Tag Archives: Badlands National Park

Hills and Ridges

Along Sage Ridge Road
Badlands National Park, SD

Colors, light, shadows, hills, ridges, and valleys … they are all here in the Badlands. The late afternoon sun pops out the colors, shapes, and textures from a rather grey-brown scene at midday. This image is not as sharp as I would like it to be, but it still captures the feeling of awe I had gazing over the vast landscape.

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Looking Under the Cottonwood Tree

View from the Visitors Center
Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Photographing in infrared is perfect for midday. All I need are a few clouds in the sky and some interesting foliage. This framed view is directly across the park road from the Visitors Center. It is great place to catch a little food and a photo or two.

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Islands in a Sea of Grass

Stacked Eroded Hills
Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Looking southwest at the end of the Badlands, I saw this series of eroded hills sticking up from a grass covered plain. They looked like islands rising above a sea of yellow. There is so much to see in the Badlands. I can’t wait to go back and do more exploring!

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Peace in the Afternoon

‘Purple and Yellow Mounds’
Badlands National Park, South Dakota

It was late in the afternoon and the sun had gone behind the clouds. It felt like rain was coming. There were few cars passing along the adjacent road. No one was stopping to enjoy the beauty of the colorful hills. Alone, I had this wonderful panorama in front of me. I felt at peace in one of nature’s wonderlands.

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I wish I had my little red sports car !

‘Curves’
Badlands National Park, SD

The first time I was in the Badlands, I was driving my little red sports car. It was early spring and not many people were visiting the park. I had a great time driving the windy roads and enjoying the beautiful scenery. It was just not quite the same this trip, driving my Jeep Grand Cherokee! At least with my Jeep, I was able to pull off more frequently along the side of the road and create an image or two.

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Who Said the Badlands Look Dull?

‘Mid-morning Sunlight on the Purple Mounds’
Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Pastels proliferate the hills of the Badlands during mid-morning sunlight. The golden and green grasses in the foreground set the stage. The yellows, oranges, reds, and purples of the different sediment layers of the mounds provide the center focus. The purple striped rugged mountains and blue cloud covered sky creates an intriguing background setting.

Millions of years of creation stand directly in front of me. I dream of the wonder of nature and the beauty it brings.

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Late Afternoon Glow

‘Traveling Through the Yellow Mounds’
Badlands National Park, SD

The late afternoon sun warmed up the rolling hills near the Yellow Mound Area of the Badlands National Park. The warm sunlight warmed up the grass-covered hills creating a glowing gold scene. This image was created during my first evening in the Park. I came back several times to get different perspectives of this beautiful area.

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Fire in the Sky

‘Sunset from Norbeck Pass’
Badlands National Park, SD

My previous post was from my last day in the Badlands. This image was my greeting on my first evening in the Park. It was a great way to start my Badlands adventure. During my seven day excursion, we photographed scenic vistas, intimate vignettes, wildlife, old abandoned buildings, sunsets, sunrises, harsh mid day brightness, color, infrared, and many other perspectives. The workshop was an opportunity to play and experiment, as well as creating serious images.

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Color in the Badlands

‘Light Rain Over the Badlands’
Badlands National Park
, SD

I just returned from a great workshop with Tony Sweet and Sue Milestone in the Badlands of South Dakota. During our last day, we had some light rain which highlighted the striking colors over the terrain. The slight moisture brought out the normally subdued colors. What a beautiful sight!

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The Badlands

The Badlands National Park, South Dakota

The Badlands were formed by a series of depositions and then erosion. Seventy-five million years ago, the area what is now the Badlands was a part of an inland sea extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the North Pole. The lowest levels are sea bed depositions. From 75 to 45million years ago, plate movement gradually forced up the Rocky Mountains and created a depression which is now the Badlands. During this period, erosion from the raising mountains and volcanic action deposited various layers of material in the depression. Starting about 500,000 years ago the Cheyenne and White Rivers carved out the deep valleys through the area. Torrential rain storms and wind have been eroding the area at a rate of one inch per year.

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