South Dakota
near Dimock, South Dakota
Today was a very, very, very windy day in South Dakota. Not occasional gusts, either, but this incredible, ever-present south wind that made it difficult to operate car doors and take steady photographs. An elderly gentleman in Irene told me that it's usually windy there - but not always this windy - and sometimes more windy. I just smiled.
I do have to say that I like south-eastern South Dakota a lot. There are a lot of narrow gravel roads and wide open spaces to explore, plus the huge skies are fantastic. It feels good to get out on the road for a few days towards some place new.
I am spending the night in Mitchell, home of the world famous Corn Palace, many souvenir stands and cowboy-themed restaurants. Mitchell is an easy day's drive from the Black Hills on I-90 and attracts more than its share of tourists this time of the year. Tomorrow I'll be headed towards the state capital of Pierre and Lake Oahe.
The image above was edited with Nik Software's Snapseed on my iPad. It's a nifty app, although the iPad's limitations make it difficult to post to Blogger via the device. I eventually emailed the edited image back to myself and created this post on my dreadfully slow netbook.
Also visited: Riverside, Iowa. Hub City, Volin, Menno, Olivet, Tripp and Parkston, South Dakota.
Another Sunday afternoon...
Thurman, Iowa
Sidney, Iowa
Villisca, Iowa
near Stennett, Iowa
Montgomery County, Iowa
Also visited: Randolph, Anderson, Imogene, Essex, Coburg, Hepburn, Viking Lake and Stanton, Iowa.
It's been far too long
It's been a busy few weeks for me. Work, school and the show at the Hot Shops have been taking up all of my time. Now that everything is winding down, I found time to get out and explore a few of the towns in Nebraska that I haven't visited yet. As you can tell, it was a near-perfect day for making photographs. A very productive day at that.
I can't begin to explain how much I needed to get out on the road. It's been entirely too long. I plan to begin work on my next project over the summer and will have more information about it once everything falls into place. I have begun to research the project, but, as my past endeavors have illustrated, the initial plans usually bear little resemblance to the eventual results of the effort.
And remember, photographs from The Magic City are on display through next weekend at the Hot Shops if you've yet to see the show.
Saunders County
Surprise
Seward County
Loma Cemetery
Also visited: Jack Sinn Memorial State Wildlife Area, Ceresco, Valparaiso, Dwight, Ulysses, Gresham, Staplehurst, Oak Glen State Wildlife Area, and Raymond.
The Magic City at the Hot Shops
The first exhibition of photographs from my series on South Omaha is up and ready to go at the Hot Shops. The spring open house runs today from 12-8 and Sunday from 12-5. I'm going to do my best to be around for most all of the open house so stop by and say hello.
Framed images are priced at $100 (16x20) and $70 (11x14). If you're interested in the smaller size, please be aware that you will receive a matted image. There was a mix-up in the mats I ordered, so the photographs on display are framed without mats. So it goes.
I'll also have a selection of 6x9" images from the series and some greatest hits for sale for only $30 in a very nice string-tie envelope.
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Here's the artist statement for the project:
The Magic City
Photographs of South Omaha
After being founded in 1884, South Omaha grew to be a city of 8,000 people by 1890 and 30,000 by the time Omaha formally annexed it in 1915. Because of this remarkable growth, South Omaha was nicknamed "The Magic City."
I moved to South Omaha a few years ago and have fallen in love with this area of the city. This photo project is a an exploration of its neighborhoods and a tribute to its rebirth over the last decade. It serves as a visual document of South Omaha's details and landscapes as it exists at this particular moment in history.
I'd like to thank Kate Saroka, Kelly Adams, Les and Deanna Vavak, Jeremy Hanson, Nic and Kaeli Swiercek, and Bill Hess for their help and support in my endeavors.