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Paha Sapa


Paha Sapa
Photo Information
Copyright: John McLaird (jmcl) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2437 W: 136 N: 3486] (12382)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-08-01
Categories: Nature
Camera: Olympus E 300, 58mm circular polarizer
Exposure: f/5.0, 1/80 seconds
Map: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): The Black Hills, Dawn and Sunset [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-08-05 7:32
Viewed: 782
Points: 22
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Paha Sapa

A dawn rain
The Black Hills from the Needles Highway
Custer State Park
South Dakota

South Dakota is the State where I was born and raised. It amazed me to discover only seven pages of images of South Dakota on Trek Earth (less than 10% of the number of Colorado - where I currently reside) ... So after spending last week there I think it is time to see if we can’t start to bump up the Dakota image total to a more respectable level.

“Paha Sapa” (Hills that are Black) is the Lakota (Teton Sioux) word to describe the region known as the Black Hills. The Hills are a small mountain range that stretch across the Western edge of South Dakota and into Wyoming .. a prelude to the Rocky Mountains further West ..

Under the domino effect of pressure from the Westward expansion of the United States the Lakota moved into the region from Minnesota in the late eighteenth century displacing several other peoples.

In 1868 the government of the United States entered into a treaty that promised the Hills to the Lakota. However, after several reports of gold in 1874 Brevet General George Armstrong Custer (who would later be killed at the Battle of the Little Big Horn) led an expedition into the Hills that confirmed massive quantities of gold. Custer’s expedition led to a massive gold rush. The government of the United States decided to made no effort to enforce the Treaty of 1868.

In many ways the Black Hills gold rush is one of the pivotal events of Western history and can be seen as leading to Little Big Horn, Wounded Knee, and the creation of the Sioux reservations by the United States.

The Lakota consider the Hills a sacred place .. the spiritual center of the universe.
They have never accepted the United States’ payment and Supreme Court settlement for the land. The money continues to be untouched and accrue interest.

When I see this place this history always hits home for me and makes this a place of beauty and sorrow. It is a place to approach with reverence and respect.

The Hills are a small region dense in beauty and sites .. They are home to Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Devil’s Tower National Monument, Deadwood (the stomping ground of Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane ... and several other significant Western historical sites), Harney Peak (the highest point in the United States East of the Rockies), Custer State Park (one of the largest State parks and one of the richest in pristine beauty and wildlife), Several significant caves including Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument.

Any potential visitor to the hills should check on the dates of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (typically in August .. it is starting this next week). The Rally brings more than a half a million bikers to the small region.

more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hills#History
http://www.hanksville.org/daniel/lakota/BlackHills.html
http://www.geocities.com/crazyoglala/pahasapa.html
lucasgalodoido, saylan-cb, jwmunro, gunbud, danos, rigoletto, Angelillo has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To jwmunro: ... and I didn't get to the other one ..jmcl 3 08-05 10:40
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi John!
Very nice landscape and the colors of thew sunset was great!
Congratualtiosn and Hug!

Hello John -

Heck, there are only two spots in SDak that are worth visiting and you have just shown one of them. :) I am only kidding. This is a very nice image. I like the layering effect of the mountains, the morning haze/fog, and the virga from the clouds adds and interesting element. I find the FG just a bit too dark - hear is a place where a Grad ND filter would really help. Anyway, the technicals look to be where they belong but I think I would have used a DOF of f/11 or greater to make the BG hills a bit crisper. Well done!

Thank you for sharing.

John

Hello John
Exellent view over the hills and greath evning colors
Bravo
Cheers,Braca

Hi John,
soft light and colours, hills like waves. Good use of the trees as silhouette, pleasant framing. Thanks for the Paha Sapa.
Lieben Gruss, Ulf

  • Great 
  • gunbud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 4607 W: 4 N: 4484] (20064)
  • [2007-08-05 20:26]

Hi John,
Great depth to the pink sky above the wonderfully silhouetted hills. The trees are well placed and add some definition to this lovely scene. Excellent note of the troubled history of the proud Lakotas.
Regards, Tom

Hi john
Nice shot...
Great view and colours...
Good compo...
Nice POV here...
Excellent work...
TFS/Regards

Hi John,
Beautiful silhouettes and panoromic crop makes this a lovely photo. The light on this vast scape of mountains and how you use it to maintain soothing tones of blue and pink are very good aspects of this photo. TFS,
Deniz

  • Great 
  • danos Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3653 W: 84 N: 5517] (21510)
  • [2007-08-06 0:52]

Hello John,
A first rate panoramic capture of Paha Sapa. Indeed, it is so much better to provide the expansive horizontal view here.A well managed shot with the two trees silhouettes to add something different in your capture.Very informative your note too.Well done my friend.

Regards,danos

Hi John, the endless depth and the wonderful sky make it very nice very impressive, the way you framed it-composed with the trees- the trees silhouettes in the front gives also a great effect.
TFS
Evan
tomorrow...

Hi John,

Magnificent view... I like the almost infinite layers in the mountains. The aerian perspective is very great! The blue tones beautiful, and the clouds raining in the background excellent! Great idea to include the trees silhouettes. Impressive shot! Thanks.

Regards,
Angel.

merhaba dear john
wonderful mountains and wonderful silhouettes.
best regards.
gürkan akçakır.

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