Picture It I See photography

07/04/2025

Happy Fourth of July everyone. Have a great day and stay safe.

07/04/2025

It hides in the shadows and darkness of old forgotten Barns, sheds and  farm houses, that now belong to the ages. I was here to take pictures of what was left of this old collapsing barn and its relics that werer inside. Coming around the corner of the barn there at sat big as life the creature that hunts by night and sleeps by day a barn ow. I ducked back around the corner of the barn. I adjusted my settings on my camera. I walked a big circle out in front of it. It was no more afraid of me than I was of it.  I suspected there may be was a nest inside. It’s reluctance to fly away made me think that very thought. I snapped a few pictures then went on my way. My pictures could wait until another day. Walking away I glanced over my shoulder and saw it sitting so nonchalant. I whispered thanks for the pictures and Godspeed my friend.

07/02/2025

Up where eagles fly it plays alone. A baby mountain goat, exploring its new world. Sure footedness it was born with. Jumping and leaping without fear. I could feel a sense of freedom radiating from this young baby. I thought to myself how wonderful it must be to be so wild and free. Godspeed little one stay safe and free.

07/02/2025

In the lush green meadow near Deer field lake she sat. She was the epitome of poor. The cloths on her back and a beat up old ford tarsus that seemed to be held together buy rust and wire made up her worldly possessions. I meet her 3 years ago at the Rainbow convention that was held in the Black Hills. Her child sat content on her lap unaware of the gravity of there situation. I sat, talked, listened and learned the true meaning of happiness from this women of 21. I asked if she was happy? She replied why wouldn't I be? I have all I need right here on my lap. I sounded critical and told her she needed more than a child and a puppy to be happy. The epitome of love sits on my lap she replied. I have a daughter who is to young to hate and loves me unconditionally. The puppy is a bundle of joy and unbridled compassion. I sat and watched her daughter wake up the puppy and started playing with him. The laughter and joy that came from this child has she played with that puppy bought a smile to my face. I than started thinking about my car payment due tomorrow. I thought about the roof over my head my cloths and the food in my refrigerator. Do these things make me happy or just content? This young women did not have a nickel to her name but she knew love and love knew her and that my friends makes her rich in ways some of us will never know or understand.

06/30/2025

With confidence and pride, she honors her heritage, recognizing its value in shaping who she is today 🦅

06/30/2025

Curly, Larry and Moe

Driving down the gravel road I was watching the sunrise. I looked up ahead. I could see three objects sitting on the fence line. I pulled up slowly with my car and rolled my window down. They just sat there. They were short-eared owls, and it was my guess they were a family unit. Through the past years, I have ran into them before short-eared owls. The young are very curious when they first leave the nest. Mom is no longer with them to let them know what to be afraid of and what not to be afraid of. I took my pictures then put my camera away. They just sat there looking at me. I got to wondering things as I watched these owls bobbing their head back-and-forth trying to figure out what I was. I wondered to myself. Do they see themselves has brothers and sisters? Do they feel love? Do they express love? Will they ever recognize each other once they fly away after months and years have passed? I wish they could talk to me. I wish they could answer my questions. My bleeding heart for these youngsters made me wanna sit here with them forever. I don’t know how much time had passed? Moments like this never last long enough. It didn’t take long before one flew away. Then another and finally the last one. They all flew in different directions. One minute they were a family and the next minute they’re on their own. I thought about my own children graduating from high school going to college being on her own. I wonder if their mom had the same anxiety as I did. I finally shook my head, started my car and down the road I drove trying to clear the questions out of my mind. I focused my eyes on the road ahead, wiped a tear from my eye, and then in a soft whisper I said goodbye.

06/29/2025

Happy National camera day.

06/28/2025

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A review from a follower of my photography: Your art seems so effortless! I don't think there is a single thing that you have photographed that I don't love!! You create all kinds of emotion in me, sadness, wistfulness, love, in that I have always loved antiques and real houses like they used to bui...

06/27/2025

I went looking yesterday for Eagles nest. Spent hours searching the trees and all I saw were these two. I do believe they’re golden eagles. They were feeding on a cow carcass a couple of hundred yards away.

06/24/2025

Huston, we have a problem!!!!
I was driving home from Custer State Park. The traffic from the park to Highway 79 was brutal and crazy. It was car after car, nonstop, both ways. Up ahead, I saw a whitetail doe nervously cross the road. Once on the other side, she froze like a statue with her head turned back, staring intently at the pasture on the other side. I sensed right away she must have a baby fawn, and that was what she was waiting for. I knew with the non-stop traffic, the fawn would never make it. In a split second, I pulled over on the narrow stretch of highway that had no shoulder to park on. It was a do-or-die moment for me. I watched intently for a fawn to appear in the tall grass from the pasture in which her mother came. The doe was still standing like a statue, looking behind her. In the corner of my eye, I saw the tall grass moving in the pasture from which her mother came. I saw white dots moving through the grass. It was then I opened my car door and jumped into the heavy traffic, praying the non-stop traffic would stop for me. I stretched my arms open wide, standing in the middle of the highway. Cars were stopped and piling up 3-4 cars deep. I then saw the baby fawn pacing nervously, wondering to itself if it should cross the road. People in the cars were getting impatient, honking their horns in their vehicles, looking distraught. The baby fawn then scrambled across to the other side where her mother waited patiently. Together, once again, they ran into the deep, lush meadow and disappeared into some trees. I jumped into my car, and traffic resumed. The people who could see what was going on, some applauded, others, in anger, flipped me the bird. I did not care; it was my do-or-die moment. It wasn't a human life I saved that day. It was a life period, and that's all that mattered. Knowing the two were back together made me smile like I had not smiled in a long time. "This was the picture I snapped with my cell phone as the fawn crossed to her waiting mom."
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06/21/2025

In my home, state of South Dakota small towns struggle to survive. Small farms are pushed out by corporate farms. Small towns slowly die as they lose traffic and Sales to bigger towns and cities. Yet through it all a simplistic way of life carries on. Old and young people hold fast to a way of life that was embodied in them through years of growing up here. The haunting memories live with me still. I cannot change who I am no more than I could change the landscape that surrounds my every day life. These pictures are more than moments frozen in time. They are my memories of the town called home.

06/19/2025

it’s hard to believe it’s been a year already. It was such a magical time in my life. It’s long, but it’s definitely worthl the read.

When I first saw them they could barely look out over the nest.
There were two of them,
wide eyed and curious about the man below taking pictures of them.

Through the next 6 to 8 weeks I watched them grow.

They first looked like sentinels standing on the edge of their nest….
growing too large for it.

They eventually took a leap of faith and learned to sit on nearby branches.

On windy days it was fun to watch them.
Their balance was a little off which made them a little wobbly high up on the treetops.

One day, one of the siblings thought he was much older than what he actually was and decided it was time to fly.

Strength in his wings was not there to sustain him and down to the green grass below he fell.

When I arrived the next day, he was sitting about 5 feet off the ground.

He looked mad at the world.
I told him “don’t worry little guy I’ll help you back up”.

So, this short on brains camera guy, found the longest sturdiest stick he could find.
I put it out in front of him and he stepped onto it.

He put all the faith he had into somebody he knew absolutely nothing about.
I started to lift him up towards the top.
I wanted to make sure he was high enough and far enough away from the many predators.

Things were going great. I was almost to the top when it happened….
The branch broke!!!
The owl came tumbling down on top of this unsuspecting camera guy!!!!

I suppose you could call me lucky the owl did not break anything and
all I got out of the scare was a tear on the back of my hand from one of the talons.
It could’ve been so much worse, but it turned out OK.
Well, I must’ve planted the seed inside his head because for the next hour, I watched him jump from one branch to the next.
Soon he was back up close to his siblings.

I left knowing that he should be OK up there.

Two weeks later, I came back and they were gone.
I looked and looked
up and down the tree line to no avail.
They must’ve been strong enough and flew away.

With the owls gone,
I took off in search
of my next great adventure
on the gravel roads of Western South Dakota.

I went some 3 1/2 miles to the east and drove down through this little hamlet of trees.

When I got down to the bottom, I saw something flash to my left.
I stopped my vehicle and rolled down the window.

I looked over and saw another flash of brown…and it was big!!!

That flash stopped quickly and perched himself on a branch
…..and there were my missing owls !!!!

I looked at him and he looked at me for the longest time.

I pondered to myself …
did he stop to say hello or did he stop to say good-bye.

I don’t speak the language of an owl and I cannot read their minds.

It was then I blinked my eyes and he was gone.

I never did see them again after that.

I was glad to see the two stay together to help each other out.
The downy feathers on top of his head prove to me they had some growing to do.

I shook my head as I drove away….shedding a few tears.

It’s always fun to see a new adventure begin but it’s also quite sad when they end.