Clouds
By: Kai Crouse
Category: Uncategorized
| Aperture: | f/4.5 |
|---|---|
| Focal Length: | 60mm |
| ISO: | 100 |
| Shutter: | 1/0 sec |
| Camera: | Canon EOS 7D |
As we drove through South Dakota we would have warm clear skies that would turn to blinding blizzards then back to overcast thunderstorms all within the span of an hour. Western South Dakota is home to the lush Black Hills which were promised to forever be Sioux land by the US government until Lt. Col. George Custer lead an expeditionary team into the Hills and found gold. Soon, an unending wave of settlers and pioneers stormed the Hills and the US government eventually retracted their previous claim and pushed the Sioux further West out of their sacred land.
Today Mount Rushmore stands at the foot of the Black Hills along with the massive beginnings to the (forever)unfinished Crazy Horse Monument. The stories of commitment, adversity, and obsession behind both of these monuments is quite compelling. Throughout the drive the ever-changing sky offered some of the most beautiful contrast and cloud formations I had seen on my journey. This was a cloud bank that hovered over the southern end of the Black Hills shortly after a heavy storm had pushed through.
Opaque Ghosts 
So what happened to those gold and settlers? Did you see the remnant (ghost) of gold rush era? This gorgeous photo with a hint of darkness seems symbolic to the fate of Sinoux Indians. Where are they now?