Christian Begeman: 2016

Saturday, December 3, 2016

November 2016

A warm evening in early November allowed for fishing from the dock at Family Park in Sioux Falls, SD

Autumn lingered well into the middle of November this year with warmer than normal temperatures and plenty of sunshine. I didn't complain. Things changed on November 18th when the first big winter storm blew through. Even though that sounds rough, the new snow and change in the weather brought new opportunities for photography. Here are 12 of my favorites from the month that was November of 2016. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

Autumn leaf detail at Terrace Park in Sioux Falls, SD

Bison at sunset in western Minnehaha County, SD

Sunset after the first big snow at Benton Lutheran of rural Crooks, SD

Field Sparrow dining on grass seeds at the Sioux Falls Outdoor Campus

A great horned owl watching from an abandoned barn in western Stanley County. SD

Abandoned church on Thanksgiving Day in rural Dewey County, SD

Bighorn ram in Badlands National Park on Black Friday

American Bison at Badlands National Park on Black Friday

Black Friday sunset panorama at Badlands National Park, in western South Dakota

Sunday, November 6, 2016

October 2016

Fall foliage at Sica Hollow State Park

October is always a bit bittersweet to be out photographing here in South Dakota. First of all, it's usually the most colorful month with trees turning with the season, but it also means there is less light in the day and cold weather is just around the corner. Winter isn't here yet, so enjoy 12 of my favorite fall photos from the month of October various South Dakota locations. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

Just after sunrise in the Big Coulee area north of Summit, SD

Sica Hollow State Park's southern boundary

Wild grapes at Sica Hollow

Fall foliage at Union Grove State Park

Autumn and an abandoned house on the edge of the Coteau des Prairie in rural Roberts County, SD

A capital reflection at Pierre, SD

Autumn amongst the cottonwoods at Oahe Downstream Recreation Area north of Pierre

South Dakota State Capital in October

Sunset sky above a creek running through North Bend Recreation Area on the Big Bend of the Missouri River

Fallen leaf on a quiet bend of the Big Sioux River near Newton Hills State Park

Sunset and corn ready to for the combine in rural Minnehaha County

Monday, October 3, 2016

September 2016

Viceroy Butterfly at Lake Alvin Recreation Area

September could be my favorite time of year. The month starts with songbird and butterfly migration opportunities and ends with fall colors taking over the creeks, draws and black hills. Thankfully I was able to get out a few times to chase the colors of the month. Here are 12 favorites selected from my time roaming the high plains of South Dakota. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

Macro photo of a Monarch's wing

Rural sunset in Bon Homme County, SD

Hawk on a fencepost in Day County

Fall color blazing in the high draws of Sage Creek Wilderness, - Badlands National Park

Autumn starting to take over Spearfish Canyon in the northern Black Hills

Autumn beauty along the Mickelson Trail near Englewood, SD

A great horned owl in Custer State Park

A 4X5 white-tail at Custer State Park right as he notices another buck arrive on the scene

A three-minute duel ensued. Never seen one of those before in person. Pretty intense stuff!

Evening light on a portion of the Bison herd in southern Custer State Park

Morning light on the Moreau River near Thunder Butte Station

Sunday, September 4, 2016

August 2016

A sunflower field near Hayes, SD

I logged a lot of miles this August. My hometown's annual celebration at the beginning of the month and a few weekends just roaming the eastern side of the state either chasing storm clouds or prairie scenes allowed a lot of opportunity to put something interesting in front of my lens. Here are twelve of my favorites. Again, it was a tough task to whittle them down to twelve, but I think that is a good problem to have. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

Yucca with fruit and the Moreau River in the background on the Ziebach and Dewey County line

Dotted mayflower just beginning to bloom in the hills above the Moreau River

Evening light on a horse pasture in rural Brule County, SD

Dramatic clouds over Falls Park of Sioux Falls, SD

A bit later in the evening as the setting sun painted the clouds to the south of town

Storm clouds merging over a pasture in McCook County, SD

Night lightning in McCook County, SD

A double rainbow just east of Clark, SD on US Highway 212

Monarch butterfly fueling up for a trip to Mexico at Lake Herman State Park near Madison

The Milky Way over Red Lake church of rural Brule County, SD

Abandoned in southwest Kingsbury County, SD

Monday, August 1, 2016

July 2016

Verbena flowering in southern Hand County, South Dakota

The heart of summer can sometimes be a deterrent to getting out into nature in this part of the world. The heat and humidity tend to drag a person down and shoo them indoors. I'm not immune to this. Thankfully the beauty of the sky, the sun and stars pulled me out of the dull comfort of my living room yet again this month and I was able to experience the wonder of nature all over again... and again. From wildflowers in central South Dakota to amazing storm clouds above Sioux Falls a and then finally being able to spend a couple days at a prairie reserve in southwest Minnesota... The month of July did not fail to show beauty and wonder. I had a very hard time narrowing down to twelve photos this time around. This is a good problem to have. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!