Twilight Makes the Day
The construction was still in progress on the building next to the parking ramp. The wall was still exposed, frames were still uncovered. I could not complain about the lighting condition. I wished it stayed for a bit longer.
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Busy Minnesota Avenue
I observed the traffic on Minnesota Avenue while making photos on top of the parking ramp. It was quite busy. So, I decided to include it in some of the photos.
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Minnesota Avenue and 8th Street
I was chasing the sunset and took a chance at a parking structure I had never been before. I used the opportunity to make photos of the early evening traffic while taking the advantage of the twilight.
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Calmer Water Downstream
This is another scene from the Christmas lights at the park. It was not that late, but it was too dark to make more photos. It was past the blue hour or twilight. I made one last photo before calling it the night. I was cold and hungry; time to go home and eat supper.
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Downtown and 8th Street
I went out and hunted for photos. The struggle was either go to a location I am already familiar with and produced similar photos than the ones I have done or picked a new location and might end up with no photos. I do like to explore, but I also like to make good photos. Time, in terms of light availability, was also a limiting factor. It is part of the adventure in making photos.
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Christmas Lights Are Back
I didn't expect to see them on this early. I drove to the park to make some more photos. The twilight didn't last long this time of year. I could only make a few photos before it got too dark. Tomorrow might bring something different.
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Three Geese Over the Lake
I was at the lake for a family photo shoot. A group of three geese flew over the lake between pose, so I took some frames. It was a good weather for a family photo.
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Undetermined Spot for the Evening
I knew I had to find a photo spot after got done with work today. After considering several locations, I drove around and ended up at the Family Park. It was cold and windy, but the view was georgous.
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One Cold Evening at Falls Overlook Cafe
The cafe is closed for the season, but they still host private events by appointment. It was a cold evening, considering it was relatively warm throughout the day. I blamed the wind. It robbed our warmth away. There were only a few people at the park. I still enjoyed the view and I hope you do too.
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A Tiny Piece of Brazil
I went to this Brazilian restaurant for a birthday dinner. I had a lot of good food and good memories. The movie theater is just across the parking lot too. Maybe someday I can come and visit Brazil.
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Busy Commute Traffic Home
It would take about 10 minutes longer for me to get home if I went home right at 5 o'clock. I usually stayed at work longer on purpose so I don't have to spend more time in traffic. The proximity to the mall doesn't help either.
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The Heart of Downtown from the Park
I keep looking for different photos of places I visited previously. Falls Park is one of those places. The falls is probably the most common subject of the park, so I tried to stay away from that. The colors of the evening were just so great to make some photos.
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The Swooped In CLouds
It was a warm fall day. It was nice enough to be comfortable outside without had to bundle up. I did my walk after work, went to the park while the sun was setting. There was no specific photo I wanted to make, but I knew it had to capture the color of the sky. It was a nice evening indeed.
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Borrowed an Office and Made a Photo
Another hard work week done and a busy weekend awaits. I am still looking for a good rest this weekend. Before I left the office, I took several photos from one of the office.
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Butterfly House and Aquarium
It is located in Sertoma Park. Besides butterflies, it has various species of marine life, such as fishes, corals, sharks, and stingrays. It opens year round, except Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
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Alfa Romeo 4C
I thought I wouldn't find an Alfa Romeo in South dakota. I was wrong. I saw this yellow Alfa Romeo 4C at the car and coffee event.
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The Other View from the Bridge
I was walking around the bridge for some photo possibilities. I had made similar composition but didn't publish the photo because I didn't use a tripod. The camera shakes made a less sharp photo, which doesn't work for this composition.
theOtherViewfrombridgecloudsducksduskmallardsoutdoor campusparksdsertomasioux fallssodaksouth dakotasunsetwaterwindywooden
It Gets Dark Sooner
This is a different version of the long exposure photo from around week ago. Different composition and slightly longer exposure. While making this particular photo, there were herds of deer crossed the busy street. A few vehicles had to stop and wait as the wild deer herd safely got to the other side.
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Ducks in a Row Stuck Around
Small groups of ducks stayed longer in the area before heading south to escape the winter. I don't know how far they have to fly. We do have a few ducks that would brave the whole winter.
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The Moment to Share
The intent was to make another long exposure to catch the streaking clouds, but the light and colors were too beautiful to ignore. It turned out better than the one I had planned.
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Pedestrian Bridge Over the River
The effort to improve the look of downtown around the river is definitely a good thing. If only it can stay warm longer.
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The Outdoor Campus
I was taking the advantage of the amount of cloud rolling pass the region in the past few days. With the help of a filter, I was able to take an almost 3 minutes exposure.
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Windy and Cloudy Haloween Evening
It was warmer than the day prior, but it was still cold. The cold and the wind didn't deter the kids trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. I hope they had a good time and don't eat too much candy.
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A Lot Happened in A Week
I went to the spot from a week prior. The scene had changed significantly. There was a lot less foliage left and significantly less green too.
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I Can Use a Longer Lens
From my last outing, I realized a longer lens to get better wildlife photos. I can't just go to the park and expect to get good photos all the time.
CanUseLongerLensducks.foliageleavesmallardoutdoor campusparksdsertoma parksioux fallssodaksouth dakotawater
First Baptist Church
I went to an ordination of a friend here. The Church started in 1875. The Church obviously has a long history in the region. It was a good day to witness a man committed to his calling.
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Autumn at Oak Hills Baptist Church
As the days get colder and the daytime getting shorter, it was still felt comfortable to be outside after the sun had gone down. I like the change of colors the best.
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Fall Festival Is in Session
Games, inflatables, and lots of candies were the options. Plenty young and adults had a good time. There was even a puppet show. It was one good way to celebrate the autumn and harvest season.
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China Airlines, CI 5254
It's a Boeing 747-400. It was cruising at 35,000 feet and heading to Atlanta from Anchorage. In the past, I would not able to find out about flight information of a plane I saw flying over. The Internet has changed all of that.
ChinaAirlines5254china airlainesci 5254outdoor campusparksdsertoma parksioux fallssodaksouth dakota
Halted Drift
The water was slowly toward the river. I had to be careful around the banks because the leaves made it hard to tell where the dry ground ends.
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Watching Cautiously
A squirrel was looking for lunch and I was intruding its space. It ran away but was not too far. The stump provided some sense of security, but it still watched me cautiously.
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Autumn Tunnel
This particular path is free of bicycles. It was intended for walkers and runners. If you're a birder, this park is probably perfect for you. It's also dog-friendly too.
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Stalking Some Mallard
I came back to the same park and took the path but walked the opposite direction. There was quite a few mallard in the park. My guess, it was still warm enough to migrate to the south. The park was filled with people, especially the butterfly house. It was a nice morning to be out until it started to rain.
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Gone a Little Wild at the Park
This area is a river overflow area. It gets the water from the surface water and from the river when it is flooded. The flow goes back to the river when river water level goes lower. You can encounter some wildlife throughout the park, such as waterfowl, beaver, and turtles.
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Some Wings in Common
A few cars with wing happened to park in the same section at the event. Two Nissans parked side by side. One is an older model and another is the new GT-R, both have wings; no Red Bull needed.
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The Bridge Between Two Parks
I made a photo of this particular before but from the other side of the river. I approached the bridge from the other side through a different park. It was a decent weather for a walk. It started to rain by the end of the trail, just in time to drive back home and stayed relatively dry.
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Audi R8 V10
I think it's the least intimidating looking sports car design. It is simple but still can go really fast quickly. The interior is not too stripped down either. So, it can be a daily driver car, a very expensive daily driver.
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Autumn in the Marsh
I walked the outer loop of the park and found this spot. It looks like this is a remote place, far from civilization. Actually, there is an apartment complex, not even a five-minute walk away.
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Shelby Mustang GT350
This was probably the last car and coffee event for the year.
I like the color on this Mustang.shelbymustangGT350bluecarcar and coffeefordsdshinysioxu fallssodaksouth dakota
Autumn Morning Run
This is the west side part of the main bike trail loop. I walked around the Sertoma Park loop, looking for compositions. The foliage colors were marvelous. It's not the greatest compared to the colorful fall colors of other areas in the States, but it was still a beautiful scene.
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Curtain of Clouds Ended the Day
It was the end of another long work week. I almost didn't have the opportunity to make a photo because I was running out of daylight by the time I could step away and finally make one. Being tired is definitely preventing me to be creative or productive.
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Stucked Inside
I got more list of things to worked than the time to work on them. The view from the window was beautiful though. Spare time is a luxury these days. I am working on an adventure, hopefully, I can have one before the year ends.
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Waterfall Pond in the Backyard
This is still from the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum. It has a waterfall in the backyard. There are also plenty of places to sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery. "How much does it cost to get in?" you might ask. The answer is nothing. It is free to visit.
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Last Bit of Sunshine for the Day
I walked around the arboretum, including the parking lot. As the day got darker and the day was almost over, I slowly walked back to the car and drove home. I had precious family photos that I had to safely import to the computer. There was another work week to get ready to.
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Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum
I went to the arboretum to do a family photo shoot. I stayed for a bit after to make some photos for myself. It was a sunny day and there were quite a few groups of people that have the same idea to make family photos at the location.
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