Thursday, June 28, 2012

Late Spring Scenes in South Dakota

Purple rockets along a creek just east of Custer State Park in late May.
 Where has the month of June gone?  As usual, spring has flown by.  Things have been hot and dry in all of South Dakota the latter part of June.  Here are some photos dating back to late May and into mid-June when things were a little newer and greener.  I was asked to create a promotional video for my employer, Midcontinent Communications, to play at the Sioux Falls Jazzfest that required me to travel across the state this spring looking for wonderful scenery.  I took some photos along the way... most of them are posted here for you.  

If you are interested, here is a link to the final video for Midco that welcomes headliner Joe Walsh to the Jazzfest festivities: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yK86JXvDN0  

It was fun to put together, all shots are from my camera either in video mode or still frame timelapse style.  All but four or five of the shots are new this spring.  I hope you enjoy it:  

A red winged blackbird perched above a sea a purple just outside of Custer State Park.

A buffalo calf rolls around playfully in the dirt of Custer State Park.

Pronghorn enjoying a picturesque evening at Custer State Park.

Blue bird of Custer State Park.  I love these little lightning bolts of blue!

A badlands prairie dog that proves you that even eating to much salad will cause weight issues.

Sunlight and cloud shadows created interesting views of the Badlands.

Badlands Bighorn taking a break in the clover.

My old friend, Mr. Wile. E. Coyote looked a little straggly from losing his winter coat. (update - I've been informed this guy probably was suffering from the "mange" skin issue caused by mites.  Coyotes should not have all their hair gone on the tail even during spring shedding.)

Sunset light on the back end of some rain clouds taken on the northwest edge of Sioux Falls.

A mid-June thunderhead northeast of Oacoma, SD

Same cloud as above but a little later on in the evening.

Two views of a colorful sunset over Skunk Creek, just west of Sioux Falls.


Saturday, June 23, 2012

Ghost Town Hunting - Chapter III

What is left of Sitka, SD in Walworth County

During my travels across the state in late May, I was able to visit two more authentic South Dakota Ghost Towns, both of which are located East River.  Sitka, a few miles east of Mobridge, SD in Walworth county as well as Argonne, SD which is in Miner County.  Neither have any residents left and both have only a few of the buildings remaining.  Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

Abandoned residence in Sitka.

The old outhouse is leaning a bit nowadays!

Argonne appears to have been on an old railroad line.  There are a nice stand of trees among the town's abandoned streets and lots.  Only a few buildings remain as well as an old bank vault.  I got there in the evening as the sun was getting ready to set.  It was eerily beautiful.








Friday, June 15, 2012

Playing with Black and White

An abandoned house just off US Highway 12 around 4 miles south of Java, SD
I've always been a fan of strong contrasted black and white images.  This post is dedicated to a few scenes that I've work on in black and white over the last couple months.  Click on an image for a larger file to view and enjoy!

Rocks and water on the edge of Grass Lake near Hartford, SD

Same house as above with a bit wider lens setting.
A few more views of the house and clouds...

An abandoned farmstead near Bristol, SD.

The unused grain elevator on the edge of Ortley, SD



Sunday, June 3, 2012

Sunset Skies

 Sunset colors behind a lone tree on the ridge above Skunk Creek a few miles east of Hartford, SD.

South Dakota is a great place to watch the sun set.  Here is a collection of sunset scenes I was able to capture in the last month.  Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for dropping by.

Same scene as above but a little with a little wider lens.  The images were taken around 10 to 15 minutes apart.


Sunset about the East fork of the Vermilion River near Parker, SD.

Two images of a prairie windmill out on the Grand River National Grasslands in Perkins County, SD. To see more of my time in the grasslands check out my column at southdakotamagazine.com:
http://southdakotamagazine.com/grand-river-grasslands


A single deer silhouetted against the setting sun just north of Howard, SD.

Sunset on Kettle Lake adjacent to Fort Sisseton State Park in Marshall County, SD.