing another game. "I kind of forget about everything else," Kendrick said about the game, "it's relaxing."

Kendrick chalks his pool cue during a game. "If you're mobile you can play it," Kendrick said about the pool.

Chalk sits on the edge of a pool table at the club.

Kendrick leans in to take his shot. "A lot of this game is controlling the speed of the white ball," Kendrick said.

Kendrick watches as Thompson takes his shot.

Kendrick, who hadn’t been playing his best games of pool, takes his shot. "Some days you're on and some days you're off,” Kendrick said.

A sign hanging at the Winona Pool and Billiards Club. According to club member Bill Haxton the club has 35 members.

Just an update

I haven't had a post on here in a little while.  Here are a few frames from the last couple months that I like.

Enjoy.

All images ©Joe Ahlquist, ©Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News

Bicycles hang on a wall at Adventure Cycle and Ski in downtown Winona.

Jim Trouten scrapes wax from a downhill ski Monday, Feb. 11, 2013, at Adventure Cycle and Ski in downtown Winona.

The view from the deck outside my parents home near Bemidji, Minn.

Birds sit on a power line in downtown Winona.

A firefighter with the Lewiston Fire Department works to put out a vehicle that had caught fire Friday, March 1, 2013, on I-90. The vehicle was travelling eastbound on Interstate I-90 and caught fire shortly after 12 p.m. Friday. Driver Brendan Trocinski of Austin, Minn. was driving with his wife Rachel, six-year-old daughter, and sons ages five and nine when he looked in the rearview mirror and noticed smoke. No one was injured, and the fire was extinguished by 12:30 p.m. The Lewiston Fire Department, Winona County Sheriff's department and Minnesota State Patrol assisted at the scene.

A firefighter with the Lewiston Fire Department walks through smoke while working to put out a vehicle that had caught fire Friday, March 1, 2013, on Interstate I-90 near Winona. No one was injured in the fire.

Bemidji State's Jason Edwards (10) reacts after the Beavers scored during a NSIC Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game against Winona State Saturday, March 2, 2013, in McCown Gymnasium in Winona. The Beavers went on to win 74-72.

Bemidji State's Maxie Rosenbloom (4) reacts to a call during a NSIC Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game against Winona State Saturday, March 2, 2013, in McCown Gymnasium in Winona.

Charlie Parr performs for the release of his album "Barnswallow" with Mikkel Beckman (not pictured) and Dave Hundreiser (also not pictured) Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, at the Winona Arts Center, where he recorded the album. Parr performs in Winona regularly and has participated in the annual Boats and Bluegrass Festival and Mid West Music Fest.

Kirk Bailey, left, of Winona, Minn., talks with Bill Bly, of Rolling Stone, Minn., while helping him get his bait Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, at the West End Bait Shop in Winona, Minn. Bly has been a patron of the shop for about 40 years, he said.

Kirk Bailey talks on the phone during his shift at the West End Bait Shop in Winona.

Ashley Eide’s breath is visible in the candlelight Monday, Feb. 18, 2013, during a candlelight vigil in memory of 23-year-old Neala Frye, who died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013, at Body and Sol Yoga, Massage and Tan in Onalaska, Wis. Frye’s body was found Sunday night in a ditch in Onalaska, Wis.   

Josh Zibrowski writes a note that reads, “I’ll get some turkey legs for you,” referencing an inside joke he shared with Neala Frye during a candlelight vigil in her honor.

Candles surround a chalkboard with notes written on it during a candlelight vigil in honor of Neala Frye.

Joe's Barbershop on 5th Street

Earlier today, while working on an assignment for school, I stumbled across a neat little barbershop in the west end of Winona. The shop's name was Joe's Barbershop on 5th Street.

I was working on an assignment for a class, but I tend to use those opportunities to just shoot for myself. I try to shoot what I want. It was really quite nice. No looming deadline and no real pressure.

It was a nice break from my usual assignments, which lately have included a lot of prep sports and searching for wild art. Don't get me wrong, I love shooting those assignments, but it was nice to shoot something on my own terms.

All images ©Joe Ahlquist

Anyways, back to the story. I walked in to Joe Hoese's shop, introduced myself and asked if it would be alright if I hung out, took some photos and asked some questions. He told me that would be no problem and I asked his first customer if that was alright, and he had no problem with it.

So, armed with nothing more than my D300, my 24mm f/2.8 and a 35mm f/1.8, I started making photos. After making a few photos I overheard Hoese's customer talking about grouse hunting, which, being from northern Minnesota, was something I'm quite familiar with. So, we started talking about that.  Pretty soon Hoese's first customer was done and he was gone.

Next in line was Quinten Cole, and he was a very interesting man.

 

Cole worked for the forestry service for 31 years, and worked in four different states; Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho and New Mexico. He had some interesting stories about flying around and looking for people having illegal campfires during dry seasons.

Cole also claimed to be the oldest person to ride in the Habitat 500, which is a 500 mile bike ride benefiting the Habitat for Humanity.

He then explained that he had Parkinson's disease during the ride, but didn't know it then. Cole had since had some operations, which had helped him a lot, he said.  

Pretty soon though Cole was all payed up and headed out the door.

After Cole left I got a chance to ask Hoese some questions about how he got his start. 

He told me that he wasn't always a barber. Hoese was an airplane mechanic, he told me, but the October after September 11th he was laid off. He explained that he worked some odd jobs to scrape by, but the economy was tough.

In 2003 he went to barber school at the Minnesota School of Barbering in Minneapolis. After completing school he got his first job at Dick's Sports Barbers in Edina, Minn., which he explained was voted best barbershop in Edina quite a few times.

In 2005 Hoese opened up his shop in Winona.

Anyways, it was a really cool experience. It was nice to go into a place like Hoese's barbershop with no expectations, and to meet such interesting and nice people. So far in my short career as a photojournalist that has been my favorite part. Meeting new and interesting people, and this was another great example of meeting nice, interesting, people.

Road Trip Day 4-5: Campus, Cards, Music and Pizza

This is the last post from this trip, tomorrow Lauren and I will be making the long drive from Ann Arbor, Michigan, back to Winona, Minn.

This post consists of photos from bumming around Ann Arbor.

There are some photos from touring the law school with Lauren and Eric's cousin, Alex. There are some photos of us on the bus and waiting for the bus. There are also photos a person playing music outside of a coffee shop and photos of us bumming around Eric's apartment and playing cards. Oh, and there is a photo from Neopapolis Pizza, which was really good. 

Actually, there is one other photo down there that I forgot to mention. Some people decided to make a giant snowman in front of a bunch of tiny snowmen, which was kind of weird, but the light was quite good. 

For more of my photos and stuff from the road trip visit this post and this post.

Thanks for looking!

All photos ©Joe Ahlquist