Artist LaDonna Greiner combines two impactful art forms.
Presented in partnership with The Best of Missouri Hands.
Photographer and writer LaDonna Greiner has been combining photos and words since her artistic debut in 2016.
Living in Sparta, her mission as an artist is to breathe new life into her favorite subjects: vintage buildings and barns. “They are disappearing from the landscape,” LaDonna says. “I want to help at least preserve them in photographs.” This is also where the name of her website comes from: Barns, Backroads & Byways.
For LaDonna, the unusual is what captures her eye. “I am looking for a focal point, a view that is not your typical view,” LaDonna says. Sometimes her photography adventures lead her to unexpected places, as chronicled in her book, I’m Here for a Purpose: True Stories of Survival, Faith, Gratitude, and Determination, in which LaDonna recounts surviving a cold night lost in a state park.
To LaDonna, writing and photography are two sides of the same coin, equally influencing each other over and over again. “I love describing the photos that I take and setting the background around them,” LaDonna says. “Right now, I am working on a book of reflections that I have had during hikes I have taken.”
Most of her inspiration—for both her photos and writing— comes from her hikes. She loves exploring the Ozarks, capturing photos that invite viewers into her experiences. She often writes down thoughts to complement images.
One of her favorite photos is Mystic Morning, featuring a trail through the woods that becomes hidden in the fog. The day of this photo, she was sure the fog would ruin the shoot, until she found the perfect spot.
Another favorite photograph is of a lush green snaking trail, entitled A Walk in the Woods. She says when people lay eyes on the trail in the photograph, they always assume it is one they have also walked. “The metaphor [is] there,” LaDonna says. “You never know where the trail’s gonna lead you. And it is not always a smooth trail.”
LaDonna hopes to inspire people to explore. She wants her photos and writing to convince others to experience these sites firsthand.
Gratitude and understanding are common themes in both her photography and writing. Whether she is taking a shot of a barn at the end of its life or writing reflections on the epiphanies she’s had on a hike, she and her Nikon are ready to traverse the Ozarks and tell stories of her journeys.
The Best of Missouri Hands is a 500 member nonprofit dedicated to developing and recognizing Missouri artists and artisans.
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This article was originally printed in the March/April 2026 issue of Missouri Life.
