I’ve been back to this church a couple of times, and I wish one of them would have been with autumn colors. I won’t go into detail here, but I’ve got a side project involving abandoned prairie churches that will probably contain a plethora of angles of this place. It’s truly a joy to work around!
Do I belie my 1970s upbringing with that post title? Too bad. My kids and I set out for this old Dodge with the intention of working the entire sunset with it as our subject. It was a wonderful trip. The kids are finally old enough to appreciate not only the photography aspect, but the beauty of hiking out in the middle of nowhere and exploring.
I have way more shots from this area than I’ve got the energy to post for now, but let it suffice to say that there was a different sunset in every direction. The first shot in this post shows the long, linear clouds that eventually blazed over Bismarck-Mandan at sunset. This shot shows the brilliant pinks and purples that greeted us from the north; and my kiddos took plenty of shot featuring a blazing orange and gold sunset to the west (behind the camera in this shot).
Not only was this photo jaunt a success, but I have turned the corner with my kids as far as convincing them of the joys of rural photography. Next time I head out roaming, I expect to have a couple of enthusiastic companions! Maybe each with a camera of their own…
If you let yourself get distracted by that wonderful butte in the distance, or the view of the Missouri River valley past it, you might not even notice the little Fallen Farm tucked away in the trees on the lower left.
I haven’t asked for permission to enter this property yet, but it looks quite promising! This is in a rather picturesque part of the county, where a guy with a camera could roam for a few days and not run out of ideas. Although I may wish to wait until the snow melts next year before venturing off this way, even with my truck’s nigh invulnerability.
I’m not talking about the place with the best pancakes in Bismarck; rather, this quaint little building I found on a photo jaunt earlier this summer. Isn’t it lovely? I bet it would make a wonderful clubhouse…
There was one perfectly foggy morning this summer where I was roaming northeast of Bismarck and got plenty of really cool shots. As the sun came up and began to burn of the fog, this was one spot where it was still clinging to anything that could be loosely construed as a valley.
I thought I’d follow up Red with some Blue – although there’s plenty of red brick in this shot, too. This house is built into a hillside and has a wonderful valley view. Some of that brilliant blue paint still remains. One of the houses I grew up in as a kid was painted this same color, by the way. It really stands out.
Sammy Hagar could not be reached for comment. Even though most of the prairie grasses and stalks of harvested crops are brown, I was able to find a brilliant red farm under a deep blue sky and with some rich green grass in the yard! RGB.
If you’re on your way to Flasher (and let’s be honest, who isn’t) you might want to keep your eyes open for this old foundation. It sits along Highway 21 just a little ways east of town. It’s on posted land, but thankfully the best angle for it is just outside the fence anyway.
The last time I was in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, I watched (and felt) a storm roll in while standing atop the Wind River Overlook. I had trekked into the park before sunrise, getting one of my favorite sunrise photos EVER after slogging up the Little Missouri on foot for a ways, and was using my early-bird status to mosey around the park before the tourists arrived.
This area, while far different from the Rocky Mountains I enjoyed as a kid, makes me homesick for them nonetheless. It seems that even in North Dakota the skies get bigger the further west you go. I’d love to take a week or two and simply work the park, going back to Medora only for some shut-eye at night and fresh bacon in the morning! Let’s put that on the bucket list.
There are actually a few decrepit windmills in Bluegrass, ND, but the remnants of the little town are encroached upon by subsidy-sucking wind turbines on all sides. I stopped to grab a quick old-vs-new shot during my most recent drive past the remains of this ghost town.
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