Last night, I asked my husband to go with me to our dam south of the old railroad tracks to shoot the Milky Way. I did the shooting, he took a nap. I brought him along because though I've lived out here for the past 11 years, being out in the pitch black of night alone petrifies me. You just never know what may be lurking in the shadows. Which in the case of night out on the prairie is everywhere.
I'm just learning a bit of Astro Photography. Many of you may have seen photos of the Milky Way like these in the past several years, since it's become a very popular type of photography. Nikon even came out with a camera that has a very high ISO just for Astro Photography.
Right now I'm pretty basic in my skills with this level of shooting. I keep everything about the same, ISO 6400, f/3.5, 20 sec, 28 mm (that's what I have at this point). I have been going back and foreth with different White Balances, Tungsten or Sunny. I like the blues in the Tungsten but I really love the purples and yellow/orange that comes out with Sunny.
When we got back to the house, I decided to walk out to the horses (I took my dog with me this time) to see what I could come up with. Since I have to have the camera open for atleast 20 seconds and my horses won't stand still for that long, they created some incredibly ghost-like yet breathtaking photos, in my opinion. I had my camera almost resting on the ground, stabilized by my tripod, so there's also the bits of grasses in the foreground.
I love that I can just walk outside my house and see these incredible skies! What an amazing Creator God is!
Over the past year, a local publisher, Painted Gate Publishing in Spearfish, SD, approached me several times about creating a book of my photography. They really like my work and are eager for me to share it with you!
The first draft has been approved and we are currently working on minor tweaks to perfect the final copy.
At this time, I am asking for your help! In order to send the first printing off, I need to have a certain number of copies purchased. I'm almost there but need several more orders before I can have the books printed. If you are interested in a copy, please order now!
If I'm able to acquire the needed number for printing, I can have the books into your hands by the end of October, otherwise it will be by the beginning of December.
This 8x8 Coffee Table Art Book features over 50 striking images of South Dakota's rich landscape and the cowboy lifestyle.
Books are priced at $43 each (+ tax and shipping-if applicable).
For additional information or to watch a video featuring many of the photographs in the book, please click on this link to be redirected to my website.
I've heard it said that an artist’s work reflects that artist.
It reflects their personality, it reflects what they think.
It reflects who they are.
Cristen Joy Photography is a reflection of me.
What you see is what I’m passionate about.
I’m passionate about what God has created - this world. I’m drawn to the beauty because of the intricacy of the
One who created it - Yahweh God who made everything.
He used creativity. He used beauty. He used color and lines. Points and reference. Depth of field. Speed and music.
And quite.
Peace and gentleness.
I love that about Him. He’s a creative God!
I love the beauty of His work and I want to share it. I want to be there for those beautiful masterpieces that He creates in the evening.
In the lines and the geometric shapes of shadows. The black and white forms of mountains and rocks.
The beauty that the eye sees, I want to be there to see it.
I know God has given me this gift, and I want to live it out fully.
My photography shows what I am passionate about.
I’m passionate about the lines of the prairie.
When you look out across the prairie in the evening, during the Golden Magic Hour, you can see the lines of the hills.
It’s not just a flat substance. It’s lines. And there’s depth and there’s art and a masterful design.
I love that!
I want to share that with you because you might not have seen it.
You might have missed it and I don’t want you to miss it.
So I share these amazing pieces of art in creation that I saw as I try to capture what God has created.
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I am not a native of South Dakota, though now I call it home. When I was 13, my father’s job moved my family
to the small town of Murdo, right in the heart of SoDak. I graduated high school with a class of 27 and moved back
to the Chicago area to pursue my photography education.
South Dakota stayed with me.
Every glorious sunset, every glimpse of the stars would take me back to the wide open spaces of prairie.
South Dakota became like a sweet melody I just couldn’t get out of my head.
I ended up marrying a cattle man with his own ranch, right back in my high school stomping grounds.
Though I’d acquired a love for the prairie, it didn’t officially feel like home until several years into my marriage.
Now, I can’t imagine wanting to live anywhere else.
True, there are much sacrifices involved, but they are worth it to fall asleep among the stars,
to gaze for miles into the landscape, to hear the gentle and sometimes violent rush of the wind,
to watch a storm from beginning to end, to stand on top of a hill surrounded by more hills, lowing cattle,
waving prairie grasses and wildflowers.
Since it's right outside my front door, I have made South Dakota's prairie the main subject of my art, especially that surround my ranch home, where also at my disposal is our horses and the cowboy lifestyle.
So whether you live here, have moved away or, have admired this state from afar I leave you with the words of my husband and echoed by so many others: "This is God's Country!"
In September I will be participating in three different art festivals!
This will be my first time at the Dakota Western Heritage Festival, which I'm excited about.
For the second year in a row, South Dakota's First Lady (the Governor's wife) has selected myself and 31 other artists, from many artists in the state, to showcase at her art show in October. I'm thrilled to be a part of the Prairie Art Showcase again! Last year I very much enjoyed my time there.
This weekend I will be in Sioux Falls for my second year at the Sidewalk Arts Festival. It's a huge festival located in historic downtown Sioux Falls. The weather forecast looks just perfect!
Date: September 10, 9 am - 5 pm Location: Downtown Sioux Falls, SD Booth #730, located South of the Washington Pavilion. Website: http://www.sidewalkartsfestival.com/
