Published: March 19, 2006 11:48 pm

One man’s passion

Photographer documents love for river valley

By Tim Krohn
The Free Press
NEW ULM —

Ron Bolduan is patient and obsessive. A good combination for a nature photographer.

Bolduan may have taken more nature photographs on and along the Minnesota River than anyone else. He will be showing some of them during a presentation Tuesday night at Rasmussen Woods.

For 15 years, Bolduan has spent many hours each week watching for photos along the river. He didn’t pick up a camera until he was in his 40s.

“I used to be a bow hunter, but my heart was never really in it,” Bolduan says. “But I needed a reason to be out in the woods.

“My buddy whose land I was hunting on gave me his camera. He created a monster.”

Bolduan finds most of his photos by walking along the river. In the summer, he dons hip waders to protect against burning nettle and wood ticks and looks for a good spot to sit.

“I’ve been out in the woods and by the rivers since I was a kid. From that and being a hunter, I’m pretty good at knowing where to find game, how to use the wind, those kinds of things.”

Bolduan will spend hours sitting still in one spot as he waits to get a photo of a deer or bald eagle, dragon fly or cedar waxwing.

The passion for photography melds with his love of the outdoors and the Minnesota River.

“I was tired of seeing all the bad and negative stuff about the river,” he says. “I think I can shoot and show some of the good stuff on the river.”

Few know the river valley better. From its start on the South Dakota border until it empties into the Mississippi River 335 miles later, Bolduan has seen and photographed much of it.

The New Ulm resident and native ran along the Cottonwood and the Minnesota rivers as a kid. Now semi-retired, he spent much of his career as a parts salesman with his territory along the river valley.

“I always had the camera in the car and was watching for photos.”

He has taken thousands of photos and has about 1,400 slides in his library. He does several presentations a month to groups and at schools. While he’s done many presentations in communities on the west end of the river and in the Twin Cities, he hasn’t done many in Mankato. He’ll be at Rasmussen Woods park Tuesday and at Minneopa Park next month and says he’d like to get into some of the Mankato classrooms.

“I just want people to appreciate what we’ve got here along the river.”

Bolduan said his favorite stretches of river are in western Minnesota. “You get out there and there are fascinating rock outcroppings and scenery. And there’s just less population, so you can be out all day and never see anyone. And there is a lot more public land accessible when you go west,” he said.

“We get used to the way the river looks here with the muddy banks and stuff. When you go west and see those rock outcroppings, it’s very dramatic.”

Bolduan said another favorite spot is the Louisville Swamp refuge area near Jordan. Motorists will notice the sign for it on Highway 169 near the site of the Renaissance Festival.

He uses a 35 mm film camera and shoots slides. For now, he’s sticking with film cameras.

“I love the convenience of seeing what you shot right away with digital, but I still think 35 mm slides are better quality.”

He said he’s seen slow improvement to the quality of the river and has seen more wildlife than he ever saw before.

“The bald eagles and coyotes and things,” he says. “There is more wildlife, so that’s good. I’ve been seeing May fly hatches again. For years you didn’t even see that, which was kind of spooky.”