KINSMAN, Ohio – Rebecca Nieminen has always had an affinity for the old barns that dot the region’s rural landscapes.
Drawn to their personality and history, the Kinsman-based photographer began shooting them a decade ago.
She has compiled hundreds of her best images in a newly published photography book, “For the Love of Old Barns.” The 74-page, 10-inch-by-8-inch softcover can be purchased for $61.82 at Blurb.com.
The inspiration came organically to Nieminen and grew over time. She felt drawn to the structures – some new and sturdy, others weathered and in various states of disrepair – and began to wonder what they would say if only they could talk.
“I’m not sure when it happened, but at some point in my journey as a professional photographer, I fell in love with these old barns and decided to start photographing them,” Nieminen said. “As I traveled back roads capturing sunrises, sunsets and other beautiful sights, I felt compelled to stop and take pictures of old barns along the way. They made such intriguing subjects, each one seeming to want to tell me a story.”
The photos were shot mostly in northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania, as well as New York, Wisconsin, Michigan, West Virginia, Vermont and Indiana.
When she realized that some of the barns she had photographed were disappearing, she felt it necessary to preserve their memory.
“Some of the saddest and most neglected barns intrigued me the most,” Nieminen said.”It was easy for me to imagine these rickety old soldiers in their glorious heydays as the centers of sprawling agricultural operations. I could also imagine what contributed to their decline – failed family farms, modern machinery that required larger housing, a lack of funds to keep them in shape.”
While the barns are silent and stationary, Nieminen’s photos burst with color and nature. Puffy clouds in blue skies, swirling snowflakes and colorful flowers frame the structures.
Nieminen is the owner of Storyteller Photography: Images by Rebecca, and specializes in high-quality portraiture and fine art landscape and nature photography.
Her photographs resemble paintings, often with a soft, dreamlike quality, golden light and dramatic skies. She previously published the photo book “Searching for Ascension.”
Her work has been featured in several Ohio galleries. In 2023, Lake Erie Living Magazine named her one of the region’s best photographers. In April 2024, her “Solar Eclipse Angel” photograph went viral and was featured in local news and purchased by people across America.
Nieminen is also a writer and the author of the 2022 novel “The Dance of the White Deer.”
Pictured at top: The cover of Rebecca Nieminen’s new photo book, “For the Love of Old Barns.