NightScapes

I didn't think I was going to get this image made as there was a thick layer of clouds that stubbornly refused to clear. I was ready to give up when I thought, what the heck, I'm here so maybe it’ll clear by the time I hike to the shooting spot, and luckily it did. In fact you can see the last remnants of the departing clouds in the middle right portion of the photo.

The image reminds me of a scene you might find on the surface of Mars because of the reddish, alien like landscape below the rising Miky Way core. I was able to capture the scene in a single 10 second exposure because of the light cast on the ground from a 30% crescent moon. The photo was also selected as "Best of Show" in the 2024 Dalh Mountain Photo Exhibition in Rapid City. One of my favorite photographs.

Location: Badlands National Park, 2023

When viewing this image for the first time, you might think the sun was setting but it’s actually a 30% crescent moon. In order to capture this in one shot, I had to take a long exposure, so the moon looks overly bright. I placed a speed light in the barn and remotely fired it when the shutter was released, and I think it suggests a ghostly presence from a bygone era.

I imagined this image a couple of years ago, and ever since I’ve been waiting for the right conditions. Of course the milky way had to be in the right position on a moonless night, but I also needed calm, clear weather in order to get good star reflections in the lake.

Everything finally came together earlier this week and I got the shot. On the horizon there looks to be a large fire burning which probably accounts for the orange air glow.

-Mirror Lake, Spearfish, South Dakota

I was having problems sleeping one night, so I got up to read a bit and was notified on my aurora app that there was strong aurora activity in my area. Glancing out our picture window I could clearly see the tell tale red, orange and yellow colors streaking the northern sky, so I thought - why not. Wondering all the while if the light show would be over by the time I got there, I threw on some sweat clothes and slipped on my muck boots and headed to a location where I always wanted to capture a bright aurora. It turned out I wasn’t too late, but just in time.

-Owl Creek, Belle Fourche, South Dakota

Our own milky way galaxy is seen rising above an old abandoned barn in this image captured on a warm summer night.

-Bear Butte State Park, Sturgis, South Dakota.