This location on Iron Creek in Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota is very messy in any other season due to dense brush and vegetation. The snow however tames the chaos while adding a sense of quiet tranquility.
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I’ve photographed Spearfish Falls in the winter before, but this year was special. As I approached the falls, I couldn’t hear the sound of the water crashing over the canyon wall, and as I got closer I could clearly see why; the rushing water was almost completely encased in a frozen cascade of beautiful ice crystals formed by several days of zub-zero temperatures. What a treat to witness and capture the image!
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Iron creek in Spearfish Canyon isn’t large by any means, but it is fast flowing in spots. I suppose that’s why it hasn’t frozen completely in this particular section, but the bitter cold temperatures have fashioned a nice composition of ice and snow crystals.
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It probably comes as no surprise that I like a black and white rendering of these snowy mountain scenes, especially when there is water involved, as in this image of Little Spearfish Creek just downstream from Roughlock Falls in Spearfish Canyon.
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It’s not easy finding an opening to photograph little spearfish creek along the trail to roughlock falls, but this small window between the pine branches and shrubs worked out nicely, creating a natural frame.
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I always think its a neat effect when fresh snow accumulates on uneven surfaces, like it does on these rocks in in Little Spearfish Creek, Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota.
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Snow and fog in the hills beyond with clearer conditions below provide a dark and dramatic backdrop to the subject farmstead.
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The other evening I went out with the idea of capturing the Orion Nebula rising over Spearfish Canyon near Savoy, SD with a snowy forest as a foreground. Things didn’t work out as planned. For one thing, the wind came up during the day and blew most of the snow off the tree branches and for another, clouds came rolling in. Luckily I was able to get a shot before the stars were completely obscured and while the Orion constellation was still visible. I guess I’ll have to wait for another snowy night to capture the magenta cloud I was expecting to see surrounding the constellation.
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I tried to get out to this spot on Iron creek in Spearfish Canyon before twilight to capture a fresh snow that was clinging to the tree branches and canyon walls. It’s kind of a messy image because of all the wind damage this area got a couple of years ago, but I like the cold wintry mood it conveys.
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I came across a huge cottonwood tree in Nebraska that had died and fallen over. The bark had stripped away revealing interesting patterns in the wood so, using my 100mm macro lens, I composed this closeup image. Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, but art and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
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A Christmas Card
Most of the time I like to simplify my images, but occasionally I’ll embrace the chaos.
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We’re not too far from winter here in the Black Hills of South Dakota, so the sun is pretty low in the sky for much of the morning. This makes lighting conditions ideal for capturing back/side lit subjects, such as these mossy pine branches.
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Most of the aspen leaves in the Black Hills of South Dakota have fallen by the time this image was made, but it looks like these trees are just reaching their peek autumn color.
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I arrived a little too early at this location on Owl Creek at the Belle Fourche Reservoir in South Dakota, and since it was a new location I had trouble finding a decent composition in the near dark. As the morning sun was rising and the dramatic sky quickly washing out, I had to settle on this scene. Not bad, but I would have liked to feature the creek more prominently in the image. That’s why scouting a location before hand is so important.
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This image reminds me of the different moods autumn seems to invoke. The vibrant leaves, the brown and rust colored grasses, gray sky and a chill in the air, all signal the end of summer and the approaching cold winter.
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Just because the leaves have fallen doesn’t mean the autumn color is over.
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If you look very carefully in the middle left portion of the image, right where the sky meets the top of the canyon, you can just faintly make out the end of it’s tail. I was estimating this particular comet would be in more of a westerly position and a bit higher in the sky for this shooting location, but sadly, not to be. But hey, the moon came up, lit the canyon, and I got a fairly pleasant picture. Sometimes even the failures can be successful (with right attitude of course)
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Every year about his time, I try to hike up Devils Bathtub trail in Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota to capture the creek and the autumn leaves. This flat and tranquil section of the stream reflects the vibrant fall colors while providing a subtle peek of what lies just below the water’s surface.
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Another image from our trip to the Wyoming Bighorn Mountains, A five mile out and back hike along a very pleasant trail takes you to an overlook that’s definitely worth the trip, the highlight being Bucking Mule Falls. This is a handheld picture I shot while getting as close to the abyss as I dared.
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