Tag: photography

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Tour de Frost

By Christian Begeman

France has the Tour de France. Mitchell has the Tour de Corn (which I took part in one year, incidentally, bringing up the rear on the blue, non-road bike). Does anyone have a Tour de Frost? I doubt it, but that definition is how I have begun referring to my recent travels in South Dakota. To be honest, I actually described this column to managing editor John Andrews this way:”A veritable tour de force of frosted landscapes and icy detail.” From”tour de force” to Tour de Frost isn’t too much of a leap even for a simple guy like me. All of that is to say, this column is dedicated to the winter wonderlands I have enjoyed so far this season. It’s all thanks to winter fog that leaves hoarfrost or soft rime ice. This frozen moisture that seemingly appears from nowhere has the power to transform brown and muted winterscapes into magical fairy tale scenes.

The tour starts in northeast South Dakota. A mid-December Saturday weather report spoke of fog around Watertown. There was no snow on the ground, so the prospect of fog and frost was enough to get me on the road. Around Highway 212 west of Watertown is where Jack Frost’s work became remarkable. I stopped at Telemarken and Goodhue Lutheran country churches (both near Wallace) where the soft rime on the wrought iron gates to the churchyards was exquisitely long and beautiful. Further north past Waubay and into the Big Coulee area south of Sisseton, the prairie hills were rich with frost and fine winter scenery. I got my”White Christmas” feeling without a single snowflake falling from the sky.

Just after Christmas, I took a much-needed vacation to Custer State Park for a few days. I started the trip in Walworth County where a light hoarfrost covered the Missouri River hills with an elegant beauty just before the morning sun dispatched it. On my last day in the Black Hills, a heavy fog blanketed northern Wind Cave National Park and the southern reaches of Custer State Park. At a pullout along Red Valley Road, I spent at least half an hour on my belly finding delicate leaves, rose-hips and blades of grass all seemingly coated with sugar. Just as I was getting into my truck after brushing away the clinging ice, a lone coyote appeared from around the bend in the road. He stopped and locked eyes with me. It was quite the moment. After careful consideration and allowing a few shots from this odd-looking paparazzi, he moved off into the frost-laden hillside grass. Later in the day, I found bison lounging on the prairie hills along Custer State Park’s Wildlife Loop Road. Their dark shapes against the icy landscape were a beautiful contrast of strength on strength, life unfazed by the season of death.

The last portion of the tour brought me back to southeastern South Dakota. A heavy fog that slowly burned off during an early January Saturday morning was all it took for me to go looking for red barns against the frosted landscape. These scenes are one of the most beautiful things to discover in winter. I headed for a particular barn in Moody County, and I wasn’t disappointed. The beauty of a frosty day like that is that I found plenty of other wonderland scenes to photograph, a tour de force of winter imagery on this year’s Tour de Frost.

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.

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Winter Sanctuaries

By Christian Begeman

Christmas time has rolled around again. This season has been a little different than most. First, there is little to no snow, and second, we all have felt the anxiety and angst of a turbulent year. Somehow, the last few months have seemed to ratchet those feelings up a notch. That means it’s a perfect time for a holiday celebrating peace, love and goodwill. As for the lack of snow, I recently heard a wise farmer quip,”If there is going to be a drought, I want it to be in winter.”

Some of my fondest memories of Christmas took place in the church my family attended in Isabel. Starting with the first Sunday in Advent, our little congregation turned up the volume when Christmas hymns came out. With an organ and piano leading the way, we would rattle the windows on”Joy to the World” and make a joyful noise attempting to hit every note on the chorus of”Angels We Have Heard on High.”

The best part of Advent was the Christmas Eve service. Small brown bags full of peanuts, old-fashioned hard candy and apples were handed out on arrival. We’d sing favorite hymns, light candles and then every family exchanged gifts and cards. It seemed every face wore a broad smile. Many of those faces now gone. There was Art the usher, who gave each of us kids a piece of candy after Sunday school. Molly, a widow with the kindest heart you’d ever meet. And Chris, who created the most interesting gifts made of polished agate and other rocks. Incidentally, Chris was also hard of hearing and always revved his car engine to near jet-level decibels when leaving (which we boys loved). I could go on with memories of revered Sunday school teachers, old friends and manger scenes.

I suppose these memories are part of the reason I have enjoyed seeking out and photographing country churches. The buildings are not only pleasing to the eye, but they stand for so much more. Community. Faith. Family. Love. Death. Forgiveness. Hope. These are the things I remember when I think about my time growing up in church.

I started creating an annual”Prairie Sanctuaries” calendar in 2014. Each month features a different country church with a photo taken in that same month. For this month’s column, I thought it would be visually interesting, as well as poignant, to pull together a collection of winter scenes featuring these prairie churches. I’ve included a couple of brand-new photos taken on December 13, a very frosty day in northeast South Dakota. It was some of the only wintry white we’ve experienced this season. Seeing the church steeples and frost immediately put me in the Christmas spirit. As I wandered through the nearby cemeteries and along the wrought iron fences, the memories of all those smiling faces and joyous times at my little church rose up and lingered for a sweet moment like the fading tendrils of smoke from the candles in the window.

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.

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Crossing Over

By Christian Begeman

I’m not much with paint. I struggle to draw a stick figure. I don’t consider myself an artist. I realize some may make the argument that photography is an art form, but I’m not easily persuaded. My uncle Jack was an artist. He was born without the use of his arms and learned to draw and paint holding a pencil or brush in his mouth. I once watched him draw to near perfection a vase holding a bouquet of flowers in the matter of 10 to 15 minutes. Shading, shadows, perspective … it was all there. He also had the gift of seeing things in nature and combining them on the canvas of his oil paintings. When I got into photography, he used to take me on drives around the countryside. We’d stop and shoot photos of any scene that inspired him. Sometimes it was evening light on a far butte or a lone tree on a hill. Because of his influence, I am certain I see the world differently now.

Earlier this spring I discovered a filter in Photoshop that added an”oil paint” look to an image. I was immediately drawn into trying it on various photos to see if I could imitate the style I’d seen on my uncle’s canvases. I immediately fell in love with what the filter does with grass and trees. I applied it to an image of ponderosa pine adorned with a white winter blanket taken on a winter solstice day in Spearfish Canyon a few years ago. The result totally changed the image. I saw faces and shapes in the trees. I looked at it for a long time. Maybe I’d crossed over into the realm of art?

Over the years, there has been a lot of argument, discussion and outright disagreement with digitally enhanced photos. I strongly believe there is a time and place for it. Journalism must be ultra-judicious with touching up photos and must always err on the side of letting the viewer see what the camera saw. On the other side of the spectrum, I’m perfectly OK with fine art photographers using digital tools to their utmost, with one caveat: Be honest and upfront about it. If you changed out the sky, made the moon bigger or combined two or more images, simply be honest about it. Tell your viewers what you did. Not doing so is dishonest. This is why I had to explain to a certain loved one that no, the full blue moon we had in October was not actually blue in color, even though shared photos online tried to show a different story.

All of that is to say I wanted to share some of my digital art creations this month, partially in honor of my uncle’s memory and also to encourage anyone reading this to explore the arts during this weird and uncertain time. I got lost in the creation of the last image in the set for nearly three hours on a recent, blustery Saturday afternoon, and it was a heavenly experience. The image pays homage to Van Gogh so I can’t take credit for the original idea, but that’s OK. I still learned and I still enjoyed the process. And I still wanted to share it with friends and family as soon as it was done. There is joy in the doing, as I like to say, and if occasionally the final piece brings a smile or a spark of inspiration, then all the better.

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.

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When Autumn Leaves Start to Fall

By Christian Begeman

The autumn of 2020 across South Dakota has come and nearly gone already, at least in terms of fall color. For the past several years I’ve made it a point to get out into the great wide open, seeking the last burst of color before the muted tones of winter settle in. This year, much of the state has been extremely dry since mid-summer or even earlier. Typically, that means autumn color starts painting the leaves in the river valley hills and coulees a few days earlier than usual. The good news is that fall colors are often more vibrant in dryer years. One just has to hope that the inevitable northwest wind doesn’t tear the leaves from the trees before we get a chance to admire the beauty.

As I’ve captured fall photos from Harding County to Minnehaha County (and many points in between), I’ve had a new song stuck in my head. Actually, it isn’t really a new song at all, just new to me. First composed in 1945 by Joseph Kosma with original lyrics by Jacques PrÈvert in French, and later by Johnny Mercer in English the jazz standard”Autumn Leaves” has been around a while and recorded many times over the years.

I first heard the song when listening to Sparse, an EP by South Dakota musicians Jami Lynn and Andrew Reinartz. I’d be a liar if I told you I know much about jazz, but this mini collection of original tunes and covers may be taking me one or two steps closer to becoming a fan. Jami and Andrew’s cover of”Autumn Leaves” is probably my favorite song on the EP. If not for them, I wouldn’t even know this gem of a song existed, nor would I have become acquainted with the near perfect lyrics to go with my collection of autumn photos for this year:

The falling leaves drift by my window
The falling leaves of red and gold
I see your lips the summer kisses
The sunburned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I’ll hear old winter’s song
But I miss you most of all my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I’ll hear old winter’s song
But I miss you most of all my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

I miss you most of all my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall


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.

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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.

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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.

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A Heavenly Visitor

South Dakota stargazers have turned their attention to a new addition in the night sky: Comet NEOWISE, first discovered on March 27 and now streaking across the heavens. It’s the brightest visible comet since Hale-Bopp in 1997 and should remain visible through July. In the morning, the comet appears low on the northeastern horizon and shifts to the northwestern horizon in the evening.”Find the big dipper, line up the two stars that make the bottom of the dipper and let them point you to the comet,” says photographer Christian Begeman, who traveled the state and recorded NEOWISE from several rural locations.

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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.

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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.

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A Most Welcome Spring

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Christian Begeman

Since 2012, it has been tradition for me to journal the transition of winter to spring in South Dakota. The exercise has become something I look forward to more and more each year. Maybe it’s spring fever manifesting itself in a new way, or maybe I’m getting more sentimental as I age, but you just can’t beat this time of year for beauty and wonder out of doors. This year, 2020 (a number which is also synonymous with perfect vision), things have been a bit different. The”new normal” of living in a pandemic has affected the world. Nature, however, appears to be unfazed by human health concerns. The winds are still as wild, the flowers as beautiful and the transition from death to life as wondrous as it ever was. Maybe the 2020 vision metaphor is correct. Maybe the uncertainties and changes we face this spring can help us see a little clearer. Maybe we can see a little more perfectly that beauty remains. That hope truly does spring eternal.

March 28

I traveled to Badlands National Park to take advantage of dark night skies to capture the Milky Way rising. One of the signs of spring in the heavens is when the core of the Milky Way makes its reappearance in the early hours of early spring mornings.

March 29

After shooting the stars in the Badlands, I started the journey back to Sioux Falls as the first rays of sunlight painted the Bad River breaks south of Midland.

March 31

I found the year’s first tiny pasqueflower (for me) near Lake Hanson south of Alexandria.

April 4

A thirteen-lined ground squirrel enjoyed the early spring sun at Lake Alvin Recreation area. Later the skies were painted with a signature South Dakota sunset near Hartford.

April 10

While looking for spring birds migrating through Palisades State Park near Garretson, I heard a peculiar noise from inside a hollowed out tree base. I glanced over and saw a raccoon sow looking back at me. My guess is that she had cubs in there, but it was too dark to see inside and I didn’t want to stress her out by investigating further.

April 17

Hiking Union Grove State Park revealed trees beginning to bud and bloodroot wildflowers doing their best Jedi Knight impersonations.

April 21

I discovered an eastern comma butterfly sunning itself at Union Grove, as well as Dutchman’s breeches just starting to bloom.

April 25

I got the itch for a day trip on a sunny Saturday. I set my sights on the glacial hills of McPherson County, where I know of a couple nice pasqueflower patches. When I arrived, the chorus frogs were singing along with meadowlarks and red-winged blackbirds as the flowers waved and danced in the wind. Here is a short video of the scenes accompanied by an original Jami Lynn song called”Mayflower.”

April 26

One of the most heavenly smells of spring is in the air as plum thickets blossom at Union Grove State Park.

May 1

A day with temperatures in the low 80s caused this squirrel to stretch out and take it easy on a branch at Elmwood Park in Sioux Falls.

May 2

Migrating sparrows have arrived in great numbers, including this clay-colored sparrow who posed on a plum thicket branch at the Dells of the Big Sioux near Dell Rapids.

May 3

A solitary sandpiper at the Sioux Falls Outdoor Campus was reflected in the near still waters of the oxbow on a calm and quiet spring evening.

May 5

After a rainy and dull gray day, the clouds parted for just enough time around sunset to paint the cloudscape above Willow Creek Lutheran southwest of Dell Rapids.

May 6

The quintessential aroma of spring was in the air at Terrace Park in Sioux Falls as the lilac bushes began their bloom. Later in the day, I discovered a handful of hoary pucoon plants in bloom on a hillside at Newton Hills State Park.

May 8

While looking for spring warblers, a blue jay flew out of a mini-canyon at the Dells of the Big Sioux and preened. When he left he let loose a call, and I heard a diminutive answer further up the cut. Sure enough, a female blue jay was on a nest in the tangled branches and thickets. Later on the hike, I accidentally frightened a robin off her nest, so I snapped a couple photos of her beautiful blue eggs and left her to it as quickly as I could.

May 8

Driving the backroads of northwestern Minnehaha County near sunset, I spotted a great horned owlet hanging out on an old cottonwood tree and just to the south was a small pond on a game production area filled with ducks and wading birds. The chorus frogs were singing as the setting sun painted the northwestern sky. It was another near perfect spring evening on the high plains.

May 9

By chance, I discovered a”new to me” tiny wildflower while looking for warblers at the Sioux Falls Outdoor Campus. This little beauty is called false Solomon’s seal, or feathery false lily-of-the-valley.

May 10

Exactly one month after I saw the raccoon I was back in the Palisades and sure enough, there were now three pretty good sized cubs with their momma. They were mostly interested in their mother’s milk or playfighting, but for a few special moments I made eye contact and snapped a photo or two. Also, the wild gooseberry bushes were in flower, attracting bumblebees along the Palisades cliffs.

May 11

A very vocal Baltimore oriole and a handsome little yellow warbler brightened the evening with their color and song. I like to think of these birds as spring ornaments decorating the trees as they burst forth with new life.

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.