BADLANDS 1 © 2006

South Dakota

We were only in the Badlands for twenty-four hours, but what a glorious time it was! A violent storm ripped rapidly through the area bringing with it a constantly changing sky. I photographed like crazy trying to capture the sunlight reaching the landscape as the sun popped in and out of the dark storm clouds. It is a beautiful spot. Miles of wind-blown prairie grass added great textures to the foreground. In the distance, sculptural buttes, pinnacles, and spires looked a bit like miniature castles. On this particular morning, the sun began to break through a slit in the clouds, illuminating the mountains in the foreground against the backdrop of dark storm clouds. Niki and I jumped out of the car and set up the camera as quickly as we could. We captured the scene just before the clouds covered up the sun. This photograph is hand-printed in Clyde’s darkroom on fiber-based paper, selenium toned, then mounted and matted to current archival standards. The photograph is a limited edition and signed by Clyde. Disclaimer – Cropping, contrast, and image density may vary. To learn more about the darkroom printing process, click here.