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!
‘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.
‘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.
It has been over 3 months since I last posted an image. It’s been a busy summer. Since my last post, the user interface for WordPress has changed a little. So here goes …
I will be trying to catch up with the photography that I have been doing over the summer through a series of mini-projects. The first will be from a recent trip to the Palouse in southeastern Washington. The view from Steptoe Butte was a flowing mixture of golds and various shades of brown. It was a cloudy morning with very little contrast. Then the sun broke through illuminating bright streaks across the landscape. The whole scene changed drastically. I chose to focus my images on small vignettes as opposed to the overall landscape. This lone tree and lines of the freshly plowed fields caught my eye.
Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, CA
This image is looking due west from the eastern side of the Alabama Hills. The Sierras still have a little snow. Notice the difference in the erosion patterns on the Alabama Hills boulders and the the sharp eastern Sierras. Both ranges were formed near the same time. Nature does funny things.
Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, CA
Late afternoon sun highlighting the rock boulders caught my eye. This image is looking north on the east side of the Owens Valley. The Manzanar National Historic site is just north of here.
Canon 5D MkII, EF 24-105 f/4 L @ 58mm, f/11, 1/15 sec, ISO 200
This is what greeted me as I drove up to the Palouse in SE Washington State for a week of exploring and photographing. The brilliant pink and orange lasted for only a few minutes. I rapidly looked for a place to pull off the highway. By the time I got out and pulled out my camera, the magic was just about over In less that a minute the glow was gone. Too bad it is illegal to stop in the middle of a highway to capture a shot.
I was really excited about the clouds and what I expected to see during the next few days. However, the clouds did not come back during my stay. So I focused on the rolling hills, unique lines, and architectural elements. This trip was for scouting anyway.
Fuji X-T1, XF 18-135mm @ 105mm, f/11, 1/340 sec, ISO 400
Along the northwest section of the park drive, yellow hills and green valleys provided a change in color contrast of the landscape. This post concludes my quick trip through the badlands. Some day I hope to go back and explore the area at a more leisurely pace.
Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 88mm, f/16, 1/400 sec, ISO 800
The sun broke through the clouds and focused its brilliance on this rock outcropping and the valley below. The large ridge behind me kept the foreground in shadows.
Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 18mm, f/11/ 1/80 sec, ISO 1600
At one time this area was a vast a sea bed. Color abounds in the different strata deposited over the millions of years in our geological history. I just felt in awe as I viewed the history in front of me. I felt so inconsequential in the stream of time.