Storm Clouds

Friday night before going to bed I was watching the storm roll in. My western window frames some amazing views of the prairie. The lightning was constantly flashing behind the clouds. Though tired, I just couldn't pass up the chance to see what I could capture. Here are my favorite ones:

As this cloud loomed over the tiny town of Okaton the winds picked up in great force. The tips of the trees around my house were touching the ground. The destruction left by the storm in our county is very sad, but we are grateful that no lives have been lost.

Bringing the Cows In

Those who know me are aware of the fact that I did not grow up on a cattle ranch. I have had to learn the ways since my mid-twenties. 

For those who aren't familiar with the ranching lifestyle, the following picture is the cowboys and cowgirls rounding-up a small portion of our cattle for our spring branding.  This is probably my favorite part of ranching.

The view stretches a good 10 miles to the south or so. Maybe more.

If you've never been to the South Dakota prairies, come join us. We'll take you on an adventure you'll never forget.

Harney Peak

I recently had a client contact me about a photo of the fire tower at the top of Harney Peak.

This is probably my favorite hike in the South Dakota Black Hills (sadly, I haven't had the chance to hike very many so my favorite may change in the future).

Harney Peak stands 7,242 feet above sea level and is the highest point between the Pyrenees in Europe and the Rockies.  

When I shot this view of the tower it was around noon and I hadn't indented to use it to sell. However, adding a B&W filter to the image creates some sweet contrast! I've discovered that mid-day white light shooting can be very beneficial for B&W photography.

Spring Branding

When not working on landscape photography, I like to dabble into capturing parts of the cowboy lifestyle. My husband and I own and operate a working cattle ranch. Every late spring we brand the calves (sadly cattle rustling is still a problem in the more tamed wild west) and castrate the steers we don't want left as bulls.

We do our brandings the traditional way, roping and dragging to be brought to a team of wrestlers who then hold the calf down on the ground for the branding and castrating to take place.