Part 1: 2 Week Road Trip Travel Story – Badlands

I’m really excited to showcase some pictures I did for a 2 week road trip we did early in June for the Home & Away section of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The online story of the planning and overview of the trip is now live on STLToday and is available this weekend June 29/30 in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The Badlands story is available to read here on STLToday. The stories, trip reviews and my pictures will be featured starting this weekend of the 29th and 30th of June and will run for a 5 weeks focusing on several stops we made from St. Louis to Badlands, SD –> Mt. Rushmore –> Thermompolis, Wyoming –> Cody, Wyoming –> Yellowstone –> Big Sky, Montana –> Grand Tetons –> St. Louis.  15 days.  1 car. Family of 4.  Most of the details will be in the travel stories of the paper and I’ll update the posts here when they run.  So take a look a some of my favorite pictures from our travels as well as links to the Vine videos (follow Luxe Photography) I did for fun and a few fun projects done with the new GoPro camera.  Below, our first stop in our trek: Badlands, South Dakota.

Above: We were only in Badlands for a couple of days but when I think back now, this is the image that really reminds me of everything there.  It truly is a wonderland for geology enthusiasts.  The mud rock the entire area is made up of leads to some really neat texture to touch and see.  And, getting here prior to the big crowds, the park for the most part was empty.  Our own private playground to hike and go anywhere we want.  There were several times while working on getting certain images, I was the only person around for miles and you couldn’t hear anything but the park itself.

Above: So just as I said we felt like the only ones around, here’s some people.  But this was pretty much it.  Small groups here and there.  At times, there were large groups but that was rare.  You really could go out and get lost.  I love the picture, above left, with the family dog taking the scenery in himself.  Something for everyone.  And the two images beside each other is a good contrast to the Badlands…the canyon areas that drop off to what seems like a bottomless pit and the rising, jagged peaks of the mud rock mountains.  Both directions up and down are quite intimidating.

Above: On a hike, the way the mountain side cuts into the sky.  And the contrast in colors. Pretty.

Above: I mentioned the texture before.  Here’s a close up of a few places that sort of stopped me in my tracks.  I’d see things like this and wonder what it would look like to do photoshoots here and there.  Top left, like shaved chocolate.

Above: The Badlands area was all underwater millions of years ago, and at the time of dinosaurs so much to the disappointment of my boys, but there are quite a few mammal rich fossils that scientist are drooling over.  On one hike, we came across a washed out area that had recently fallen from a high peak and just as I had walked on, my oldest son who is 8, found an interesting fossil.  This is a mammal vertebrae, but they are not sure exactly to what animal yet.  We’re hoping to hear back from the scientists soon.  Sidenote: never pick up and take a fossil, even if you are taking it to a park ranger.  They will get upset with you. Leave it where you found it and fill out the proper reports so they can come find it themselves.

Above: Came across this area late one afternoon and thought this looked like a good “power” shot.  I love the details!

Above: Ok. so the animal situation.  We didn’t see much in Badlands and knowing we’d see a lot more on our way to Yellowstone, we weren’t too disappointed.  The one day I decided to not carry my long lens I came across this group top left.  I did have my 100mm macro so it was that or my wide angle.  The one close up I did come across and it’s a goat with a collar, top right.  But I was able to get a good close up.

Above: Here’s the GoPro camera in first person action.  On our way out, we planned for 20-30 minutes to stop off where the prairie dogs were and I wanted to get some video with the GoPro next to one of their “bunkers”.  It’s actually pretty cool as you are driving and you see just how big their territory is and all these little heads popping out here and there. Take a look at what I was able to get on video and what went wrong!

Above: The only cabins actually in the park, and we were fortunate enough to stay in them. Right in the middle of everything, it was a great way to go out and do a day’s worth of hiking and then come back to relax and it not be too far a drive away.  In the late afternoon, I’d take my iPad out on the porch and read from Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s latest book, Death by Blackhole.  And a beer.  Or two.

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Above: The one evening I was determined to do a sunset project. But I had spread myself out too thin by doing a GoPro video project right before, Ride Through Badlands, and was left running to get to this area with very little light left.  I came across this gentleman, Jim Murphy, doing some sunset shots himself.  I didn’t get a good shot myself, but I really like this picture of him doing his work.  I stopped by and gave him my information on my way back so that I could forward him this picture. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to see what he captured that night as well.

Above: This last shot here.  Let’s just say it’s going to be a PSA on being careful when you are at the Badlands.  Not this couple in particular, but what I did afterward.  I actually offered to take their picture here as it was an awesome backdrop.  The guy took several steps even further out on the finger cliff which you can’t see really good from this perspective.  But, trust me.  It was skinny and just barely hanging over the cliff.  He kept motioning for his girlfriend/wife to come to him so I get the good picture.  Which I did.  But she was freaking out and sort of mad at him for going out there and “forcing” her to go out with him.  After they walked off, I just HAD to go out on the ledge as well.  I wanted a wide angle shot of the bottomless canyon.  It was awesome being there.  You felt bigger than life…just until the wind picked up…and then a shard of doubt pierces your mind.  I panicked and my legs when almost jello on my and for a split second I didn’t know how to back up away from the edge.  It was scary.  Beyond scary.  I somehow managed to turn just slightly and take that big step back but I’m afraid to say just how bad things could have turned out.  As I walked back to the safer area, I could barely feel my legs and my heart was pounding.  It was stupid.  I’m not even crazy about the shot I got.  Lesson learned.  Never again.

So that was my Badlands’ experience.  Before you go, here’s the sunset timelapse I did with the GoPro.

Here’s the Badlands Climb on GoPro.

Here’s the Badlands Drive Through on GoPro

And here are links to a few Vine videos we did.  Follow on Vine: Luxe Photography

360 on a cliff

Fossil prep lab

Rock climb to the top

Where’s my Starbucks?

360 dry river valley

Setting up the sunset timelapse

Texture in valley