CARVER, Minn. — Jon Kreye has had a camera in his hands since he was eight.
“It was the family’s little point-and-shoot camera. We took pictures of everything from our dog to the flowers to family outings and vacations. I always enjoyed it,” says John Kreye, photographer and author.
Flash forward and that childhood hobby is now his business.
Kreye stays indoors and takes photos of short-term rental properties and the nature around them – which owners can use in their listings and on social media.
“It was built in 1871, so there’s a lot of history in it. In the bedroom and the living room there’s this beautiful exposed brick and it tells the story of its past,” Kreye said.
This rental home is located above the Getaway Motor Cafe coffee shop and has direct access to the Minnesota River Valley Regional Trail.
Kreye built a collection of property photographs, which led him to publish his first coffee table book, “Up North,” in 2022.
“It’s me in the room or my family using the kitchen or building a fire outside, so they’re photos that tell a story,” Kreye said.
He has just released a second book: ‘Back to the Woods’. It features his favorite place to stay, The Pumphouse on Lake Superior.
“This used to be the historic building that pumped water from the lake to the entire city of Duluth. It’s very modern, it has beautiful big windows looking right out over the lake. It feels like you’re on a ship, you’re so close the water,” Kreye explains.
We asked Kreye, a Wisconsin native turned Minnesotan, which state has the better Airbnbs.
“You know, I have to say Minnesota. It’s a tough call, but there are some amazing places. On the North Shore, from treehouses to state-of-the-art spaces to using shipping containers. People are very, very creative,” Kreye said.
Kreye hopes his creativity showcases the best of what the two states have to offer in terms of a balance between adventure and relaxation.
“I hope they’re inspired and ready to book a trip for maybe next summer or this winter, to a place they’ve never heard of or seen before. But there’s also a lot of great design that people could inspire them to freshen up their home or their own cabin,” Kreye said.
Kreye’s new book “Back to the Woods” is now available on Amazon. He also highlights his favorite outings on Instagram.
Last year he stayed home and photographed 60 Air BN-Bs.
