MANKATO — A native of the South American country of Guyana, Parie Nikka Albadar-Buffington has presented a fresh eye to the annual city of Mankato calendar photo contest.
After her marriage brought her and her Canon SLR to Eagle Lake about two years ago, Albadar-Buffington has been exploring the Mankato landscape and sharing her photographs.
She was one of 12 winners in the 2024 contest, with her photo illustrating February in the city calendar. This year, Albadar-Buffington’s work will be showing off Mankato in June, August and October.
She also was selected for the contest’s grand prize, announced at Monday night’s City Council meeting, giving her the calendar’s cover shot as well. That prize came with a $100 gift certificate for use at any civic center event.
To explain her strong showing, Albadar-Buffington first went with modesty: “I think they probably didn’t have enough submissions.”
Mayor Najwa Massad begged to differ, talking about the unique ability that local photographers have to see what others can’t. Massad said the talents of the amateur shooters are valuable in showing off the city, because the submissions are used not just for the calendar but for other municipal communications and promotional materials.
“You’re proving to everybody around the Mankato area, the region … what a beautiful place it is to live here in Mankato, to work and especially to visit,” Massad said.
While Albadar-Buffington describes herself as a homemaker, she’s not exactly an amateur photographer — showcasing and selling photographs at parienikkaphotography.squarespace.com.
“I just love photography, I really do,” Albadar-Buffington said.
Although her submissions were all digital, she enjoys shooting the old-fashioned way with film as well. And she sees Mankato as a great subject for photography.
“I love Mankato, especially the historic homes, the Victorian homes,” Buffington said. “They’re just so beautiful.”
She likes the idea of capturing historic architecture — “things that stand the test of time” — with analog photography through the use of film.
“Mankato and other parts of Minnesota have really been inspiring me lately with the amazing historical homes, farm landscape and abandoned barn structures,” she said.
For her winning photos, Albadar-Buffington focused on the Minnesota River valley, which has dominated the calendar in past years as well. The first-place photo and the photo chosen for October include the river and the silos mural. Her third winning entry features Reconciliation Park.
Another frequent source of winning photos, picturesque Sibley Park, was the subject of Loren Pietsch’s second-place photo. The hilltop portion of the city was shut out of the 2025 contest, which was judged by community members through an online survey.
Hilltoppers can try to show off their portion of Mankato in the 2026 contest. If they’re shooting for the January or December months of the 2027 calendar, they might end up competing with Albadar-Buffington. Despite growing up in a tropical climate and offering mostly lush scenery in her submissions for this year’s contest, she’s ready for the change of seasons.
“I have been looking forward to winter photography,” she said. “Thanks to Minnesota, it has opened up my creative energy allowing that nostalgic moodiness I have always wanted to capture.”