Flax Fields

I had to get out and shoot some more fields of flax before the flowers all fall off. The field by my house is just about done blooming so I went to a few others in the area.

It's windy today and I tried to use that to my advantage. In the following two shots I used my Neutral Density filter (really dark filter) so that I could keep the shutter open longer and create some blur amongst the flax to show the motion of the wind. I like the abstract appeal that the finished image gives.

The haze coming from the fires in Alberta give the South Dakota landscape a soft texture.

I love seeing these rolling hills of blue.

The Flax

First off, Happy Independence Day America!  

Secondly, the flax are in full bloom again.

This time there's a field within walking distance from my house. This dam is on my property and the neighboring flax field is beyond it. 

Last year I shot some closer images of the field.(You can see last years flax here and here.)
I wanted to try something different this year since I had the dam to work with, instead of what I did last year.

The previous year, I also had some incredible blue skies to work with. This year it's a bit hazy, possibly due to the fires in Canada.

Since the flowers only bloom late morning during the harsh sun, I used my neutral density filter and several stops down to get some longer exposures. It's a little breezy today and I love the softness the clover creates due to the longer exposure.

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. 

Okaton Elevator

 An original South Dakota prairie skyscraper, the Grain Elevator. Located along the DM&E rail road in Okaton, South Dakota. The town is mostly abandoned now, but the history the old building has seen still remains.

I shot this photograph in 2006 and since then the scale house/office roof (the part of the building in the foreground) has caved in. The top of the elevator has also lost much of what is seen in this photograph due to the almost constant South Dakota winds.

I love this building. It brings emotions I can't quite describe and I tear up thinking about how different it looks now compared to this picture. I can't imagine remembering the elevator when it was in its prime and viewing the change now.

This is one of my absolute favorite photos I've ever taken. With this specific image, I played around a little with HDR and am loving the dramatic touch it gives.