Growing up in South Dakota, I've noticed that many fellow Americans lump both North and South Dakota together saying "The Dakotas" or even just "Dakota." Strangely enough, I've only visited North Dakota only twice in my life. I embraced the opportunity to take a trip northward to experience (and hopefully capture) the uniqueness of the landscape in North Dakota. It soon became quite clear that each state has its own unique and beautiful experience.
I was happy to make the trek north to Garrison, North Dakota where I would explore this expansive landscape at Lake Sakakawea, an enormous body of water. In fact, it is the third largest man-made lake in the United States.
I had limited time, so with fingers crossed hoping for favorable weather conditions, I took my camera and off I went.
Wait, get the bug spray. Mosquitos are terrible here too unfortunately.
An early stop was the Garrison Dam where I was captivated by the circling birds and the wonderful clouds.
A lonely sailboat enjoyed the open air.
The sun started to drop from the sky which had me running toward the water. Until I had to stop for this.
The next morning came, and I found myself driving around Audubon National Wildlife Refuge. The sun seemed to be placed perfectly, and then the bird came along.
There was a lot of territory to cover, and I had a feeling I'd be coming back again for more.
I had visions of creating a more abstract sunset to include the unique landscape the sun lit as it faded to the horizon.
I followed a road around the lake when a flock of birds mirrored the shape of the road and the clouds.
A bit further down the road came some trees and Lake Audubon came into frame.
I was blessed to experience this amazing sunset on the last night overlooking the cliffs at Fort Stevenson.
I wanted to inject a feeling of nostalgia, so I converted this to a sepia-toned image.
The textures of the road, grass, and clouds frame the birds and a monotone image helped me punctuate these things.
