Happy New Year!

When you open a new book, the pages are blank.  Life is just like that blank book.  A brand new chapter is about to start in our lives.  May we make a wonderful story together and may the chapter meet with a happy ending!

From the Dakota Visions Photography family to yours...Happy New Year!  We'll see you behind the lens in 2013...

Don't forget to join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ , Twitter, or sneak a peek at our photography on Dakota Visions Photography, LLC. Until next time, we'll see you behind the lens...

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Leading Lines and Hoar Frost - Oh My?!

What better to find during the beginning days of winter then some hoar frost in the morning and some leading lines to go with it!  Oh my, that did sound like a photographer - didn't it?!  Well, the end result was worth it.  We hope you enjoy!

Don't forget to join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ , Twitter, or sneak a peek at our photography on Dakota Visions Photography, LLC. Until next time, we'll see you behind the lens...

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Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Oh the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful.

And since we've no place to go,

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!



With the first snow in a while in the Black Hills of South Dakota, we couldn't help but find a couple of snow pictures for the holiday break that we are taking.  Out and about in the snow in the Black Hills is my favorite place to be.  We hope you enjoy!


Don't forget to join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ , Twitter, or sneak a peek at our photography on Dakota Visions Photography, LLC. Until next time, we'll see you behind the lens...

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Merry Christmas to All!

A very Merry Christmas to all - from all of us at Dakota Visions Photography, LLC!  From our family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

To Border or Not to Border...That is the ????

THE HORROR! 

Well, ain't that quaint?!

Hell no, we won't border!

How do you know the photograph is finished without a border?

Depends on the size of the border - a couple pixels is fine, but feathered, beveled or something garish just ain't right!

Oh, the conversation really can go on, and on... and on... and on...  Well, you get the picture!

We would like to hear from you.  Whether it's Instagram or Photoshop , there are millions of opportunities to add on borders/frames.  Is there ever a time when a border is right for a photograph?

We would like to think that our photography needs to stand on its own 2 feet, not base its success on whether it has a border or not.  But please, put your two cents in. (Just remember to stay civil!)  Add it to the comments below, and let us know what you think. 

Don't forget to join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ , Twitter, or sneak a peek at our photography on Dakota Visions Photography, LLC. Until next time, we'll see you behind the lens...

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Top 9 Holiday Gifts For The Photographer In Your Life

We just got asked for our Holiday Shopping List, so we thought it was time to provide our avid readers a list for their beloved photographer!  If you can't afford to get them a new Canon EOS 5D Mark III or a shiny new professional L series lens, then you will have fun with this list!  And even better for you, we're not getting paid to promote any of these products.  We are promoting them as gift ideas because we use them ourselves.  See our disclaimer page for more information.

Pssstttt!  (Hint...Hint...)  We really like item #8 or a new L lens...  (Hey - we need have needs too, OK?!)

Pelican 0915 Black SD Memory Card Protective Case - Under $25

Pelican offers a water resistant seal, stores 12 SD cards, 6 mini cards, or 6 micro cards.  There is an insert liner that absorbs shocks and protects your precious photography memories.  The case is made out of tough, Polycarbonate resin.

 Zeiss Ikon Complete Optics Cleaning Kit - Under $50

Included in this lens cleaning kit is a brush for removing debris, optical cleaning fluid, moistened lens wipes, a microfiber cloth along with professional cleaning instructions (especially helpful for beginning photographers to properly clean their investment).

Joby GP3 GorillaPod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod + BH1 Ball Head - Under $75

This is a great "in-the-bag" go-to for the serious photographer.  The GorillaPod SLR-Zoom can support 6.5 lbs yet remains lightweight so you can always have around, even in environments that do not allow tripods.  The BH1 Ball Head has a 3/8" thread and a 1/4" adapter screw.  It allows for 360 degree pan and 90 degree tilt. 

Oben 2400 4-Section Aluminum Monopod - Under $75

63.2" maximum height with all anodized aluminum for maximum stability.  It collapses to 21.4" with a wrist strap and belt clip.  It weighs only 1.65lb for extreme portability while still supporting up to 26.4 lbs of equipment for real work. 

Giottos AA1903 Rocket Air Blaster Large-Red - Under $25

Large red Rocket Air Blaster easily removes dust and debris from cameras, lenses, and filters with it's powerful blast.  Made of rubber and 'red' instead of those blah black ones that everyone else has.  Includes a one-way valve to prevent breathing in of dust and spreading back to your precious equipment.

The Strobist Collection by Rosco, Strobist 55 Piece Cinegel Filter Kit with Lumiquest Gel Filter Holder (1.5 x 3.25 inches) - Under $25

You don't see this one on too many lists, but it is a great addition for light painting or artistic portrait photography.  The size of these gels fits most Speedlites.  You have a strobist friend?  They will love these filters.

The Digital Photography Book, Part 4 by Scott Kelby - Under $25

Tired of just "OK" shots and ready to really make them pop?  Then this book is for you.  There are over 200 secrets of digital photography contained in this paperback.  What we love about Volumes 1-3 and the latest Volume 4 is these are written in every day language, not techno-jargon.

Rogue FlashBenders Small Positionable Reflector - Under $50

For anyone who uses speedlites, the Rogue FlashBender is a must have accessory.  It can be used to either bounce light onto a subject or steer it away - all with just a bend.  With the 2 positional rods on the sides, it can be positioned in any direction.  For this price, it should be in everyone's bag.

Polaroid Hot Shoe Three Axis Triple Bubble Spirit Level  - Under $25

Been looking at their photographs and always having to lean one way or another?  Give this gift for the perfectly aligned horizon.  This bubble spirit level works on 3 axis for precise leveling.  Great for those who like to shoot panoramas as well. 

Hopefully this helps you pick out the perfect gift for your special photographer!  If you have any ideas we missed, please leave them in the comments below.  So PIN, SHARE, TWEET, OR LIKE this article with the social media buttons below and help us make this Christmas happy for all photographers! 

Join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ , Twitter, or sneak a peek at our photography on Dakota Visions Photography, LLC. Until next time, we'll see you behind the lens...

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Bugling Elk: Once You've Heard One You'll Never Forget

The setting is Wind Cave National Park around sunset.  The wind is blowing gently from the south with temperatures in the 40's.  And there you begin to hear it, the medium clear note begins to gradually rise to a high pitch.  Then, BAM!  (No, not Emeril Lagasse?!) But BAM! That high pitch turns into a shrill scream, followed by a series of short grunts.  It's rut for the Rocky Mountain Elk found in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  It's time to round up the harem and bugle away.

The first set of antlers of a young bull elk start growing as soon as a year old.  They tend to be spikes only 10 to 24 inches long.  The antlers are shed each year in early spring.  By age four, a young bull carries the usual 6-point antler characteristic of a mature bull. 

Join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ , Twitter, or sneak a peek at our photography on Dakota Visions Photography, LLC. Until next time, we'll see you behind the lens...

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Peace and Quiet: Big Stone Lake, SD

Some days, you just feel like having a moment of solitude.  Peace and quiet.  We happen to like the minimalist photograph of the shore of Big Stone Lake in northeastern SD during Thanksgiving week.  The cooler morning created a fog over the lake because of the warmer water that had not yet frozen over.

Peace and Quiet: Big Stone Lake, SD

We are glad you had the opportunity to share in our peaceful moment and enjoyed our minimalist photograph.  Join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ , Twitter, or sneak a peek at our photography on Dakota Visions Photography, LLC. Until next time, we'll see you behind the lens...

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3 Reasons to Visit Custer State Park in Winter

If you thought you should avoid Custer State Park in the winter, here are 3 reasons to get in that vehicle and come join us.  Because the beauty in the park is just as bountiful in the winter as it is in the summer - just a different beauty. 

1. Custer State Park Game Lodge in Snowfall...

2. What?!  I wasn't eating the yellow snow?!
     Come on now - this one is just too cute not to post to Pinterest or Tweet this article out...

3.  Legion Lake during a break in the snow...

We hope you enjoyed these wintertime photographs.  Join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ , Twitter, or sneak a peek at our photography on Dakota Visions Photography, LLC. Until next time, we'll see you behind the lens...

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Practice not Purchased...

Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase. 

- Percy W. Harris

We went back into the archives to find a photograph we had set aside as a color photograph but moved it into B&W to fall in love with it all over again.  The old schoolhouse in Spokane, SD in black and white.  We hope you enjoy.  Join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ , Twitter, or sneak a peek at our photography on Dakota Visions Photography, LLC. Until next time, we'll see you behind the lens...

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30% OFF - Now until Cyber Monday!

You don't want to miss this sale!  30% off a minimum order of $10.00 on www.dakotavisions.com with the coupon code - CYBERMON12  Just use this code at checkout with your $10.00 minimum order and receive 30% off the product cost.  BUT HURRY!  This offer only lasts from tonight, November 22 until 11:49pm on Cyber Monday, November 26.

We don't discount our photography products very often, so this a BIG DEAL!  Fill your stockings with photographs, iPad covers, iPhone cases, or canvas gallery wraps.

Don't miss out on deals like this ever again - join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ , Twitter, or sneak a peek at our photography on Dakota Visions Photography, LLC. Until next time, we'll see you behind the lens...

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A Moment to Give Thanks...

“ Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow. "

Imogene Cunningham

The history of Dakota Visions Photography, LLC is one of three's: three stories, three principles, and three people. So please indulge my literary stumbles, and hopefully you find the stories captivating.

Passion and my father: The story starts with a man growing up of simple means, yet complex situations forming his extraordinary principles that he chose to pass along to all his children. It started in the prairies and hills that I now call home - Western South Dakota. That man - my father, sometime in junior high, presented my brother and I cameras, a Pentax K1000 and a Pentax ME super (which I still pull out the ME super for those special moments that a digital camera just can't capture). The passion for photography was created...I was hooked, in fact - addicted. To look through that viewfinder and capture a moment of time, to steal a millisecond from the universe that no one could take away from you, to freeze a memory forever on a piece of photographic paper that could be shared - that passion was ignited. All this from a man that collected hundreds of antique cameras, but he couldn't take a picture with any of them if his life depended on it. But when he saw the passion - he continued to fuel the fire by allowing opportunities, providing encouragement, and supplying product for the addiction. For that, father, I am eternally grateful.
 

An additional note about my father is that a percentage of the profits from Dakota Visions Photography, LLC is donated to the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org). My father has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, so the capturing of memories has taken on new meaning. Join me in the fight to end this disease, for the life you save may not only be yours, but it may be mine.

Ability to overcome and my mother: My mother, who came from these same prairies and hills, saw some sort of ability, or maybe it was a passion for the arts she saw. She dragged me to piano lessons, vocal lessons, and private art lessons (yes, ART lessons!) But for that I am grateful as well, because you see - I am red/green colorblind. Those art lessons helped me identify the shades of the colors that I was missing. When people hear that I am partially colorblind, they are amazed to see the pictures that come out of the camera. The ability to overcome, to adapt to our surroundings, to survive when others think we shouldn't - this is my mother's legacy to me.
 

Vision and my best friend: Well, now you know why there needs to be someone else involved with my photography adventure! Someone needs to help with any color adjustments to the final photographs, but there has been so much more. Almost a year ago, Dakota Visions Photography, LLC was just a dream made up of a lifetime of photographs, but my friend helped focus this dream into a detailed vision. From choosing the name of the company (which took FOREVER by the way), to pouring over the composition and color of a photograph, to allowing time to take photographs as we drive around Western South Dakota - he has been a driving force in helping me focus in on the vision. He is as much a part of Dakota Visions Photography, LLC as the man behind the lens. And most importantly, he is there to slap me across the back of the head, and focus me back on the vision when I need it...

So thank you for indulging my verbose description of Dakota Visions Photography, LLC - the passion, the ability to overcome, and the vision.

" There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs. "  

Ansel Adams

So, take the time to remember the reasons why you are thankful this Thanksgiving week. And while you are at it, join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ , Twitter, or sneak a peek at our photography on Dakota Visions Photography, LLC. Until next time, we'll see you behind the lens...

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Top 5 Photos of Dakota Visions

Another year is in the books for Dakota Visions Photography, LLC.  We have been looking back over the last year of dynamic, positive changes here at Dakota Visions Photography, LLC and we've realized it's because of you - the customer, viewer and reader.  So we wanted to stop and say, 'Thank You!'

Here are the top five photographs including sales and views on the Dakota Visions website for the last year of being in business.  We can't wait to continue serving you for another year.  We'll see you behind the lens...

Autumn Color in Custer State Park

When Mother Nature Speaks...

Little Spearfish Falls

Sunrise at Sylvan Lake

Sunset on Needles Highway

We sure hope you have enjoyed this year as much as we have.  If you have, head to the website at www.dakotavisions.com and share these photographs or your favorites via Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter.  We owe you another Top 5 after another year in business, so we better get going!  We've got a lot of work to do.  We'll see you behind the lens...

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