Renewal Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

Renewal

Custer State Park
the Black Hills
South Dakota

The Black Hills of my home state of South Dakota are one of my favorite places .. Custer State Park is on of my favorite places in the Hills ... a place where you can escape the tourist centers and find the natural soul of the place ...

My first day of vacation in the Hills this august I got up to take a sunrise drive through Custer State Park .. and after a beautiful walk around Sylvan Lake the rest of my sunrise morning was drowned in a summer rain .. until I reached this place.

Forest fires are a common occurrence in the Hills. When the rain relented I pulled over at this picnic area and overlook and found the forest regenerating from a fire ..

I am in a time of tremendous transition in my own life .. one where the outcome is not certain .. a little hope here .. the sun always rises .. the world is reborn ..

Didi, kiwi_explorer, robertosalguero, gunbud, fulvio52, danos, stego, cpaton has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

gunbud (28163) 2007-11-15 21:45

Hello John,
Very pleasing subtle sunrise over these rugged green hills. Love the way the pink sky outlines the ridges as the morning light brings out lovely varying shades of green. Very nice note to accompany this fine photo.
Regards, Tom

Merline (6578) 2007-11-16 4:10

Hi John,
I have heard a lot about this place, a place I hope will be left as it is and not be bought by industry...
Lovely image, love the simplicity of it, it's a bit melancholic, great green shades and beautiful sky, the sun will rise, I hope the best for you...

Warm regards
Michèle

evanrizo (456) 2007-11-16 9:45

Hi John, here is the sky different than your last posts and gives an other atmosphere with nice soft light.
Mountainous landscapes, I love them
Have a nice time.
Evan

fulvio52 (8314) 2007-11-16 10:53

The Black Hills exactly as I remember them, John.
It's a long time ago... September 1996.
The magic and the gloom are still there...
All my best wishes to you, buddy.

Hugs,
Fulvio.

pboehringer (770) 2007-11-16 13:35

John,
I hope that your transition will be managed as well as you did it with this image that also portraits a trnasition from dawn to full day light and from rain to sun. The colors of transition are warm and gives a great contrast to the overwhelmingly grey sky. Form the technical view I think you should have done some lighten up the mountains in the background and the flora in the foreground.
Regards, Peter

danos (33300) 2007-11-17 3:45

Hello John,
very nice landscape view of the Custer State Park,the Black Hills.This phenomenon from the fires is the biggest danger for the forests as the humankind.Nice colours,especially this of the sky.Well done John.

Have a nice weekend,Danos

stego (22478) 2007-11-17 5:47

Hi John,

Despite its unquestionable beauty, the landscape doesn't look like the easiest one to get great compos, but you certainly achieved producing a wonderful photo. I guess that some would point that it lacks a focal point, but I think that it doesn't need such. Actually, I like how my eyes are lead to stroll kind of randomly with those slopes, under that ethereal sky. The light and the sky is fabulous, producing a meditative mood that I like very much.

I feel a kind of nostalgia or even sadness in your note. I hope that everything ends ups going well for you and your family.

Regards, José.

robertosalguero (110) 2007-11-18 20:28

Hello John,

This is a pretty landscape. The view is wide and the colours of the vegetation look healthy. Interesting point of view and the light at this time of the day enhances the feeling of this wild place. Thanks John.

Roberto

kiwi_explorer (12195) 2007-11-18 23:54

Hi John,
Lovely colorful skies to background this beautiful rural landscape. I like the soft lighting creating a subtle natural colors. Wonderfully captured with good image quality.
Very good analogy to life ... nothing is certain in life ... it is always ever changing and so is our own lives. All we can do is take the changes as challenges and look at things in proper perspective. Hope everything will turn out well for you. TFS
Cheers,
Renier
Cheers,
Renier

bracasha75 (22399) 2007-11-22 0:35

Hello John
Very nice scene and i like this red behind the hills and this is a very quiet scene to
Good work
Cheers,Braca

cpaton (501) 2007-11-22 13:45

Hi John, love the dramatic sky in this photo. The lovely halo effect behind the hills contrasting with the green foreground makes this for me. Quite by chance, I was listening to the radio in the car the other day and an old song came on - 'The Black Hills of Dakota' by Doris Day. It's nice to see an image to go with it! Cheers, Colin.

danyy (69465) 2007-12-02 15:22

Bonjour John,
dans les commentaires j'ai lu le mot "mélancoliqu", il colle bien avec cette photo et ses couleurs particulières ainsi que leslumières.
Une vue qui a de la profondeur , accroche notre regard, il se perd , on se détend.
J'adore.
Regards.
daniel.

Didi (36452) 2007-12-10 9:42

Hi John
Very nice landscape in spite of the low lights; it's giving a calm and peacefull ambiance.
I suggest a workshop for more contrast.
Take care.

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