Christian Begeman

Ghost Town Hunting

2012-01-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

An abandoned building on the edge of Dewey, SD

I took the week off before Christmas this year in part because I wanted to go ghost town hunting in Western South Dakota. Ghost towns offer some pretty interesting photo ops as well as give my back road meanderings some focus and purpose. I saw a lot of country side I had not seen before and want to go back out this spring to find some more. This post shows some of what I found last month. Click on the photo for a larger file to view and enjoy!

Along the Cheyenne River in the southwest corner of the state is the old town sight of Burdock. There are no buildings left, just a sign marking the spot. I was able to see and photograph a Bald Eagle at the sight though.

The next series of shots are from Dewey, SD. Dewey lies a little further north up the Cheyenne River along the railroad line. The internet told me that Dewey was a ghost town, but I found out that wasn't completely true as there are one or two inhabited houses in what used to be the town. There are, however, several abandoned buildings including a school and a church, so I guess it could be considered a "near" ghost town.

The next two photos are of Ardmore, SD. This town lies south of Edgemont very near the Nebraska state line. I arrived just before sunset and it was eerie. It was almost like every inhabitant just up and left sometime in the 1980s and left everything as is. The only activity I witnessed was two trains rolling through just fifteen minutes apart.

I tried to visit a few more sights in the Black Hills area, but I couldn't find one and the other was only accessible via snowmobile. So I next went up to the Short Pine Hills area of northwestern SD to find Harding, SD. On my way there, I was able to capture this magnificent Golden Eagle in flight.

Here is a shot of downtown Harding. Just as I snapped this shot a gentleman arrived in his pick-up and I asked if this was indeed Harding and he told me "You are smack dab in the middle of it." We chatted for a few minutes. He was the only resident and owned everything on his side of the road. I didn't stay to much longer to explore as the day was getting late and I had a couple more hours to drive that night to get home.

The next two shots are of Huseboe or Lightcap, SD at dawn. Apparently it was originally called Huseboe due to who owned the store, then changed names when some of the buildings were bought by a man with the last name of Lightcap. There is only one building still standing on the town site now. When I was a kid I seem to remember three standing. There are remains of at least three other buildings there. Just a quarter mile to the north, the Lightcap schoolhouse still stands as well. My great aunt used to help run the store I'm told. My aunt has also told me she helped at the store one summer when she was a teenager. This site is about 15 miles north of Isabel, SD on highway 65.

The last ghost town I went to investigate was Okobojo which lies northeast of Pierre, SD. I did not shoot any photos there but I was able to spot and shoot a couple photos of this snowy owl that was perched on a round bale. I have not seen a snowy owl in South Dakota before, so I was pretty pumped to see this one.

Another Year Passes

2011-12-31T20:29:00.000-08:00

A shot taken at the Sioux Empire Fair in August.

With 2011 coming to a close, I thought it would be a good time to add some of my favorite photos that I had not posted yet. I also thought that since I did not get Christmas cards out this year, I could use this blog as a quick update on my year. Don't worry, I'll try to be brief.

2011 was the "year of photography" for me as a lot of really cool things happened because of this hobby of mine. First of all, I had the honor of working more and more with the good folks at South Dakota Magazine in both contributing to the magazine itself as well as writing an e-column twice a month starting in August. It has been a fun challenge to not only get better at photography (so I had some decent photos to share), but also try to get better at writing with a purpose in mind. If you are interested in seeing the ten columns I have produced so far, here is a link that will list them all for you:

http://southdakotamagazine.com/article?articleAuthor=christian+begeman

This year, I had two more photos make the "Daily Dozen" at National Geographic's "yourshot" web page. They've also added two of my photos to the National Geographic stock site, so that is kind of fun. I also created a photo book in honor of my hometown's centennial. During the centennial itself, I spent three days with the wagon train documenting the journey across the plains west of town and then creating DVDs of the experience. Some of the footage was noticed by South Dakota State University's advertising agency and they are now using it in SDSU's advertising campaign.

I also changed roles at my day job at Midcontinent Communications this spring and am now "Special Projects Coordinator." It basically means I get to edit and shoot more photos and video for the company itself. It has been a nice change and I think I'm finally starting to settle into the role a bit better.

I've also been able to create a few time lapse videos this year that have gained some nice attention on the web with many views from all over the world. The UND Hockey piece called "Border War" that I created in February has almost 10,000 plays last I checked. For a full list of videos I've created you can check out my Vimeo page here:

http://vimeo.com/user3508912/videos

The year has not been without sadness and some trials. One of those was losing my uncle (artist Jack Reich) this year. He and his work has always inspired me to be a better photographer.

As I look back on the year, it's hard to believe that so much has happened and that my shutter has fired so many times. I wouldn't have it any other way as the majority of the time there is scene in front of the lens that shows off the Creator's wondrous work. God is good, all the time. I appreciate you stopping by and checking out my work, feel free to comment or contact me as I'd love to hear from you. Click on the images for a larger file to view and Happy New Year!

A monarch butterfly found unexpectedly (while working on a different project) in Duel County in late August.

This double rainbow was the result of a windstorm coupled with a fast moving rain shower near Vivian, SD in October.

The last light of the setting sun turned the grass in this grove of trees a beautiful shade of orange just north of Lake Vermillion. Taken in November.

Sunrise in the Badlands on Thanksgiving Day morning.

One of my best shots of elk ever. This was early morning in Wind Cave National Park in late December.

A light snowfall adds an interesting background to this bald eagle perched along the park road at the border of Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park.

A couple Sioux Falls holiday light icons in the same shot. KELO's tv tower and the giant evergreen on Minnesota avenue.

West River Highlights - December 2011

2011-12-29T19:43:00.000-08:00

A group of mule deer south of Midland, SD

I was able to take some vacation time right before Christmas this year. I borrowed a long lens from a friend at work and went on a quest for western South Dakota wildlife, ghost towns and to just simply wander on some back roads. This post will give you a general overview on some of the sights I was able to see. I'll follow up in a day or two with another post on the ghost town quest. In the meantime, enjoy the photos (click on each image for a larger file to view) and thanks for stopping by!

A new view of the Badlands (at least for me) as I approached the park on the White River gravel road that you take a few miles south of Kadoka. Great scenery along this road. I wish I would have known about it a lot sooner than now!

A couple shots of a nice mule buck that crossed road in the Badlands right in front of me. This was near the Bigfoot Pass viewpoint I believe.

Here are a few shots of sunrise at Wind Cave National Park. At first light, the coyotes began to call each other from opposite ridges. It was really quite something to listen to.

The color from the early morning clouds gave a unique hue to this shot of a grazing elk in Wind Cave National Park.

I stayed in a cabin at Game Lodge area of Custer State Park. I was the only one there for three nights. Solitude is bliss. Here is a two hour exposure of the stars wheeling around the North Star just 50 yards behind the cabin I stayed in.

After my stay in the hills I traveled north towards the Slim Buttes and Short Pine Hills area of northwestern SD. The day was overcast with occasional heavy snow flurries. The photo below is haystack butte in Butte county and it reminded me of the paintings my late uncle Jack Reich would paint. I swear this exact scene is in one of his paintings. I just can't remember which.

I had never been to the Short Pine Hills before so the below photos are my first views of the Eastern portion. The highest point is called Moreau Peak. I grew up along the Moreau River further west of these hills. In fact, the southern branch of the Moreau River originates in these hills if I read the map correctly.

Here is a shot of the West Pine Hills.

Looking back to the East Pine Hills from the road that goes through the ghost town of Harding, SD.

Here is a shot of one of my favorite views of the Moreau River. The bend in river to the right contained our "fishing hole" that my brothers and I spent time in search of catfish as well as other things.

Another lovely west river sunset just south and east of Isabel, SD at an abandoned farmstead.

I saved my favorite for last. This is a shot of the sunset on Christmas Day out near Thunder Butte. It was an amazing show. I need to take more vacation time like this!

Dakota Marker 2011 Project

2011-11-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

My latest time lapse project was the Dakota Marker football game held at Coughlin Alumni Stadium in Brookings, SD on October 22nd. I had four cameras working throughout the day. I also tried some super slo-mo shots in this piece. I'm happy with how it turned out and hopefully you will enjoy it as well. Thanks for stopping by.

Isabel Centennial Wagon Train - Day 3

2011-10-16T22:16:00.001-07:00

Thursday, August 4th we waited to leave later in the day in order to get to town in the afternoon. So I spent a good chunk of the morning wildflower hunting in Firesteel creek near camp. The first five images below are some of what I found.

Back on the trail.

I thought this was in interesting image of the prairie grass bent in a new trail after all the wagons had passed over.

Finally here is a short video of the wagon train in motion. I created DVDs of the event so feel free to contact me if you are interested in ordering. Thanks for viewing!

Isabel Centennial Wagon Train - Day 2

2011-10-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning, August 3rd saw me up with the sun to take this multiple image panoramic of the beautiful and rugged prairie. Click on the image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

Getting the horses hitched and ready.

Views from along the trail.

I added a tilt-shift effect on this one to give it a unique look.

Circling the wagons at the end of the day's ride.

Isabel Centennial Wagon Train - Day 1

2011-10-16T21:55:00.001-07:00

The first of August was my hometown of Isabel, SD's 100th birthday. As part of the centennial celebration, a three day wagon train ride was organized to commemorate the days of the pioneers. I was asked to document the event with photos and video. I wanted to share some of my favorite images from the ride in this post and few more to follow. Click on an image for a larger file to view and enjoy!

We started about thirty miles north and west of town at a ranch nestled under the south butte of the twin butte area. The first two photos below are the rocks and view from the butte.

Making coffee the cowboy way.

Sunflowers along the trail.

I rendered some of the images black and white for a historic, timeless feel.

Tuesday night camping out under the Milky Way. I pitched my tent a little ways away from the rest of camp in order to work on some star photography. It was a gorgeous night for star gazing. There isn't much light pollution out in God's Country!

Finding Fall Color

2011-10-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

A tree belt in Duel County at the height of Autumn color.

I really wanted to go to the north shore of Lake Superior this fall to seek out and photograph fall colors. I was not able to do that so I did the next best thing and traveled up and down the east side of South Dakota to find some fall colors a little closer to home. Here are my best shots from a full day Sunday and Monday evening, October 2nd and 3rd. Enjoy!

A couple shots of a creek in Grant County.

A couple shots of large, majestic cottonwood at Hartford Beach State Park on the shores of Big Stone Lake.

Sumac leaves on the hills above Big Stone Lake.

A fisherman casts into Big Stone Lake with the colorful hillside as a backdrop.

The last three photos were taken at Palisades State Park near Garretson, SD.

Autumn along the James River

2011-10-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

I happened to find myself with some free time in the Mitchell area late yesterday afternoon so I decided to explore the fall colors along the James River valley north of town. Here are some views I found along the way. The river valley is still flooded. It was weird to see so much water this late in the year. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

A gravel road on the east side of the James just north of Mitchell.

Fall colors just east of Forestburg.

A dirt road in Sanborn county, south of Forestburg.

The trees along the edge of the James just south of Forestburg. I like the contrast of the the dark, seemingly dead trees at the bottom with the blazing autumn colors above.

This tree reminded me of the Ents in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books (and movie).

A view of the James River.

Fall color in a shelter belt north of Forestburg.

My favorite of the evening. Late light accentuates the warmth of this peaceful SD scene.

Sunset on the Edge of Town

2011-09-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

Friday evening provided all the right ingredients for another special South Dakota sunset. I noticed that it could be a great one about 15 minutes before the sun set so I had to hustle out to the edge of town (Sioux Falls, SD) to find a suitable scene. I was really only looking for a piece of open grass but in finding that, I also found a nice old white barn. The photos below track how the light changed over the course of about 15 to 20 minutes. It was one of the better sunsets of the year in my opinion. Click on the image for a larger file to view and enjoy!

Crystal Springs Ranch Rodeo 2011

2011-09-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

This year has been one of the busiest and most rewarding of my photography journey. As I glance at this blog, however, I notice that I haven't been real good at posting much lately. Well that changes tonight as I attempt to get caught up.

In late June, my co-worker and friend Tigh Lessman, and I shot thousands of photos over three nights at Crystal Springs Ranch Rodeo for a time lapse project. It was a great experience. The video we came up with below will be used for Crystal Spring's website. Check it, let me know what you think and thanks for dropping by:

Summer's End

2011-08-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

Black Samson otherwise known as "wild purple cone flower" gracing the grasslands of Wind Cave National Park.

Where did the summer go? All of the sudden August is winding down. It has been a good, but extremely busy summer for me. This post features some new photos that I have not added to this blog before but many of them are in my new photo book called "Take Me Home." See the link in the upper right hand of the page and thanks for stopping by!

An Eastern Tiger swallowtail on a thistle blossom.

A rambunctious buffalo calf plays on the hillsides of Custer State Park.

A Wind Cave National Park prairie dog calmly munched a blade of grass as I took its portrait.

This beautiful patch of harebell flowers were swaying in the wind on the southern border of Wind Cave National Park just north of Hot Springs, SD in early July.

A wild wood lily found under the pines of a Custer State Park hillside.

Wild daisy amongst blooming flax south between Deadwood and Spearfish Canyon.

A close up shot of the flax flower.

Some of my favorite sunsets from July are below. The last being a thundercloud northeast of Sioux Falls as the setting sun lit it with its last beams of the day.

Stormy Skies

2011-07-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

This thunderstorm brought wind, rain and small hail to the Hermosa, SD area in late June.

I've always been fascinated with thunderstorms. I like the light show, I like the sound of rolling thunder and I like the smell of rain. This post is dedicated to my best storm shots of June and July of 2011 in South Dakota. Click on an image for a larger file to view and enjoy!

This is the same storm above but as it appeared roughly an hour later as it approached the western edge of the Badlands.

The next two shots are also the same storm. The sun was setting as it passed through the badlands and the light was eerie and incredible. It was strange as usually when the sun sets the colors go from yellow to orange to pinks and purples, but because of the low light shining through the rain and storm clouds, it happened the opposite way this time. It was reddish, pink early then turned to yellows and oranges as the storm continued east.

On July 4th, my brother took me to this rather photogenic unused barn on his ranch near Selby, SD. There were storms building in the area as the sun set making for dramatic skies.

I like this simple shot of green fields, cattle on the hills and rain clouds in the sky.

As we shot off our fireworks, the lightning show in the distance provided a natural light show as well. It was a really good and memorable 4th this year. Thanks to my brother's family for putting up with me.

The last couple evenings have seen storms roll through the Sioux Falls area. The three shots below are the results of me trying to capture them. The first two shots were taken south of Hartford not to far from the Wall Lake junction and the last photo is I-90 just a couple miles from the northwest edge of Sioux Falls.

Scenes from West River

2011-07-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

I was driving a back road west of the Slim Buttes in Northwestern South Dakota late in the day and I couldn't figure out why this owl was flying a few fence posts ahead of me then stopping and waiting for me to drive up to it. Owls are usually very shy and avoid people. Because the road was washed out I had to turn around and drive back and it wasn't until then that I discovered there was a young fledgling owl just learning to fly along the side of the road. I'm glad I didn't drive over it and I'm glad I had the chance to photograph it's parent as well!

Below are some more random scenes from a very green and lovely Western South Dakota this year. All the snowmelt and rain that has caused so many issues along the river systems has also filled up dams and made the grass grow for the ranchers. Plus it makes for some real nice scenery. As always click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in.

The Moreau River breaks. All the water has accelerated the erosion of the hillsides.

One of the castle formations at Slim Buttes.

A Western Wallflower with Thunder Butte in the distance.

Blue skies and green grass. A South Dakota rancher's dream.

I believe this is white milkwort flowering but I may be wrong.

Yellow Goatsbeard before it goes into it's gigantic dandelion mode.

Three horses near the Moreau River.

I'm not sure what kind of bird this little guy was but he was about to feast on grasshopper.

Prairie windmill west of the Slim Buttes.

The Moreau with pretty high water for the 3rd of July.

A hayfield in river valley. It is a good year for making hay!

Hidden Beauty

2011-07-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post some of my latest macro shots for you. I really love that lens. Being able to get in and close to the little things is a real eye opener... There is real and definite beauty in the tiny and hidden things. These first three shots were taken on an extremely dewy morning at Lake Isabel. The low sunlight interacting with the droplets was really quite magical. I was soaked by the time I was done, but it was well worth it! As always, click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by!

A shot was taken in on one of the hillside trails of the Big Sioux recreation area near Brandon. I believe the flower is called Arnica.

This orange moth was also taken at the Big Sioux Rec. Area. I was surprised the critter let me get as close as he did, but it was a cool evening and that means insects, bugs and the like are a lot less active. So it really is a good time to photograph them if you can find them.

So this may not be a very "pretty" picture, but it is fascinating to me nonetheless. I was out in the Moreau River hills in mid June looking for blooming cactus and just happened to notice this dung beetle being attacked by red-headed thatching ants on a rock face. All of the beetle's legs had an ant attached and they were pulling the legs taught. The beetle could not move. I wanted to stay and see the drama unfold, but the foraging ants quickly found me and were soon up to my knee. I quickly vacated the area.

Two photos of some prairie roses in bloom in the ditch of Cherry Creek road near the Cheyenne River in west-central SD.

Globe Mallow.

I believe this is called "blue-eyed grass." It was taken in the Slim Buttes area of northwestern SD.

I did find prickly pear cactus in bloom on the Cheyenne River Hills near the Foster Bay area. I was amazed by the color variety. One cactus had three different blossoms on it. Below you can see a few of the color variations as well as what lies inside the blossom.

June Sunsets

2011-06-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

You can't beat South Dakota for amazing sunsets. This June was no exception. Here are a couple of the scenes I was able to capture this month. Enjoy!

The 3 shots below were all taken on the same night in early June in roughly the same area. This is Skunk Creek before it hits Sioux Falls just east of the Ellis area. Watching the colors evolve and trying to capture them is both fun and challenging. In hindsight, I wish I would have stayed in my first location throughout the evening but impatience was my downfall... I kept thinking the sunset was over and then the sky would change color again. Live and learn!

I hiked the "Hall of Giants" trail at the Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon and was able to capture this late day sunburst through the branches of one of the giant cottonwoods along the path.

One of the more breathtaking sunsets of the month happened just on the south boundary of Fort Pierre National Grasslands. As I was driving I had a hunch that the clouds and sun would put on a show so I hustled to an abandoned farm house I had noted on an earlier trip to get this shot. It is made up of 3 images bracketed and merged in photoshop in order to get detail in the clouds and building.

As good as the sunset was above, I really think the next night's was even better. I was driving away from the Slim Buttes in northwestern SD when the sky starting popping. I was lucky enough to drive by this prairie pothole filled with absolutely still water for an amazing mirror effect. I love how the colors change in just a few minutes time. I can't decide if I like the orange-red or purple-pink version better.

The Lifting Fog

2011-06-30T17:33:00.001-07:00

A layer of fog hovers over the Moreau River Valley before the sun rises on an early June morning.

Earlier this month I was out before the sun came up (see previous post on stargazing) on one of the colder nights in June on record in North Central SD. My vehicle's thermometer dropped to 40 degrees at one point and I heard that Pierre got down to 38. The cold air caused all the warmer wet air above any body of water to hang low in the form of fog. I really like fog as it creates an aura of mystery and suspense in photographs. Here are some shots I was able to get that morning. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for looking.

Looking northeast across highway 65 towards Isabel, SD

A few miles north of Isabel, SD

Lake Isabel just before sunup.

Spring Stargazing

2011-06-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

The milky way shines bright above a prairie windmill near Isabel, SD.

Recently I've tried really hard to capture one of the coolest things you can see in our night sky; the milky way. It is elusive to see anywhere where this light pollution, the moon showing or clouds... all of which are present near Sioux Falls in springtime. I was, however, able to get out and any from the city lights a couple times over the last month to capture the few images posted here. If you like these then you have to see what photographer Randy Halverson in Kennebec, SD has done. He has put together a time lapse video of the milky way moving through the night sky in various locations. It really is amazing and worth a look (or two). Check out his website here: dakotalapse.com

The milky way over Lake Vermillion.

Another shot with the same windmill as above but a little further away.

This is an hour and a half exposure looking north over the abandoned Lightcap school building about 10 or 12 miles north of Isabel SD. The moon was nearly full that night and lit the land as if it was day with that long exposure.

Finally a shot of my hometown, Isabel SD as an evening thunderstorm moved east towards the Missouri River and Lake Oahe. No stars in the shot but if you've ever watched a thunderstorm at night on a South Dakota horizon, then you can appreciate this photo. In my opinion, it is more entertaining than watching prime time television!

Evening in Sioux Falls

2011-06-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Looking north from the top of a downtown Sioux Falls parking ramp Sunday evening, June 26th after storm clouds had passed.

I have been experimenting with bracketing exposures lately and manually merging them in photoshop to create some HDR images. HDR means High Dynamic Resolution and basically the idea is to try to recreate as much detail in the shadows and highlights of the scene as possible. The human eye sees a lot more detail in any given scene than a camera can accurately expose for, so what I do is take a 3 images in a row about 2 stops apart. This allows me to get good detail in the bright areas as well as the shadows. Then in photoshop I can merge these images to recreate something closer to what our eyes see. It's pretty fun and addicting especially at sunset or twilight when there are cool things going on in the sky. Here are some of my experimentations from various scenes in downtown Sioux Falls during the month of June. Click on an image for a larger file to view and enjoy!

The view from Turner Field

2011-06-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

While in Atlanta (see previous post) I took my wide angle camera to try and get some cool stadium shots for my friend. Saturday night was a beautiful night for baseball with an amazing sunset so I was really happy with what I was able to get. Here are my favorite shots ranging from no touch up to stitched together panoramics and faux tilt shift effects. Click on the image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by!

OK, so look at the skyline in the photo above. We stayed in the circular skyscraper which happens to be a Westin hotel that is 70 plus stories. They have a restaurant at the top that rotates. Below is a night view of downtown Atlanta from that restaurant. Sorry for the glare and reflection of me in the night sky. Photoshop could fix it, but it would be a lot of work that I'm not up to tonight.

Reds and Braves 2011

2011-06-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Brandon Phillips flashing his smile during an interview before the Reds - Braves game on May 28th, 2011

A friend of mine from work and I decided to go to Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend to catch our favorite teams play each other live and in person. We had great seats both nights so I was able to get some interesting shots. This post has some of my favorites for you. Click on an image for a larger file to view and enjoy!

Brandon Phillips before the game.

You can see a mic on his jersey lapel. I wonder if he was mic-ed up for the whole game?

Bronson Aroyrro pitching.

Edgar Renteria with a nice over the shoulder catch of a bloop hit to shallow left field.

ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball crew was there to do the game on Sunday night. It was fun to see their set-up and watch the crew interact when the cameras were not live.

Soon to be Hall of Famer Barry Larkin - former Red great. Very cool to see him live and in person.

John Kruk with the make-up. Poor guy was sweating away in the Atlanta heat.

Someone needs to create some fun captions for this shot. Got anything good? If so, let me know and I'll send it to ESPN!

Joey Votto dives back into 1st base during the game.

Brandon Phillips making it look easy at 2nd base.

Votto gets in safe at 2nd. I like how Brave's shortstop Alex Gonzalas is in the air to save a bad throw.

A really nice catch and near collision in shallow center/right field by the Brave's center fielder.

May Miscellany

2011-05-26T20:35:00.001-07:00

This hour long exposure on a very dark, starry evening at Oakwood Lake State Park illustrates the earth's rotation by showing star trails around Polaris, or the North Star. The cabin is the historic "Ole Mortimer's Cabin" that sits within the park which is near Bruce, SD.

May is nearly over and I wanted to share some of the images that I've captured that don't really fit into any other category other than I shot them all in May. Click on each image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by!

Last weekend was open house at the state parks in South Dakota with free fishing and no entrance fees. A father was taking his kids on sailboat rides at Oakwood Lake state park and I really liked the clouds in the background so I captured a few images. A very peaceful scene.

It had rained earlier in the day and I stumbled across an interesting plant. I thought the pattern, texture and vivid green was striking with the added rain droplets.

Here is a shot of the Big Sioux River (looking North) taken from the Highway 34 bridge east of Egan, SD. I dug out some old techniques in Photoshop tonight to get a "faux" infrared black and white look for it. When done right, there is just something really striking about infrared photography that I love!

On my travels this month I came upon this old Tom turkey that was slowly crossing the road and showing off for his hens. Usually these guys are skittish and run like crazy around humans but this one was strutting his stuff, puffing his feathers and gobbling away. Unfortunately it was late in the day and he was in the shadows of a tree belt and walking away from me so I didn't get the shots I would have liked, but still fun to see anyway.

Spring Sunsets

2011-05-26T20:13:00.001-07:00

A long exposure smoothed the choppy, windblown waters of Lake Hanson, near Alexandria, SD earlier this month. I really liked how the piece of driftwood was weathered and colored by the last light of the day.

There have been a lot of clouds and rain this May in Eastern SD. Typically that doesn't mean there are a lot of opportunities for seeing the sun late in the evening, which is one of the things I enjoy doing the most in photography... That is trying to capture that magic light at twilight time. I've learned to watch the sky a few hours before sunset to see how it is shaping up as well as keep a camera always handy and ready in my vehicle when out and about. So, here are my best offereings from 3 different nights this may. Click on each image for a larger file to view and enjoy!

On the same evening as the above driftwood shot, I happened to notice one of the larger snapping turtles I have ever seen in the wild lumbering away from the water. Naturally I went and introduced myself (it is not very often that wildlife moves slower than I do). The turtle was shy but did allow me to use it as foreground in this shot of the colors of the western sky after the sun had set.

The next two shots were taken north of Montrose, SD last week. I really liked the old barn set against the colored clouds lit by the sun that had already sunk below the horizon.

This was from last night just a few miles north west of Sioux Falls very near Crook's SD. All three shots are taken from roughly the same location. The first looking South and a little East. The middle shot looking West and and little North. The last shot was taken a little later in the evening with a telephoto lens pretty much looking the same direction as the middle shot. The church that is silhouetted in against the sky is Benson Lutheran I believe.

Chasing A Rainbow

2011-05-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

I posted a shot on facebook of a double rainbow that I happened across over the weekend and figured I better dedicate a post to it on my photo blog for those of you interested in seeing more pics and hearing the story... so here goes:

I'm driving south on some county roads on Saturday evening and a few miles south of the small town of Oldham, SD I see one of the brightest rainbow legs I have ever seen. The clouds and rain were just leaving as the sun happened to be breaking through in the west. Naturally I stopped to get a shot... that first shot is below. You can see the rain in the upper left. (Click on each image for a larger file to view.)

I hop back in my vehicle and continue down the road. Somewhere near the county line of Kingsbury and Lake counties I see that the rainbow is getting bigger and taking shape. So I stop at a slough, rush to the edge of the road and scare a couple muskrats half to death as I try to frame up the shot. (Actually they scared me half to death as they loudly made their presence known when they left the shore and re-entered the water.)

Anyway, the shot below shows the rainbow forming. I almost like this shot better than the full double rainbow below it. I could tell I was standing under one of the "godlight shafts" that you sometimes see coming out of clouds like rays of light from heaven. It is tough to describe seeing it all unfold before your eyes and right there in front of you in living color. Overwhelming, humbling and thankful are a few words that come to mind. No photo does the real experience justice.

Full on double rainbow. What does it mean? Well it means to me that God makes promises that He keeps and He is good... all the time.

Soon the rainbow began to dissapate and so I headed back down the road. About 15 minutes later, the rainbow re-appeared at the back end of another fairly large rain cloud as the sun was very low and near setting. I stopped to get the shot below and tried to frame up the rainbow leg over a farm's prairie windmill.

Another 10 minutes down the road and I got another full rainbow. The last light of the sun gave a whole other mood to this one. Quite beautiful. You can see the shadow of my CRV in the field. It was still raining big drops so I had to shoot out of the window. Two full rainbows in the same evening. That is South Dakota in spring for you. Pretty cool!

Rooting for the Redlegs

2011-05-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

Brandon Phillips avoids Albert Pujols slide while attempting to turn a double play late in the game on Sunday afternoon.

I attended a conference in Louisville last Thursday and Friday and decided to drive up to Cincinnati for the last two games of the Reds vs Cards three game series. 1st place in the National League Central was on the line and I was lucky enough to see the Reds complete the sweep and move from 2nd to 1st. Here are a collection of some of my favorite shots from the weekend. Click on the image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

I had nosebleed seats for Saturday afternoon so I could get the full ballpark perspective. The shot below is after Brandon Phillips homered early in the game and the place erupted.

This was shot later in the game... I think the top of the 8th inning actually. I added a tilt shift effect to give the shot a unique look.

Sunday afternoon was rainy and I was worried they wouldn't play. I had great seats just beyond the dugout on the first base side. I brought my long lens to see what kind of action shots I could get. I used a makeshift gift bag to cover my camera... Below is a shot of Red's starting pitcher Travis Wood.

Reigning NL MVP Joey Votto gets a single early in the game.

The two best first basemen in the league.

Scott Rolen flashes his gold glove and makes the throw to first for the inning ending out.

Ramon Hernandez hits a solo home run. Look by the head of the lady in the black coat and white hat to see the ball leaving the bat.

Paul Janish lays done a beauty of a bunt.

The Cards walked Joey Votto to load the bases in front of Brandon Phillips late in the game and he made them pay with a double to right.

Jay Bruce followed with a double of his own to break the game open.

Chris Heisey adds a homer in the 8th inning. You can see the ball if you look above and to the left of the Cardinals coach in the dugout.

Aroldis Chapman. The man who throws the hardest in the league. Cool to see him pitch, but he was wild and only topped out at 1oomph.

Pictures From Home

2011-04-25T19:50:00.001-07:00

Sunset near Isabel, South Dakota.

I was able to visit my hometown over Easter weekend and wanted share a few pictures from Saturday and Sunday. No real theme in this post other than scenes or animals I thought were interesting. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for dropping by.

Saturday evening after supper I went out in search of a beautiful sunset and saw this young Ferruginous Hawk on an old telephone pole. (At least that is what I think it is as I'm not as good at identifying hawks as I'd like to be.)

I believe this is an American Kestrel... also sometimes called a sparrow hawk.

Prairie grass against a small rain cloud colored by the setting sun.

A view of the great metropolis of Isabel (taken southeast of town and looking northwest.)

I teased my mom that I got a great shot of Isabel's skyline and she said that she would put it in her weekly paper (The Isabel Dakotan)... well here it is and we will see!

A prairie windmill in the waning light of evening.

Star light and the last light from the sun share the sky with the same windmill as above (click on the image to see the stars).

I woke up before the sun on Easter Sunday morning to hike out to a known "Lek." This is a place were male sharp tailed grouse do their mating dance. I did not find any at that particular place but was able to find another lek later in the morning closer to the Moreau River about 10 miles south of Isabel. Unfortunately the birds were skittish and a herd of cows had also frequented the place recently so this is the best shot I could get. (please pardon the cow pies.)

I saw more pheasant back home than any time I can remember. Most roosters were out staking their territory and most ran off when I got close, but a couple (including this one) didn't mind me at all. This guy calmly walked in the ditch as I snapped his portrait.

"I Lead"

2011-04-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

South Dakota's State Flower: The Pasque

Earlier this week when it actually felt like spring outside, I went Pasque hunting and was happy to find some. Here are some of the best shots from the evenings of April 11th and 12th. Most of the shots were taken very near Lake Vermillion Recreation Area south of Montrose, SD and the last two were found on Nature Conservancy land near Wall Lake. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

Here is some interesting info on the flower from www.statesymbolsusa.org: "The pasque flower (or pasqueflower) was designated the official state flower of South Dakota in 1903. Also called the May Day flower, prairie crocus, wind flower, Easter flower and meadow anemone, the pasque is one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring (often before the late winter snows have thawed).

Pasque is a tallgrass prairie flower and grows wild throughout South Dakota. The pasque flower is member of the buttercup family and is highly toxic (pasque flowers were used as a medicine by native Americans for centuries)."

Late light in early Spring

2011-04-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

Warm, yellow light floods cattails north of Colman, SD in early April.

Here are a few photos of South Dakota sunsets in the month of April so far. Click on the image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

Cottonwood and setting sun, also near Colman, SD.

Near the location above but later in the evening.

Power lines just north of Crooks, SD

A windless evening resulted in nearby farmers burning old grass. The diffused smoke gave the otherwise clear sky an orange-yellow cast south of Montrose, SD on the northern border of Lake Vermillion Recreation Area.

Both of these shots were taken west of Dell Rapids, SD on a colorful April evening.

Prairie Spires

2011-03-22T18:38:00.000-07:00

Zion Lutheran Church south of Hartford, SD. Taken in the fall of 2004.

Back in my college days, my route to and from Sioux Falls drove me south of Midland, SD on Highway 63. There is a place on that road that you can see a lone country church on a ridge about a mile away. I always loved that site. I'm not exactly sure why, but I think the scene spoke to my rural roots and heritage. Mix the vast expanse of South Dakota's West River Prairie with a symbol of the faith I was brought up in and it produced a sort of transcending and serene feeling. It's hard to describe really. There is something poetic about this symbol of religious community and gathering standing alone and upright in the midst of nature's immensity.

When I worked for KSFY's news department right out of college, I spent a good deal of time on the back roads of Minnehaha and surrounding counties. I noticed a lot of other picturesque country churches. I've always thought that someone should do a coffee table book on them. They make a great silhouette for South Dakota's colorful sunsets/sunrises, and I think many folks would feel a bit of reverence or maybe even peace seeing well done images of country churches no matter what they believe about God or the church in general. Maybe it's because the beauty of a lone church spire standing strong on the horizon brings to mind all that is good or should be good about the church in general. I could be wrong, but at least that is scratching the surface of how I feel.

I've been seeking out some of these scenes this month and plan on continuing to do so in the future. The image above was taken in 2004 when I first started getting into digital photography. I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to get back to finding and shooting rural churches, but I'm glad I have. One day I plan to get back to that church high on the ridge south of Midland and capture it's beauty against the backdrop of a good old-fashioned prairie thunderstorm. I can't imagine very many scenes more beautiful than that. As always, click on the image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in.

Skresfrud Lutheran Church East of Viborg, SD

The clouds turned red later that same evening.

Immanual Lutheran Church, south of Canova, SD

St. Peter Lutheran Church midway between Madison and Montrose, SD

Changing Seasons

2011-03-21T18:32:00.001-07:00

Three Cottonwoods silhouetted by the fading evening light.

I generally think March is an ugly month for photography. The snow is melting and the drifts look haggard and dirty as the warmth of the oncoming spring slowly melts them away. There are no leaves on the trees and the fields and pastures are still brown and dead from the long winter. That said, those of us that live here in South Dakota know that some of the most amazing sunsets on earth happen in this state, so I resolved to see if I could be a productive photographer in March by seeking out some of these sunsets. This post and the next will show some of my better results. Click on the image for a larger file to view and thanks for looking.

While out seeking sunset scenes, I noticed a bald eagle in the late afternoon light on a Lincoln County back road. Goes to show you won't find anything to photograph if you don't go and out and look for something!

I thought that this small river of ice formed by melt water from a shelter belt was interesting. The re-frozen water really caught the light from the sunset magically.

A prairie windmill near Chancellor later in the same evening as the photos taken above.

Purple Mountain Majesty

2011-03-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Grand Tetons at first light on a cold winter morning in late February.

One of my bucket lists is to visit all 50 United States. I also visited Grand Teton National Park for the first time in my life last fall and fell in love with the scenery. Add those things to me being in Bozeman, MT the last weekend of February, 2011 and you may understand a little more of why I went out of my way to drive southwest from Bozeman into Idaho and back through the west side of the Teton range. It was a long detour but worth every mile as I was able to reach the Grand Teton National Park as the sun sank behind the range creating amazing light. Plus I added Idaho to the list of states I've visited and am now up to 31.

I stayed just outside of Jackson, WY for the evening and beat the sun up to get in place for the first light to hit the mountains the following morning. It was cold, it was windy, but I'm so glad I did as it was also magical. The Grand Tetons are definitely on my short list for favorite places on planet earth! It is a testimony to me of God's creative genius. That said, I would guess that even one who does not believe as I would still stand in awe of the Tetons at first light. Click any image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

The view from atop Teton Pass looking in a northeasterly direction. I think the elevation was around 8,400 feet.

Evening shots of the Teton range with the sun setting behind them.

The Grand Teton capped with wispy clouds.

The next morning was overcast and I was initially disappointed as I thought I wouldn't get a chance to see sun light up the mountains. Much to my delight there was a window of light when the sun was at the horizon and before it got lost behind the higher clouds. The band of light first struck Mount Moran and the northerly part of the mountain range. The photos don't do the scene justice at all. It was amazing.

The Snake River reflects the light from the tall peaks. Now I know what lyric in "America the Beautiful" about purple mountain majesty looks like as I've seen it in person.

A young moose on my way out of the parks.

Coyote Hunt

2011-03-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

While in Wind Cave National Park on February 25th, I happened upon a coyote hunting for lunch. He was in pretty deep snow on a hillside across a ravine from me. I nestled up behind the road's guard rail to stay out of sight as much as possible and captured the photo sequence below. It was amazing to me to watch him patiently listen for his lunch moving under the snow, locate it then pounce only to gulp it down. It was like watching PBS's Nature TV show in real life. Very, very cool. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for looking.

A Coyote Tale

2011-03-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

The winter of 2010-11 has become the “winter of the coyote” for me. Starting in October until recently I have seen more coyotes in the wild than any other time of my life all added together. I know the numbers in upper Midwest are up as the mange sickness that has been affecting the populations has tapered off. I know there is an abundance of food for the coyote to eat as the game bird numbers have increased throughout the state with CRP land, hunting reserves and other conservation programs. But knowing all this doesn’t stop me from being amazed every time I see one. You see, I heard a lot of coyotes growing up in Western South Dakota, but I never saw one until I was in college. A live one anyway… It is sheep and ranch country where I grew up and I heard a lot about ranchers killing coyotes especially around lambing time. I even saw a few dead ones during the winter season when trapping and fur trade was still a viable way to make a quick buck. Actually seeing one alive, however, was hard to do. At least for me… and I spent a lot of time outdoors - fencing, farming, prairie dogging and exploring.

The land west of our home turns to rough river breaks about a mile or so out and my family referred to the area as “out west.” Picture a vast, majestic space of untamed South Dakota, add a vision of a gathering thunderstorm, big antlered mule deer, then add the lonely calls of the coyote at dusk. Now you have an idea of the imagery that the phrase “out west” brings to my mind. So even though coyotes were pretty much a hated animal where I’m from, they still interested me greatly. Maybe it was Wile E. Coyote from Looney Tunes or maybe it was the fact that I heard so much about them but never really saw one that caused this. I really don’t know. Regardless, I still think the coyote is a fine and interesting animal even if they are a disliked pest to many in this state.

OK, let’s get to the story of a recent coyote encounter. The scene is set in Badlands National Park, on a bitter cold morning in late February with a recent heavy snowfall.

Bleary eyed, I leave my hotel from Kadoka in the dark. Half an hour later I’m a little more awake but disappointed in the flat, gray morning. This isn’t good for majestic scenic photo taking.

Oh well, maybe I will see some wildlife, I think as I put on my telephoto lens near the abandoned gates of the park. It looks like a snowplow has been recently through as there is one lane plowed on the park road. I drive on. The first thing I see are a couple of deer off to my left. They are burying their head in the snow, scrounging for grass and breakfast. When they look up at me, their faces are comically framed in snow. Too far away for a decent photo though, so I move on.

What appears to be a golden eagle is circling high above Cedar Pass. Again too far away for a photo… I enjoy the graceful sight though. I make my way through the Bigfoot Pass area and spot a lone coyote to my right. He is moving parallel to me in the deep snow, he sees me but doesn’t appear to be too concerned. There has been no traffic in the park that I’ve seen up to this point, so I stop behind a small hill to conceal myself behind a bit of cover. I get out quietly and hunch over with my camera at the ready to get a better shot of the coyote.

Dang it! I think to myself as the coyote spots my head pop up from behind the little hill. He takes off in a hurry as I snap a few more photos. It doesn’t take long and he’s lost from sight. I hop back into my vehicle and proceed to drive on. I’m happy to see him and get a couple reasonable shots. The morning is looking better and better.

Thirty seconds later, something happens that I still can’t hardly believe.

The road here is slightly up and down with multiple twists and turns. My heart skips a beat as suddenly a gray-brown shape appears not 30 yards in front of me on the road. It is the coyote and he’s running down the road like his tail is on fire. Like an excited school girl hearing the name Justin Bieber, I giggle out loud. It is then that I realize that he’s not getting off the road! He continues to run on ahead of me. After 15 seconds I audibly say, “No way.” and continue to drive. This coyote seems to want to race me! My mind is a state of unsure and competing thoughts… My inner dialogue went something like this:

- Holy crap, should I be chasing him?

- You shouldn’t be chasing him, you might get fined for harassing the wildlife.

- Harassing wildlife?!? What law is that? I should speed up to see how fast he’ll go.

- Are you crazy, do you WANT a fine? (my foot presses down on the accelerator)

- Shut up, there is no one out here but you. If I had a gun, I wonder if I could hit him.

- What is the matter with you?

- I know plenty of ranchers that would love for me to run him over.

- You couldn’t catch him and if you tried you would end up in the ditch or dead yourself.

- True, I wouldn’t want to kill him anyway, but I do have a camera…

- Hello?!?! You are driving here. Both hands on the wheel, please! (my hand reaches for the camera)

- No one is going to believe this, I need to get proof.

- What would your mom say? What kind of example would this be to your nephews?

- I’d be the cool uncle who races coyotes, duh! (snap goes the camera)

- How fast am I going anyway?

- I don’t know because your stupid camera is in my face. I can’t see the speedometer!

- He’s looking back at me like Usain Boldt winning the 100 meters at the Olympics… he’s enjoying this!

- Here comes a curve!

- Whoa, I better slow down… just a couple more pics though (click, click goes the camera)

- You idiot, you now have proof that you were chasing a coyote in the Badlands.

- Whatever… He ran out in front of me. It’s like this is his morning exercise, I’m just giving him a little fun. It’s all good.

- This better not make your photo blog.

- I gotta post this to show off for my work buddies! (click, click)

- Dang, he’s off the road now.

- Amazing, he just ran a half-mile in –9 temperatures and is not even breathing hard. He stopped and is gloating at me. (click, click)

- Cool.

- Yeah, that was very cool… Did that just happen?!? Good thing I had my camera.

- Yeah, good thing!

So there you have it. Mr. Coyote shattered the human half mile world record time with ease and let me follow him while doing it. Amazing! I hope I didn’t break any laws or offend any ranchers or coyote lovers with this story… I just want you all to remember that he was enjoying the morning run just as much as I was. All’s well that ends well, right? And Mr. Wile E. Coyote, he’s still cool… even though I might be a little loony tunes!

Winter's Grip

2011-03-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

Sub-zero temperatures couldn't stop this coyote from hunting in the deep snow late February morning in Badlands National Park.

The last weekend in February, 2011 I traveled to Bozeman, MT to see some good friends and attend a missions conference. I decided to take an extra day off from work so I could make extended detours through the Badlands, Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park on my way to Montana. I hit the Badlands in the morning gloom as the rising sun was hidden behind gray clouds with the air temperature at -7. There had been quite a bit of recent snow and I wasn't expecting to see much wildlife. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find an abundant display of South Dakota's hearty creatures out and about acting like the freezing cold was not a problem. Tough hombres, these animals... it was great day of hanging out with them. Here are some of my best shots of the day. The coyote above will get his own post as he wasn't content with just letting me take his portrait from afar... Look for that soon. In the meantime, click on each image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by!

A group of deer were bedded down at the Buffalo Jump lookout area of the Badlands.

A lone snowplow makes it easier for me to drive through the park on this bitter cold morning.

Custer State Park deer.

This Pronghorn was digging through the snow on the hillside of Custer State Park to find and eat cactus. I had no idea they did that. Makes my lean pocket for lunch look really good!

A young deer at the southern end of Custer State Park. I imagine this one was a newborn last spring.

Chewing on the branch for sustenance.

Wind Cave National Park

Buffalo cow at Wind Cave National Park hanging out by the highway.

Elk on the hills above the Wind Cave Park entrance.

The North Star and Balancing Rock

2011-03-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to share two photos from an rare cloudless night in mid-February out at Palisades State Park, near Garretson, SD. It was an incredible night of star watching by myself in the silent, windless space between the cliffs. I was working on learning star photography as well as star time lapses. Below are a couple of my favorite shots from the night (click on the image for a larger file to view and thanks for looking):

The starry hosts above.

This is a long exposure of the North Star (Polaris) above the Balancing Rock Formation. The light bleeding in is from lights of Garretson, just a few miles to the northeast.

Winter Sunset

2011-02-19T21:15:00.000-08:00

Common reed grass backlit by the setting mid-February sun.

One thing about winter in South Dakota is that there are many opportunities to see some amazing light around sunset and sunrise. Of course, SD is known for great sunsets, but there is something about the winter light that makes them even more interesting. Here are a few shots from a couple of different evenings in the last 10 days or so. Click on the image for a larger file to view and thanks for dropping by.

A stand of cottonwoods lean over a westbound road just north of Ellis, SD.

Tall reed grass below the Lake Vermillion Dam provide interesting silhouettes to the setting sun.

I shot these this evening and I was hoping for a lot of color but only the cloud at the top of the photo was cooperating. On the second photo below I made my way a few feet into the reed grass bed to shoot nearly strait up as the cloud was almost overhead just a few minutes after the first shot and the color was rapidly changing.

Eagles in Winter

2011-02-05T14:01:00.000-08:00

A bald eagle soars above the open water below Fort Randall Dam.

Last year about this time, I literally lucked into a bald eagle photo that made South Dakota Magazine's last issue. So this weekend, I decided to actually seek out the the majestic bird of prey. Years ago when I worked at KSFY, we did a live shot from Fort Randall Dam, near Pickstown, SD and I remembered seeing a bald eagle watching shelter. I also did a little research online and found out that the eagles are quite shy of humans and their roosting areas are very protected (you can be fined considerably for "harassing" the birds). I also learned that they often feed early in the morning and cruise the open water below the dam. Not wanting a fine, I pretty much hung out at the eagle watching area from first light until about 11am and was rewarded with a few "flyover" photo opportunities. I didn't get a chance at many action photos, but I saw a lot of good action through my binoculars. I think the best way to get good bald eagle photos would be a combination of a very long lens, a hide, and a lot of patience and luck. Anyway, below are a few shots from the morning. Not bad for the first try... I guess... Hopefully next time I'll know what I'm doing a bit better. Click on a photo for a larger file to view and thanks for dropping by.

When I woke up there was freezing rain. It was an ice skating rink to get down to the eagle watching area. This shot is the only real color from the sun I saw all morning.

A couple of immature balds and an adult perched just off the tail race area of the dam.

The coolest thing of the morning was when the eagles would come in low over the open water hunting. It didn't happen often but the times they did and got somewhat close, it was a sight to behold!

This adult eagle was in the protected nesting area further down the river. The shot was taken from quite a distance and I cropped the photo so one can see the eagle better. It is important to not disturb the eagles as they need to conserve energy in the winter time. Especially in the long, cold winters we have in South Dakota.

An immature eagle permitted me to take his portrait as I drove by the tail race area on my way home.

Hockey Heaven

2011-01-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

The weekend of January 14-15 saw me in Grand Forks, ND working on my latest time lapse video project. I spent a couple evenings in and around the Ralph Engelstad Arena, which is hockey heaven for supporters of the UND Fighting Sioux Hockey team. The Minnesota Golden Gophers were in town for "Rivalry Weekend" so the place was hopping. I'll be honest, I'm not a huge hockey fan, but the good folks at the "Ralph" sure do put on a show! Below are a couple of shots from the weekend as well as the final video itself. Click on an image for a large file to view and thanks for stopping by.

Pregame zamboni work inside the "Ralph"

During the national anthem, the colors from the digital signs showing the red, white and blue turned the arena into a purplish, pink during this long exposure.

The place erupted after UND's tying goal early in the 3rd period.

The "Ralph" from the outside main entrance.

Border War from Christian Begeman on Vimeo.

Winter Wonders: Hoarfrost and Sundogs

2010-12-27T17:26:00.000-08:00

The weather over Christmas break in West River country was mostly low cloud overcast with some thick fog on Christmas day and and into the evening. The morning of December 26th dawned clear, cold and windy. Luckily the wind wasn't strong enough to knock all the hoarfrost down right away so I had fun getting some images while freezing my tail off. Later in the morning, the wind picked up and the ice crystals that fell from the trees and power lines soon created some of the most pronounced sundogs I have seen. There were nearly full circles around the low hanging sun. The photos don't really do the sight justice, but I tried to capture a few of the best ones I saw over the course of an hour or so. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for dropping by.

A prairie dirt road vanishes into the low, fog on Christmas morning.

Thick hoarfrost adorns a gatepost on the open prairie near Isabel, South Dakota.

An unused barn framed by frosted weeds stands out starkly on the white prairie. Notice the moon in the middle right above the barn's sloping roof.

Just so you get a sense of the true color, here is the original photo of the shot above.

A frosted yucca plant sits high on a ridge overlooking the Moreau River breaks in the distance.

Three sundog photos taken within an hour of each other in different locations. The phenomena was stronger on the higher hills between river valleys.

Winter Wildlife

2010-12-27T16:45:00.001-08:00

Over Christmas break, I was blessed to be able to visit my folks in my hometown of Isabel, South Dakota. While there, I took the opportunity to take some back roads and old familiar trails in order to spot some of the wildlife that the high plains have to offer. I was not disappointed. Countless deer, grouse and pheasant were seen as well as a beautiful golden eagle on two separate occasions. A coyote, a badger, a porcupine, wild turkey and many birds of prey made appearances as well. I wasn't able to get shots of everything I saw as many were out of camera range or hightailing it out of site as soon as they saw me approaching. I was, however, able to capture a few interesting shots that I thought I'd share. Click on each image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

A young buck bounds across the ridgeline and away from me one early morning.

A badger looks back at me as he makes his escape across a high prairie hill.

Grouse hunker down in the weeds on edge of town on Christmas morning.

A local rancher's horse peers through some high and frosted weeds as I stop to take his photo.

I believe this is a "rough-legged" hawk sitting on an old, frosty telephone pole.

As I got closer, Mr. Hawk decided to take flight.

Grouse perched in a small, hoar frost covered tree.

The Battle of Ohio

2010-12-26T20:07:00.000-08:00

My buddy from college (who is a Cleveland Browns fan) and I attended the 75th Battle of Ohio last week. Due to the holiday season, I'm just now getting around to post a few of my favorite shots from the game. Early in the game, it was partly cloudy and when the sun hit the turf, it was great lighting for the field, so I snapped some wide shots and turned them into a panoramic later in photoshop (above) and also added a post tilt-shift effect. Click on each image for a larger file to view.

I shot this for my friend, but all in all, it is the best action shot (in terms of lighting) I got all day.

The next five photos show a pretty cool sequence of Bengal's running back, Brian Leonard catching a pass from Carson Palmer and doing his patented hurdle of a would be tackler. The dude can jump!

Carson Palmer doing his thing.

Chad OchoCinco getting a catch. He was hobbled by bone spurs in an ankle. Didn't play this week so this could have been his last game as a Bengal.

Peyton Hillis for Cleveland is a monster. Cincy's D contained him pretty well though.

Snowflakes and Holiday Lights

2010-12-06T17:04:00.000-08:00

I used my macro lens on Sunday morning to capture a few snowflakes hanging out on the front of my grill before the sun came out from behind the clouds to melt them. Above is color tinted for effect and below is the original. Click on the image for a larger file to view.

I'm also happy to say that I finished my "Holiday Lights" time lapse video project over the weekend. My friend Liz Teel composed some music for the piece for me. I'm thrilled with how it turned out. I hope you like it and Merry Christmas to you this holiday season!

Holiday Lights from Christian Begeman on Vimeo.

Sioux Falls Parade of Lights 2010

2010-11-27T10:40:00.001-08:00

The 2010 Sioux Falls Parade of Lights on Phillips avenue.

Yesterday afternoon and evening my workplace was atop the Schriver Building in downtown Sioux Falls as I continued my latest time lapse project. Thanks to the Downtown Sioux Falls folks for helping me get permissions and allowing me to do this! Here are some of the more interesting photos from the night. Click on the file for a larger image to view and happy holidays!

11th Street as the sun set in the western sky.

Clouds painted by the sunset.

My Canon 7D hard at work throughout the afternoon and evening.

The start of the Jingle Bell Run. A slow shutter turns the runners into a smooth stream of colors and streaks heading north on Phillips Avenue.

Jingle Bell runners with the Schriver Building lights in the foreground.

I believe this was the Catfish Bay parade entry. Those are water skiers all lit up and in pyramids.

More scenes from the parade...

Falls Park Holiday Lighting

2010-11-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

A group of bicyclists decorated with holiday lights makes their way by onlookers prior to the lighting of the "Winter Wonderland" light show at Falls Park in Sioux Falls, SD.

I attended the 8th annual "Lighting of Falls Park" in Sioux Falls yesterday evening. I was on the viewing tower working on a time lapse project. Here are some photos that I was able to get while there. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for looking.

A few shots of the falls in the low light of dusk.

I liked the scene in black and white as the frost from the spray can be made out easier.

A small group of bicyclists decorated in holiday lights road through the park while onlookers awaited the lights of the winter wonderland to be turned on by the mayor.

Falls Park "Winter Wonderland" 2010 (from the observation tower)

Trying To Catch The Stars

2010-11-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

Venus shines bright in the evening sky at Palisades State Park, South Dakota.

Recently I saw some amazing time lapse video of star and night scenes online. So I resolved to see if I could learn how to do it myself. Shooting the night sky is not easy, but it is the first thing I need to learn in this quest. Last evening was fairly clear early on so I drove to Palisades State Park to try my hand at shooting the stars. I got there with about an hour of sunlight left in order to scout locations... the first batch of photos below are some scenes from around the park as the sun set. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

A stand of fuzzy branches backlight by the low sun. I'm not exactly sure of what kind of branch... possibly sumac?

A last vestige of autumn clings tenuously to a branch in the November breeze.

Late sunlight on the King and Queen rock formations.

The half moon would prove to be a bright light to deal with when the stars came out.

Sunset on Split-Rock Creek.

An airplane streaks across the stars.

Flashlight graffiti by yours truly.

I painted the rock with my flashlight for this shot.

The half moon provided enough light to silhoute the rock formations while I was out. Also, note the glow of Sioux Falls and Brandon Valley in the lower right of these shots. They say the best time to shoot the stars is no moon and the best place are far from any cities so the only light you capture is that of the stars.

West River in October

2010-10-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

The sun sets behind the Slim Buttes in Northwest South Dakota.

On my way back from vacationing in Montana and Wyoming, I made some time to drive through some of the old stomping grounds. Here are a few offerings from that time. Thanks to my dad for chauffeuring me on Saturday through the Grand River country. Pretty time of year, even though I missed the peak of autumn in the river and creek bottoms by about a week.

Late light on the Slim Buttes.

Fall color in one of the draws of the Slim Buttes:

This is from Corn Crick within a mile of where I grew up near the Moreau River.

A coyote (in the center of the photo... click on the image for a bigger file to view) on our old river breaks land.

A beautiful 6 point mule buck and an admirer from across a deep draw near the Moreau River.

Moreau River scenes.

The area had some recent early fall rains. Even so, I was surprised with the amount of flowers in bloom on the hills this late in the year.

An abandoned shack near the river breaks.

Dad and I went to Shadehill reservoir to see the Hugh Glass monument. His story is an amazing tale of a bear mauling and cross country crawl to a distant fort in the early 1800s. Google it. It's worth the read.

By the light the quivering Aspen made

2010-10-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

Looking inside an Aspen grove on an early autumn morning in Grand Teton National Park.

Sir Walter Scott was describing a woman in his epic poem "Marmion" when he came up with the line that is the title of this post (near as I can tell anyway). I'm borrowing the phrase to try to help describe the amazing Aspen groves in full fall color I was able to walk in this fall. I hope the old boy wouldn't mind my borrowing of his line. Either way, I thought I'd invite you to step inside the Aspen grove with me and enjoy the scenery. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for looking.

Looking up... Many of the groves had very tall and majestic trees in the them.

This is along the Snake River. I liked the serenity of the lone fly fisherman with the aspen and pine in the background.

I believe this was Jackson Lake near a picnic area.

Pine and Aspen reflected in Jackson Lake.

A superb grove in a small meadow bathed in the early morning light. Something about the scene really drew me in. Simple beauty, I guess. That is the best thing I can come up with.

Autumn in the Tetons

2010-10-11T19:17:00.001-07:00

The Grand Teton from Willow Flat viewpoint in Grand Tetons National Park.

Words don't do them justice so I won't write any... well... other than telling you where and what you are looking at. These selections are from two different days in late September with blue skies and absolutely beautiful fall weather in one of the more stunning mountain ranges in the lower 48 states! Click on an image for a larger file to view and enjoy!

A wooden fence near the Historic Cunningham Cabin provides foreground to the Teton Range.

The cabin with the Grand Teton in the distance.

Through one of the open windows... nice view for a ramshackle cabin!

Another window view.

Through two windows for an interesting illusion of art on the living room wall. I submitted this to National Geographic's "Your Shot" and it made the daily dozen for October 6th. So now it has an outside chance of making November's issue. Link for the daily dozen is here: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/your-shot

Grand Teton and her sister peaks with the Snake River valley in the foreground.

Mount Moran reflecting in Jackson Lake.

Mount Moran from the Oxbow bend viewpoint. This is also the Snake River in the foreground.

I like the panoramic version better.

Mount Moran a little further down the trail with a stunning grove of Aspen in the foreground.

YNP - Wildlife

2010-10-10T07:47:00.001-07:00

An American Bison (Buffalo) moves through the tall grass of Yellowstone National Park's Lamar Valley.

Besides great scenery I also enjoy National Parks for the opportunity to see wildlife. Zoos are fine, but seeing the beast of the field actually on the field doing what they've done for thousands of years is pretty cool in my book. Below are my best efforts to capture the wildlife I saw in YNP and the surrounding area. Click on the image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

Near the original entrance at Gardiner, Montana we saw a small herd of Bighorn Sheep almost immediately. This old boy was kicking up the dust in this photo. He ended up laying down on this spot... so maybe he was just kicking the rocks out of his bed?!?

After stopping to photograph a colorful valley, I was able to capture this coyote as he popped out of some nearby trees with his supper. He crossed the highway and quickly was lost in the lodge pole pine forest on the slopes beyond.

A Redtail Hawk perched on a dead pine tree.

Mother moose and calf in Grand Teton's national park, near the village of Moose. Funny how that works.

A small elk herd near the West entrance (Madison Valley). It was fun to watch the old bull move amongst his harem. All were unwilling for the 15 minutes we watched and he bugled a few times because of it. Very cool to witness in person.

Aspen in the foreground, Bison in distance. Taken in the Lamar Valley of YNP. The day was hazy due to the nearby Antelope forest fire.

A lone coyote hunting in the Lamar Valley bottom.

I'm not sure what kind of rodent this guy is, but someone had left sunflower seeds at a scenic lookout on the Beartooth Mountain highway (on the way out of YNP's Northeast entrance) and he didn't mind getting his photo taken.

A lone buffalo in Hayden Valley of YNP.

My first bear in the wild. This was taken east of Tower Falls in YNP. I saw two black bears but no Grizzleys.

2nd Black Bear a few miles further up the road in the hillside forest.

Buffalo and Aspen in the Lamar Valley of YNP.

This buffalo was ahead of the herd and walked right up to my vehicle... well he would have if I didn't jump in and move out of the way before he got there. Made for some interesting photos though.

YNP - Fire on the Mountain

2010-10-07T19:11:00.001-07:00

The Antelope Fire near Mount Washburn in Yellowstone National Park. This was mid-day and I could see flames from a mile away!

Almost every summer growing up in Western SD, we'd get days of haze. Usually it was late summer, early fall. Word would get around of the fires in the western mountains causing the haze. The big Yellowstone fire in 1987 brought many days of hazy and smoke tinged air to our farm. So it was interesting for me to actually see a similar fire in YNP. I read about it online after I got back and apparently this Antelope fire is/was the biggest fire all year in the park. Below are some shots of it and the effects of the smoke taken over a couple days while I explored near the fire area. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

On the first day near Mount Washburn, the fire didn't seem to be that strong and the smoke stayed low in the valley bottoms. Lamar valley, famous for wildlife, was in a pretty thick haze that day.

White smoke columns was the most activity I could see that first day.

A day and a half later, the nature of the fire changed fairly dramatically. As I drove the same road as before, the first thing I noticed was a darker column of smoke and then I could see flames (first photo) every couple minutes. I think what was happening was when the fire found a new tree it would flame up like a roman candle burning off the dry needles.

The smoke was not settling like the day before so I went back to the Lamar Valley to look for wildlife. What I saw when looking back was pretty amazing. The smoke column blocked the sun and made for an eerie orange/red look across a large swath of the valley.

Later that evening the low sun colored the smoke as it rose above the valley.

At dusk, I went back up Mount Washburn as I wanted to see if I could see/photograph the glow of the fire as night approached. Below are my best efforts.

This sunset was actually taken the first night in the park near Yellowstone Lake near the edge of an old burn in the park. I liked how the silhouetted dead and live trees stood out against the fiery sunset.

YNP - Yellowstone Falls

2010-10-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park.

I ended up visiting the Lower Yellowstone Falls three times during my week in YNP. I still didn't go on all the trails or see all the viewpoints by a long shot. There are trails taking you near the base and also trails taking you to the brink. The amazing thing is that the falls and resulting canyon are so immense and breathtaking that you don't really notice the trails or the people. Late September in full sun is probably not the best time to photograph the falls as they seem to be in constant shadow one way or the other. My best shots are probably when I was there the last time late in the day and the camera was basically looking right into the teeth of the sun. Regardless, the place is spectacular and here are my best efforts to take the the portraits of both the upper and lower falls. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for looking.

The lower falls on my first visit early in the morning. Notice the viewing area right at the brink to the upper right of the falls in the photo. That will give you some perspective on size.

This is looking back at the canyon carved by the river from the Artist's viewpoint. Only the Grand Canyon in Arizona is a more impressive canyon that I've ever witnessed.

The upper falls.

A couple views from Uncle Tom's trail. Starting in 1898 Tom Richardson was one of the first people to construct a trail into the canyon for people to get a better view of the falls. He used rope ladders and wooden steps as well as provided a meal for the day long excursion, all while making a nice profit from each tourist. Luckily there are steel and cement stairs now and as long as you paid to get in the park, the hike is free. I realized on the climb back up just how much of a flatlander I really am though!

The famous view from the Artist's viewpoint.

YNP - Geothermal Wonderland

2010-10-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

Old Faithful in late afternoon. This was my first time seeing her go live and in person.

Yellowstone National Park... what a place! I knew it was a geothermal area as much of the park sits on a massive caldera from an old supervolcano, however knowing and experiencing are two very different things. Seeing the geysers, smelling the sulfur, hearing the mud pots and feeling the heat from the steam made for an all encompassing experience indeed. I also enjoyed the surprising color mixed in the seemingly colorless dead zones around the geothermal sites. Below are a few photos and brief explanations for you. Click on the image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

A dead tree on the edge of Mammoth Hot Springs. In the distance you can see some yellow of a boiling pool. Certain colorful bacteria thrive in the scalding water.

A stream of hot water flows into the Mammoth Falls formation. Standing over this site on the boardwalk, you could feel the waves of heat rising from the water.

Close-up of the mineral and bacteria formations in the stream.

This is one of many geyser basins you will find in the park. Behind me in this shot are mud pots where the mud bubbles and boils... from a distance the sound reminded me of a dryer going with a pair of shoes in it.

Some close ups of the mud pots.

This stream from the hot springs area had green tendrils of something attached to branches and what not. I though the color and texture was cool.

This geyser was called the "Spasmodic Geyser" if I remember right. It never stopped gurgling for the 10 minutes I was checking it out.

I'm not sure the technical term for these pools, but I like to call them "blue holes" as the steaming water is a unique blue and the pools look very deep.

Some more colorful formations forming on the edge of the "blue hole" above.

I was able to see Old Faithful erupt twice as we stayed around the area to check out the museum and historic lodge in between eruptions. This shot below is the very end of the first eruption I witnessed.

The next two shots were taken in early evening with the sun going down behind the mountains. I really liked the dramatic lighting with the late sun only striking the top of the geyser. Old Faithful is a "must see" as far as I'm concerned. Very cool stuff.

Mountain Majesty

2010-10-04T19:45:00.001-07:00

A side view of the Teton Range with the edge of Jackson Lake in the foreground.

I'm pretty much a flatlander. High mountains, deep valleys, craggy canyons and rugged forests are foreign to me. Nevertheless, I love 'em. I can't get enough of the varied landscape, wildlife, rivers, streams and... the just plain vastness. It is humbling, it is refreshing, it is almost spiritual.

I took a fall vacation this year to the mountains. For the first time in my life I traveled to Montana. For the first time in my life I entered Yellowstone National Park and then south to the Grand Tetons. I'm not sure why I waited so long.

I learned some important things in the mountains. I learned that photos don't do them justice by a long shot. You have to experience them with all your senses. You have to smell the pine mixed with sulfur in Yellowstone... or the smell of the distant forest fire. You have to hear the coyote cry or the bull elk bugle through the canyons. You have to feel the crisp, cold air in the morning or the hot waves of energy rolling off the steam vents and geysers. You have to feel your heart begin to race as you see your first wild bear in the wilderness and then stand humbled before the roar of a waterfall that gashes the valley floor into the jaw dropping Yellowstone Canyon.

Pictures won't do it. I overheard a fellow tourist take a shot and say to his friend, "I can't wait to see that on my big screen." Hmmm... Right then and there I thought to myself... This IS the big screen... it doesn't get better than being here and experiencing it, does it? Then why am I so worried about "getting the shot"?

That is when I re-realized that photos are great and fun to do, but not really why I go on these trips. I go to be amazed, to be humbled, to sense, to feel, to see, and to hear the awesomeness that is God's creation. Being in the mountains I can feel what the Psalmist meant when he wrote "The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the rivers." Psalms 24 1-2.

So I took less photos and just looked more... the vacation became more about the experience than getting the photo. I had to relearn the importance of that this week of vacation. It is a good lesson for me. Over my travels last week I saw or traveled through no less than 7 different Montana and Wyoming mountain ranges. Here is a list for those of you counting: The Bridgers, the Gallatins, The Madisons, The Absorakas, The Tetons, the Beartooths and the Bighorns. I saw the Crazies from a distance so I'm not counting them. I love that name though... I think I might fit in those mountains just fine. Not sure when I'll return, but I hope I don't wait another 37 years to do it. The mountains are calling me back. The forests are beckoning. When I walk there I can feel God smiling down.

Below are a few shots from the different ranges. I'll post more on Yellowstone and the Tetons in later posts. In the meantime, click on the image for a larger file to view and thanks for looking.

A waterfall in the Gallatin range of Southern Montana.

The Grand Tetons with the Snake River in the foreground.

The rugged Grand Teton itself.

Quake Lake (or Earthquake Lake) in the Madisons... this lake was formed after an earthquake and massive landslide dammed the Madison River in the late 50s. Amazing story. Google it!

Looking back into the Beartooth's after driving out of the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone towards Red Lodge. Note the switchback highway in the foreground. One of the most up and down roads I have ever been on. Loved it!

A herd of horses on the west side of the Bighorns on my way home.

Little Bighorn Battlefield

2010-10-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

Fall colors adorn the trees along Little Bighorn River near the site of Custer's Last Stand.

As a young boy, I was interested in western movies, gunfights and the wild west like most kids my age. "Custer's Last Stand" was one of those stories that stuck with me not only because of the interesting story of heroism but also because of it happening fairly close to where I grew up, unlike all other famous battles that happened overseas or on the East Coast. As I grew older and learned more of the battles between the Native Americans and the US Army, the details that often were left out of the grade school history narratives even intrigued me more. Documentaries like "The West" opened my eyes to a lot more of the Native American side of the story. With all that in mind, I made some time to recently visit the famous site of the last stand at Little Bighorn National Monument in Montana. Here are some photos of the afternoon. One of the things that I really liked was the markers of the fallen calvary as well as various Indian warrior markers. I think it really helped get a sense of where and how the battle unfolded. I recommend making the stop to anyone who drives by this place. It is just off I-90 and definitely worth the time. A great story and some great history of our young nation can be found here.

A couple more scenic shots of the Little Bighorn looking west from the battlefield hills.

A marker of a fallen soldier with the last stand monument in the background.

This a view of the last stand area with the monument to my back. To the right is the visitor center with the national cemetery. The white stones are where the calvary fell and the one that is left center with brown plaque is where General Custer fell. (Click on the image for a larger file to view)

The monument.

Northern Black Hills in Autumn

2010-10-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to roam the northern Black Hills canyons and valleys in Autumn when the fall colors were at or near peak. I think I hit it about right on my way out to Montana and Wyoming last weekend. The selections below were all taken Saturday morning, September 25th. The locations were along Nemo road through Vanocker's Canyon and finally portions of Spearfish Canyon. Click on the photo for a larger file to view and thanks for looking!

Spearfish Falls at Savoy, SD.

Roughlock Falls and area:

Light streaking, tilt shifting and time lapsing...

2010-08-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

For the last year and a half, I have been into making panoramic photos by stitching shots together... then earlier this summer I was into macro photography due to a new lens... Lately I've been really into time lapse with tilt shift as well as night shots featuring streaking headlights. I think I might be complicating my life, but oh well... It's a lot of fun learning these new techniques! Above is a shot of a long exposure of traffic between Grand Forks, ND and East Grand Forks, MN. I also did some time lapse sequences while up north. The video can be seen on my Vimeo account here: http://www.vimeo.com/14107392

Below are a couple shots of Cliff Avenue (looking south), in Sioux Falls with the added "faux" tilt shift effect. This effect sort of tricks your eyes/brain to think you are looking at a miniature scene. I'll post more examples of older photos I've added this effect to further down. Also, for a time lapse video I made out in Custer State Park and Angostura Reservoir over Memorial Day, check out this link on Vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/13606732

Don't forget to click on each photo for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by!

Wrigley Field panoramic and tilt shift... I believe I posted this one already, but I wanted to include it in this post as well as I think it turned out very nicely and believe it or not, with the effect on, it is a much more interesting photo to view than without it.

Zoomed in a bit with the effect on.

Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati from the game I attended last year.

Great American Ballpark from last summer.

Wrigley Field from the right field bleachers in 2008.

From the Lobo hotel and resort inside of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania East Africa.

The campus of Mavuno Village, an orphanage on the shores of Lake Victoria in East Africa.

Storm as Art

2010-07-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

On Friday evening, July 23rd a pretty good sized thunderstorm came through town. I was out getting some time lapse work done for another project up above Cliff Avenue by the Amidon Affair Historical Monument when the first low clouds starting rolling in. The above photo are the lights of the city reflected against these clouds with a hint of the lightning purpling the sky beyond. I thought the obelisk of the monument gave these clouds and the light a very ancient feel.

Below is a shot after the main storm passed taken on north Westport Avenue, east of the airport looking northeast:

As the clouds moved east I panned my camera over just a bit to try to catch more of the lighting when an 18 wheeler came by. I locked down the shot and kept the shutter open as it passed to get the light streaks below:

About 3 minutes later I got this lightning burst over the same exact scene as above:

So being the Photoshop nerd that I am, I wondered if I could composite the two photos above to show both the great lightning as well as the truck's light streaks. I tried with color and it just didn't look right so I went with black and white and loved the result. Then I played around with adding some color casts for effect. Take your pick below. I think my favorite is red (for now anyway). Enjoy and click on each image for a large file to view and thanks for looking.