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.
______________________
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/
Last weekend I traveled to Yankton for their annual Riverboat Days & Summer Arts Festival. This was my first time to this very southern part of South Dakota and I enjoyed it. It was so nice being right along the Missouri River, and the weather was fantastic.
A family originally from my area hosted me for the weekend and I so enjoyed getting to know them better. I've found that going to these art festivals is as much about the people I meet, if not more so, as it is about the art that's on display.
I'd taken the plunge and purchased a new and better tent. My old one worked well but was so dark inside. Having adequate light to see my work is a must so instead of using the money I was saving for a new lens, I purchased this Light Dome with mesh panels. It worked so great and I'm so glad I made the investment. Hopefully at the next show I will be a little more efficient in setting it up.
I was awarded the Yankton Area Arts Summer Arts Festival Honorable Mention Fine Artist Award. I was so shocked!
I spent sunset Saturday night on the Mighty Mo. My friends live near the river and I found about the perfect spot to enjoy the evening colors. A blue heron apparently thought the same thing.
Last light as the colors begin to fade.
This photo was just listed as the Photo of the Day for August 25 over at Capture Dakota!
At our brandings, I try to capture what pictures I can while also doing a bit of the branding myself. This doesn't allow for a lot of creative time.
My friends over at the U Lazy U Ranch run things a little differently. I asked if I could come over and shoot their branding, of which they were happy to let me. I came home with many pictures that I really like. They would create a rather long blog post, so I'm going to do this in parts.
The cows were sorted into three separate herds and then each herd brought into the branding pen. While one group was branded, the others where held in the pasture.
I find sharing what I've recently taken keeps my work fresh and new. It's also a great way for me to get a small sampling of my work into the hands of my customers.
But this year will be a little different! This calendar features 12 photos that will be in my upcoming book! I'm thrilled to share with you that I'm in the works of having my very first photography art book published! It will be either an 8x8 or 10x8 hardcover coffee table book.
Not only am I a landscape photographer, I also happen to be a rancher's wife. Our spread is located in central South Dakota so the open land of the prairie is where I spend the most time photographing. Living on a ranch also gives me daily access to our horses and the work of a cattleman. So, it seemed natural to combine these two loves into one book titled: South Dakota: Land & Sky, Where the Cowboys Roam.
The prairies are often overlooked and considered fly-over states. I've lived here for a total of 15 years and can't imagine wanting to live anywhere else anymore. I do love to travel and explore this world but home is my little ranch house nestled on a hill overlooking the prairie. Since I've come to love this land so much, it's become a joy to share the beauty of it with you.
By the end of August, I hope to have a rough draft of my book and a link for pre-orders. My desire is to have the books ready for delivery in early December.
'South Dakota: Land & Sky, Where the Cowboys Roam' 2017 Calendar is now available on Etsy. Each calendar measures 8.5x11", is spiral bound, and made of 120lb. glossy paper stock.
For the past seven years, our community has hosted the Murdo Ranch Rodeo. It has become a highlight of the summer for many people, myself included. Most of the years, my husband and his brothers have been one of the teams to compete. A few were not able to make it this year so two others were recruited.
My kids are young, so we just camp in one spot and I shot what I can from there. The dust was very thick this year and I'm a little nervous what I'll find when I clean my camera sensor.
I changed most of these to Black & White because I love how the dust adds a little extra to the photographs. A rodeo photographer I am not, but I enjoy taking pictures of my husband and the guys doing what they really enjoy. I focused a little more on composition than close action (mostly because I only have a 200mm zoom and across an arena, that doesn't get very far).
Roping their calf for the Trailer Loading event.
Roping the two steers for the Stray Gathering event.
Kids had the opportunity to ride Mini Broncs. This girl rocks!
The Hide Race isn't something normally found on a ranch, but it's a great crowd pleaser and a little intense as some of the hides tend to get rather close as they pass each other.
A beautiful storm joined in on the rodeo.
The pick-up men catching a bronc in the Range Ride.
My husband's team didn't place, but they won the Range Ride. Paul made it look so easy!
