Stories
Blog Posts
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The Badlands
The geology of the Badlands isn’t a story of dramatic uplift like its neighbor to the west – the Black Hills. Instead, the Badlands is a story of what millions of years of erosion stripped away. Erosion is Nature’s sculptor. Working through rain, wind, and the freeze-thaw cycle it continues…
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Elk of Custer State Park
Custer State Park is home to one of the Black Hills’ most iconic wildlife species: the elk. These magnificent animals, over 6,000 strong, roam the high ridges and open grasslands. They thrive in the shelter of Ponderosa Pines, rock outcrops, and prairie.
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October in the Northwoods
October is magical in the northwoods of Wisconsin. Tamarack trees change from green to a glowing, golden yellow, staying on branches long after birch and maple share their colors with the understory. Enjoy curated images from recent mornings out in the autumn fog, taking photographs for the 5-Mile Radius Project.
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Tatanka! The American Bison of Custer State Park
Once, more than sixty million bison covered the American plains. The sound of their passing was said to be like thunder and would shake the earth. By the 1880s, the thunder had gone silent. Bison in North America were almost biologically finished by 1889. A Story about ruin, redemption, and…
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Custer State Park and the Black Hills of South Dakota
Over two billion years in the making — granite once buried deep beneath the Earth now rises as spires and domes above the pines. This week’s post: Images from Custer State Park & the Geological Origins of the Black Hills in South Dakota.
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Autumn Walk Along a Nearby Lake
I placed the Ricoh GRIIIx in my pocket and walked along a favorite birding route one evening. Here are 3 images to share from this autumn walk along a nearby lake. I hope it inspires you to get out and take a walk during this most wonderful Tim of the…
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Pipestone National Monument
At Pipestone National Monument, tribes once set aside their differences to quarry a sacred red stone used for ceremonial pipes. Here, beneath the prairie, Pipestone Creek has carved through some of the hardest rock on Earth to reveal thin veins of soft catlinite. Walking the trails through tallgrass prairie, you’ll…
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Foggy Morning Photos in Northern Wisconsin
To leave my house and go around the block is a 6.5-mile walk through quintessential post-glacial landscape. I woke up this morning to see beautiful rays of sunlight beaming diffusely through a light autumn fog. A perfect morning to take the camera for a walk. Welcome to our neighborhood!
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Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
There are places where nature feels larger than life. You stand beneath towering cliffs and let the wind off Lake Superior inspire your explorations. My latest photo essay presents the rugged beauty of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, from its boreal forests to its painted sandstone walls and magical photo opportunities
Gary Donaldson Photography +
Exploring the Intersection of Photography, Nature, and Travel.
“The Journey itself is my home.”
— Matsuo Bashō
