These images were made over the course of two visits to Wind Cave National Park, where the rolling Great Plains meet the rugged Black Hills.
The first visit was a quick one as I passed through the area on vacation with my family in October 2020. As we finished up a five mile hike, I knew I would have to return in the future. The endless hills punctuated by tree-filled valleys, rocky outcroppings, and lumbering bison beckoned to me for deeper exploration. It was just the kind of quiet landscape that has always drawn me in.
So I returned in October 2024, with the intent of getting to know this landscape a bit through hiking. (My friend Josiah and I covered every single marked trail in the park while we were there.) Although I wasn’t focused on making images, I still ended up taking my camera out often. This was made a bit easier by using a Ricoh GR IIIx, a small point-and-shoot camera that I was able to clip right to the strap of my backpack. Although I prefer to keep my pack as light as possible, this was a welcome alternative to using my phone for making quick images when a scene resonated with me as I hiked.
Thank you for taking a look at some of the images I brought home with me from the Plains. I hope you see a glimmer here of the quiet beauty that made me return to this amazing place.
