Sioux Falls Airshow Part 2

I know, I know, more airshow photos, but I just can't help it!

The first two photos were taken on my Friday afternoon practice shoot. The sky was so much better on Friday. As you can see the sky was not very kind while shooting on Saturday, but you get what you get unless you are personal friends with Mother Nature!  The sky was much better on Sunday, but I chose to stay home which was a good call. The temps were over 100 on Sunday.

 The Raptor made a pass with it's cargo doors open.

Heritage flight, blending the old with the new.

This looks really wild. Bodies falling from the sky with red smoke.

They all made it down safe and sound! 

Do you think there were a lot of sore necks the next day?

I wonder if the chiropractors were busy this week?

Sioux Falls Airshow Part 1

What a great two days of shooting.  I am still editing my 1965 photos from the last two days. Saturday morning was dedicated to shooting the ground show or static planes. What amazing machines they are.  A couple of the older planes did offer rides for a fee. I caught them as they were heading out for a once in a life time ride along. Pretty amazing. I am so glad there are groups dedicated to keeping the flying spirit alive for these older planes!

Airshow - Practice Round

This weekend is the Sioux Falls Airshow. It is a great event and best of all it is FREE!

I took today off to do some practice shooting of the planes since they go through their practice rounds also. I am still in awe that they can even get off the ground let alone flipping this way and that and flying upside down! The practice round went ok for me. I have got a few settings figured out on my camera which helped a lot.  FYI----I went through one 8GB card just shooting today! YIKES!  

I sure do love the old planes, but the vapor trails around the jets are pretty darn cool also.  

Our local camera shop, Harold's Photo and Tamron Lenses are sponsoring a workshop this weekend in conjunction with the airshow.  We will be photographing the planes pretty early tomorrow morning and shooting throughout the day....I CAN'T WAIT! 

If you are in town, get out there an enjoy this awesome event, but make sure you stay hydrated and have sunscreen!

Here are a few of the images from my practice round!

(I am saving some of the Blue Angel photos for a future post!)

Bad River Road.......

The human spirit needs places where nature

has not been rearranged by the hand of man. ~Author Unknown

This past weekend we were visiting friends in Pierre, SD.  Saturday morning I was able to sneak out and do a little photo shooting along the Bad River Road

just south and west of Ft Pierre, SD. 

This is an amazing area with stunning prairie views and no lack of wildlife. 

I was even lucky enough to see Ted Turner's HUGE herd of buffalo!  Turner owns 141,357 acres along the Bad River. I am not sure how many head of buffalo he has at the Bad River Ranch, but the estimate total head of buffalo at all the ranches he owns is around 55,000!

I was tempted to call this entry bird on a post. You will get the point as you look at the photos. I had one hawk sit on a post and pose for me, stretching out his wing.  At one point it seemed like there were hawks on every other fence post!  I have never seen so many in one area.

The list of wildlife from the early morning trip goes as follows: buffalo, deer, antelope with two kids, snake, wild turkey, hawks, burrowing owls, prairie dogs, phesants and numerous birds!

I also took a not so great picture of a burrowing owl poking its head out of a burrow. From what I have read they like living around burrowing mamals. The will take over the burrow or make their own and line it with cow pies or some sort of animal dung! Now there is a nice

potpourri scent you won't find at any big box store! 

This is a wonderful area to take an early morning drive. It is just what the human spirit needs.

You can always find something on the Prairie to shoot!

This past Sunday, I decided to head to Blue Mound State Park in Luverne, MN for some photo ops.  It was on a recommendation from a previous visit to come back in June or July, because the prairie flowers would be blooming.   Even though the one plant I wanted to photograph, Prairie Smoke, had already bloomed in May, I did find some interesting subjects not to mention the clouds!