Category: columns-photo

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Little Things

By Christian Begeman

Many memes have been made extolling”the little things.” Don’t believe me? Type”the little things” into your favorite search engine and choose images. You’ll find countless phrases placed in cute and artsy designs telling us all to,”appreciate the little things,””enjoy the little things” and”it’s the little things that matter most.” Normally I don’t go in for such things, but this month’s column is truly all about the little things I’ve encountered and photographed this spring and summer.

I purchased a macro lens in 2010. I’ve since lugged it with me for countless hikes and many miles. I lost the lens cap, but not the sense of fun I get when attaching it to my camera to get super close-ups. The magic of a macro lens lies in its ability to change what we think is ordinary into the extraordinary, to show off the seemingly hidden artistry and design in even the smallest of things. It’s what good photography should always do: find a new and unique way to see something. And why would we do this? For me, the joy is in the discovery. For example, when I first glimpse the beauty of a patch of prairie drenched in dew drops and morning sunshine, I think I get the same feeling that early pioneers experienced when gazing over the great plains for the first time.

Maybe I’m being a little over the top in my praise of photographing the little things. To that I would simply say don’t knock it until you try it. Invest in, rent or borrow a lens, take it into your garden or a flower patch at the park and you’ll see things you’ve never noticed before. Be warned, though. Curious (and sometimes hungry) creatures by the thousands make their livings in the little country. Even so, they are not to be feared. I have admired the elegant and ethereal weavings of spiders, though I can’t say I’m a huge fan of arachnids.

There are other, more beautiful creatures that amaze and astound if they let you come near. High summer is butterfly season on the prairies. Every summer, I’m drawn into the challenge of stalking regal monarchs and fritillaries right on down to the tiny but beautiful Eastern-tailed blues in hopes of taking a butterfly portrait that is sharply focused and super close-up. This can be frustrating. Butterflies don’t seem to like large humans like yours truly getting too close. Add the wind and I’m only successful in these butterfly photo quests about 5 to 10 percent of the time. And I think that makes it fun. If it were easy, then where would be the challenge?

This column is a collection of my favorite macro shots taken during my wanderings in South Dakota from late May to late August of 2020. From one of my favorite nearby places to hang out with a camera (the Dells of the Big Sioux near Dell Rapids) to the Cave Hills of Harding County and a lot of places in between, please enjoy the little things found in our great state.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Sunday Driver

By Christian Begeman

This summer, I’ve re-acquainted myself with Sunday road trips. And it has been good. Very good. These trips typically, but not always, take place starting in the early afternoon and end as the sunlight is nearly gone. After virtually attending church and then getting the weekly laundry sorted and started, I usually succumb to the familiar, irresistible pull of wanderlust. The thing about a successful Sunday road trip is there is no hard and set plan, just a general direction and maybe a goal or two in mind. Then it’s firing up the F-150, turning into the wind and letting the miles roll away.

On Sunday, August 2 my only plan was to find a sunflower field in bloom. From past experience, I know there are usually sunflowers planted from the Miller area to Pierre and west. Along the way, I stopped at Lake Vermillion Recreation Area in rural McCook County, which is sort of on the way from Sioux Falls to Miller, provided you stay off the interstate. After checking the hillsides there for wildflowers and butterflies as well as working up a nice hike sweat, it was back into the air-conditioned chariot to complete the sunflower quest. I’ve learned that this kind of multiple stop sequence is the best way to break up Sunday drives.

August 2 was one of those perfect blue-sky, white-puffy-cloud-floating-on-by kind of days. If you’ve followed my photography over the years, you’ll know I have an affinity for country churches, and I made sure to stop by a few that I know. Duncan church in rural Buffalo County had a pasture full of yellow flowers across the road to the south which just begged to be framed against the blue sky and white steeple. I obliged. I also encountered a pair of juvenile (and thus relatively tame) Swainson’s hawks on that little detour. One allowed me to take its portrait while looking very hawkish atop a fencepost.

As the afternoon waned, I finally found sunflower fields in the Ree Heights area. I had never traveled the backroads in this part of Hand County and, among other things, was surprised to encounter a pair of burrowing owls along a hilly pasture. The wheat harvest was in full swing, so a light golden haze hung along the ground while the sun blazed away clouds in the sky. It was truly a glorious day. And it was just one of a handful of summer Sunday getaways that have soothed my soul in these somewhat troubled times of 2020. The neo-folk group MaMuse has a song that tells it better than I could, so I’ll leave you with selection of their lyrics as well as a set of photographs from a handful of glorious summer Sundays enjoyed in rural SoDak this year.

Oh what a day! Glorious!
The smell of rain
Has hitched a ride
Upon the wind
I’ve got good friends
To the left of me
And good friends
To my right
Got the open sky above me
And the earth beneath my feet
Got a feeling in my heart
That’s singin’
All in life is sweet

All the clouds
Have gathered round
The tops of trees

Never fear-the birds are singin’
Even endings can be sweet
Oh, what a day!

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Color of Summer

By Christian Begeman

Late spring and early summer are prime nature photography times. Lots of daylight, lots of new life and lots of color on our beloved Northern Plains. Since I have an affinity for the great outdoors anyway, it is hard to find me home this time of year. Whether it is chasing rainbows after a storm, spotting the flare of color on breeding birds or going on a macro expedition in one of the nearby Nature Conservancy prairies, there isn’t much I’d rather be doing than seeking out all the color out there this time of year.

In June, my family spent four days in the Custer area celebrating my folks’ 55th anniversary. On one afternoon, we took a drive on a favorite road in Wind Cave National Park (NP 5). We caught the wildflowers just right as harebell, green milkweed, prairie rose and many others were all in bloom. These wildflowers attract insects of all sorts, including butterflies and skippers. I thought it was pretty ironic that I was down on my hands and knees taking photos of plants while my mom explored nearby. The last time that a scene like that happened was probably when I was told to weed the garden. Let me just say that I had quite a different attitude about kneeling in the dirt back then.

Taking trips across the state affords the opportunity to explore new locales and see new sights. In late May, I made a detour up to the Cave Hills in Harding County and was in awe at the botany in the Custer National Forest area near Picnic Springs. I have never seen so many pasqueflowers. Most were going to seed, but a handful of blooms were still evident. Prairie smoke was also abundant and along one cow trail I even found these two uniquely beautiful plants side by side.

On my June trip to the southern Black Hills, I detoured along the Bad River Road southwest of Fort Pierre and witnessed the river hills full of newly blooming sweet clover. Quite the sight (and aroma) in the early evening light. Later I was treated to another spectacular sunset somewhere between Midland and Philip. It was so grand that I had to stop and photograph it as best I could.

Earlier in the month I spent some time in the prairie hills and sloughs of Deuel County east of Clear Lake. I found nice stands of the fairly rare and quite lovely white lady’s slipper flowers. A few weeks later I stumbled upon ripe wild strawberries while kneeling in a ditch shooting a blue-eyed grass flower. The strawberries were about the size of blueberries with a taste better than any garden strawberry I’ve ever encountered. Later that same day thunderstorms popped up to the west. I made my way through them (getting a free car wash) and then enjoyed a full vivid rainbow on the backside somewhere west of Bradley in northeast Clark County.

I could go on to describe more colorful encounters the last few months, but I think I should let the photos do the talking. The good news is that rain has been falling throughout most of the state lately, so things are looking up for a colorful late summer too. I’m looking forward to getting back out there to see what is coming next. Here’s to hoping the same for you.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Happy Places

By Christian Begeman

Late May is more often than not a magical time in South Dakota. Spring sunshine and new life bring shades of green and wildflower accents to our landscapes. It’s a welcome change to the subdued hues of winter and early spring. As a guy who wrestles with wanderlust and a camera, it is one of the best times of the year to get out and explore. This is why it has become a standing tradition for me to use the long Memorial Day weekend to get on the road and discover as much spring beauty as possible.

This year, I left the city as soon as I could break away from work on May 21 with a specific destination in mind. Badlands National Park in the golden hour just before the sun sets is something every South Dakotan should witness. The warm light from the low sun in the northwest can color the badlands formations into an artist’s palette of light, shadow and color. I arrived at the park with about 45 minutes of sunlight left in the day and was immediately transfixed by the rugged beauty of the place. The cares of the last few months faded into the background and I was there … the proverbial happy place.

This year, a couple new finds highlighted the photography expedition. I noticed flowering larkspur was abundant in the southern Black Hills and finally got a decent photo of that richly purpled beauty. Also, I was surprised to find edible morel mushrooms just outside my cabin near Legion Lake in Custer State Park. In fact, I wasn’t quite sure they were morels; they were tinged black and I had never seen that before. Turns out they are burn morels. They appear in an area burned with fire the previous year, and, according to a little research, they are some of the better tasting morels you will ever pluck from the ground.

Almost every year when I make this trip, I’m treated to a spring thunderstorm crashing over the southern hills of Custer State Park and this year was no exception. There is something about rolling thunder coupled with the smell of rain on the wind that I deeply love. These fast-moving storms are a true feast for the eyes, ears and nose. Thankfully no hail found me as in years past. Wildflowers, butterflies and bumblebees, on the other hand, were abundant across the rolling prairie. And apparently so was love, as I happened upon a tom turkey strutting his stuff on the Oak Draw road.

My trek also took me north through Butte and Harding counties, then through Perkins and Corson to visit my folks in Mobridge. This was the land of my youth, and the open vistas and sweeping landscapes are still home to me. Prairie windmills, low morning fog, mule deer, pronghorn and short-eared owls all made appearances along the way. It was another memorable few days in the 605 and I can’t wait to do it again.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Birds Are Back

By Christian Begeman

Unknowns. Social Distancing. Stay at home. Worry. Concern. We are experiencing it all these days. And with the”new normal” comes so many voices. So many storylines. Some real and earnest. Some biased, but still quite earnest. Arguments on whether things are worse than we think or maybe not nearly as bad as we think. Politicizing in an election year to boot. There is so much noise even when we stay at home and try to shut it all out.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic cast its shadow over the world, I found a solution to all the noise. Starting this time of year and extending into early summer, I take any and every opportunity I can get to shut off the TV, the chirping smart phone and whatever else is vying for my attention to go outside and find birds. The spring migration is a wonder in this part of the world. With the Missouri River dividing our state and the mighty Mississippi just a state to the east, we are in prime flyway country.

In March, I took a day trip to Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Brown County, where I saw thousands of snow geese and other waterfall congregating on their way to the Arctic. The day I was there, it was estimated that 500,000 birds were in the area. Seeing that much life in one spot is something, but then to witness portions of it take flight en masse is another wonder entirely. Small tornadoes of wings, feathers and goose honks filled the sky and slowly moved away. This is a kind of noise I’m OK with … once a year. The arrival and subsequent passing through of snow geese is noisy, let’s be honest, but it also means spring is on its way!

Of course, this is South Dakota, so just because spring is near does not mean winter is over. On Easter weekend, a near blizzard was pummeling Sioux Falls. Ironically, snowy days are some of my favorite times to get out and shoot photos of birds. They tend to flock closer to the ground, stay put longer and the bad weather makes for great backgrounds. This year’s Easter snowstorm provided all that and more. Plus, I was completely surprised to find the first little warblers of the year out browsing for insects in the midst of the wind and weather. Yellow-rumpled warblers, which incidentally have one of the greatest bird names of all time, were seen both at Terrace Park and the Outdoor Campus. This means real spring is even closer. In fact, I’m hoping by next weekend it will be here for good.

Here are 16 photos of my bird hunts this year and eight from last year to show examples of what is yet to come. The great thing about birding this time of year is that most of us can do it from our back porch if we need to stay isolated. Just so you know, on all my birding trips so far this year, I easily encountered far more birds than people, although the birds seem to maintain much more than the recommended 6 feet of social distancing. Even so, witnessing the spring migration this or any year is a hopeful thing. The good book reminds us that no sparrow falls to the ground outside of the Creator’s care. If that, then how much more for us? This is a comforting thought in my book. Happy spring! Stay safe and be well.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

A Winter of Art

By Christian Begeman

When I started doing this photo column, I wondered from time to time just what I should share. The wise answer from my friends at the magazine was simple. Just show us what you are shooting and tell us a little about it. It was good advice, but this time around, I discovered its one flaw. What if I didn’t get out and shoot like normal? It’s tough enough to get out of the house with winter weather in January and February, but this year was even harder for me with an expanded work role, a couple of bouts with a stomach virus and a lower back problem mixed in just to make it interesting. Now, with the world in an unprecedented immobile state due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I really didn’t think I’d have a column to share with you this month. But then I remembered that good advice: Show us what you have been shooting. I haven’t stopped taking photos this winter, and I realized that the last two months may have been my most”artistic” winter to date.

It started with my secret Santa at work. I drew an accomplished photographer who does amazing portrait work. She gave me a lens ball, a simple, round ball of glass that I started seeing photographers use a few years ago as a new, unique and fun way to shoot images. That said, I didn’t consider it”my style.” Plus, I’m becoming cheaper as I get older, so I passed on buying one for myself. Bad decision. When I took the lens ball out for a photo session, I spent two hours playing in the snow like a kid, then another fascinating half hour with a typically amazing South Dakota winter sunset.

Later, when the South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota basketball teams squared off in the South Dakota Showdown, the Arc of Dreams in downtown Sioux Falls was illuminated in the schools’ colors. Since my day job partially consists of supporting Midco Sports Network, which was broadcasting the game, I found myself out shooting the Arc for the first time in a stiff wind and subzero temperatures. I’m not sure why I waited so long, as the Arc is a real work of art and provides a unique vista, especially at night.

In late February and early March, Sioux Falls hosted both the NSIC and Summit League conference basketball tournaments, both of which Midco Sports Network televises. So once again I found myself at the Arc shooting time lapses to be used in the broadcasts. While there for the third time this winter, I decided to take the lens ball and soon found myself having a whole lot of fun again on that brisk winter evening.

Just a few nights ago, after a snow came and melted, I took the lens ball to Lake Vermillion Recreation Area in rural McCook County. My goal was to play with reflections and see what kind of visual interest the lens ball would add. Again, I was amazed at what a seemingly little bauble of glass could do under the right circumstances.

So that’s what I’ve been shooting this winter, thank you very much. Actually, I mean that wholeheartedly to my secret Santa of 2019. Thank YOU very much!

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

A Walk Along the Wintry River

By Christian Begeman

Sickness has kept me indoors for the last two weekends. I guess it is that time of year. Even though we are in the heart of winter, it doesn’t always mean that folks like to stay cooped up during their free time. I’m no different, and sick or not, as crazy as it may sound, I’ve come to enjoy the variety of winter weather we experience along the Big Sioux River around Sioux Falls. A quiet walk along one of the local river trails helps clear away a lot of the anxieties and stress of the work week. On a recent trek along bottom trails of the Big Sioux Recreation Area, I was accompanied by a straight down, steady snowfall. It was like silent words of a poem falling on and around me.

With winter weather making travel difficult, I’ve started getting to know a few of the local”river parks” as I like to call them. Good Earth State Park, Newton Hills State Park and the Big Sioux Recreation Area are all close enough to get there and back in most winter conditions. Each offers a great deal of winter birding opportunities, long trails to hike, solitude and interesting photographic opportunities that can be a bit of a challenge to tease out.

Be warned, it’s not usually normal hiking conditions. The trails can easily ice over with winter thaws and re-freezing. The Big Sioux was still high and running with open water when I hiked in the snowfall in mid-January. It didn’t take long to realize that navigating the steep trails alongside the riverbank with gear in hand was a bit more dangerous than I anticipated. One awkward footfall or lean to get the right angle for a photo could easily result in a slip down into the water. Thankfully that did not happen, but it did make for a couple dicey minutes. I learned once again that I’m not near as young and nimble as I want to be anymore.

While walking trails at the Newton Hills horse camp area a couple weeks later, I discovered a new language — or, at least, new to me — written on the snow. The day was quiet with very little bird sound or living activity (besides me). It wasn’t for lack of wildlife; I saw various animal tracks in the snow. Birds, deer, raccoon, rabbit, even mice tracks were everywhere in the recently fallen snow once I started looking. I realize that hunters have learned this language of tracks in the snow for thousands of years, but I hadn’t really paid much attention until that day. I guess I never really had to, knowing my next hunt consisted of reaching into the freezer for the next frozen pizza to throw in the oven. Even so, just taking a half hour to study the variety of tracks and try to figure out an interesting way to make a photograph or two became a bright spot to that particular winter walk.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pining for winter to be long and drawn out. I’m not hoping for snow to last through April. But I do appreciate the less-than-obvious beauty found in a winter walk. So, here’s to a few more healthy, feel-good, carefree treks into the winter wonderland this season. Then let’s have a nice slow thaw and enjoy that glorious springtime weather, which I know is on the way. It always is.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Winter Safari

By Christian Begeman

As the years have gone along, a new holiday tradition has emerged — the drive. When you work 8 to 5 in the winter months in South Dakota, it becomes difficult to get out and enjoy the landscapes in the sunlight. So, when I finally get a few days off for the holidays, I’ve made it a point to schedule extra travel days — a full day to make what normally would be a four-and-a-half-hour drive on the way out and a couple more days to take an even wider loop on the way back. It’s my way to enjoy the scenery under the winter sky, to watch the vistas slip by beyond the windshield and get lost in vastness.

This year, I cut across the bulk of the state on Christmas Eve using Highways 10 and 12. There was significant fog, so once it became light enough to see, the landscape was a frosted winter wonderland. Near Houghton, I spied pheasants and deer and stopped to get a photo or two. The frost continued all the way through Walworth County, where I stopped at a favorite country church just outside of Selby to capture the frosted trees framing the rural steeple.

After the Christmas festivities, I began the long and completely out of the way journey back by heading towards the southern Black Hills. It is raptor season along the highways and byways of West River country. The number of hawks and eagles perched along the roads were too many to count. In Dewey County, somewhere between Timber Lake and Eagle Butte on Highway 63, I saw a huge Golden Eagle perched on a power pole. Further down the road, I took a detour from the detour and turned into the Foster Bay Recreation Area along the southern arm of where the Cheyenne River meets Lake Oahe. This little drive always seems to be full of wildlife and grand views across the open prairie. On an earlier winter trip to Foster Bay, I watched an eagle drive a yearling dear over a hilltop, trying to get his talons into the deer’s back and have some venison for a meal. No such drama this time around, but there were plenty of deer, as well as a couple juvenile bald eagles perched on a high hill.

My time in the Black Hills was cut short a day by incoming weather, but I still saw the sun rise over Wind Cave National Park with a small herd of bison and cruised the backroads of eastern Custer County on my way to another detour through the Badlands. The sun set on my last day of the winter safari as I drove through the White River breaks near an old, forgotten spot on the map called Stamford. Only a foundation and a crossroads remain. I was tempted to drive south into the White River Valley, prolonging the trip, but clouds were rolling in as the light faded. I reluctantly made my way back to Interstate 90 and headed east. Another holiday had come and gone. Another epic winter drive across South Dakota ended at 80 miles an hour on a four-lane ribbon of road leading home.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Black and White Review

By Christian Begeman

November tends to put me in a black and white mood. The end of the year has begun. No more green. No more leaves. Brown on brown. Bleak on bleak. Stark though it may be, there is beauty in simplicity. And the lack of color can sometimes help to see a scene better, particularly in scenes of black and white.

I should confess that I’ve always been interested and intrigued by black and white images. When they are well done, they tend to evoke feelings of nostalgia and maybe even loneliness. They also can bring certain details to the forefront that might otherwise go unnoticed in color images. I first learned how to develop black and white images in an old-fashioned darkroom. The smell of the chemicals, the red light and the fascination of watching an image emerge from a seemingly blank piece of paper floating in the bath was both amazing and somewhat addicting.

For this column, I revisit my fascination with black and white. Folks have asked me over the years about technique and process, so I wanted to share some images from this most recent season of black and white moods. I’ll also share a few of the same scenes in full color. Then you can decide which one you prefer.

I never take black and white photos in the field. I believe some (if not many) cameras allow you to take photos in monochrome when you trip the shutter. This is akin to using black and white rolls of film instead of color film in the days before digital cameras. I used to do it myself, but not anymore.

Pretty much all digital photo editors nowadays allow you to desaturate images in one way or another. The more advanced versions even allow you to adjust the levels of reds, greens, yellows, blues and magentas when editing monochrome. This may seem counterintuitive at first blush. Why would the amount of red make any difference if the final image will have no color in it? Well, that’s a great question. The best answer goes back to photography techniques that the great Ansel Adams taught us. He would shoot scenes using red, orange and yellow filters. This technique altered that particular wavelength of light before it exposed on the film. A red filter would render blue skies black, and green grass would become lighter, for example. Adams taught us that the best black and white images had a true black and a true white somewhere within the composition. Adding filter allowed him to better find those tones. Nowadays we can simulate that technique with digital sliders and adjustments.

One of my first photography professors told me something that I remember to this day and with which I still agree. He said there is nothing quite as beautiful as grass in black and white photography. Add South Dakota’s famous blue skies accented with white clouds and you have a recipe for very interesting black and white scenes.

So maybe this season of early winter isn’t so bad for photography after all. I guess the bleak is what you make of it. This hobby of photography has taught me something that I never knew I needed to learn: there is beauty in almost every vista we find before us each day. It all depends on how you look at it.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

A Glimpse of Fall

By Christian Begeman

The fall of 2019 was moody and somewhat mysterious. It arrived late and left early. The abundant rains of this year’s warmer months kept the landscape green long into October. When the leaves finally decided to give in to the season’s turning, the winds that ripped them from their branches weren’t far behind. An old photography adage says that bad weather makes for good photographs, so even though autumn barely touched down this time around, there were still good opportunities for photos.

Around the first of October, I was in the western portion of our great state. In Custer State Park, prairie coneflowers were still in bloom and there was plenty of lush, green grass. But up in the high country, the wet weather hovered between cold rain and freezing mist. This made for extraordinary macro visions of colored leaves holding hands with newly forming ice droplets.

A few days later, I ventured into the rugged country of Harding County only to see that the Slim Buttes had a cloak of snow at the base of its annual autumn splendor. A little further south at Castle Butte, I caught an interesting vision of hay bales smoking in the early morning sun. At least that’s what it looked like. What was really happening was that the warm sun was striking the snow directly, and instead of melting, the water in the snow went right into the gas stage, vaporizing into the morning air.

The following week, the early snow seemed to follow me back across the state. The foliage had begun to blush by then, and with the thick snowflakes the scene at the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls soon resembled an impressionistic masterpiece.

The Big Sioux River was in flood stage for most of this year. Oddly enough, because of this I found my greatest visions of fall beauty all year. At the Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon, the forested flats near the riverbanks have walking paths and a disc golf course. Unfortunately, the majority of this area was under water all year. By the time fall colors peaked along the riverside, the waters had receded into the banks but left behind mud flats and still pools of water. This phenomenon presented a unique way to enjoy the fall beauty, as mirror-like pools essentially doubled the fall color. It was quite an enchanting scene, even though I nearly ruined a pair of hiking shoes with mud and water on three different trips to try to capture this new-found beauty. Although I could see the loveliness of the season through the mess, there is still quite a mess to clean up before that area of the park returns to normal. It reminded me of all the other resulting troubles our state has endured in 2019.

So, like the season itself, the scenes I captured are a bit bittersweet. Yes, they are beautiful, but the beauty came at a cost. Likewise, autumn in its fleeting beauty means the hardships of winter on the high plains is nigh. It is a cost we must pay every year. Even so, I can’t help but love fall in this part of the world. I just hope it sticks around a bit longer next year.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.