Oh, how we long for those carefree days prior to Covid-19. Waiting for the bell to ring, sports played in noisy gyms while family and community cheer from the stands, tedious homework along with the usual trivial social drama.
This too shall pass…
I had no plans of creating the final composite product when I shot these images, but sometimes things just develop and ideas flow. Hmmm. What if…?
Three rambunctious boys ride their scooters down my driveway.
Swap images in to add their sister and improve expressions. 
Add a colorful sky scene I captured in the Pyrenees back in 2014 (Looks like the South Dakota hills).
Road dust colored in by using Photoshop brushes and finished it off with Topaz edits.
Final product: The Dusty Sunset Gang!
It takes a little bit of crazy to ride those bulls!
Image captured during the 2017 Gary Rodeo located on the west edge of Gary, South Dakota.
Believe it or not, the prairie is brimming with opportunity for youth in our rural area. Musicians, artists, athletes…the list goes on. We have some of the finest schools providing a solid education along with extra-curricular activities to round out the experience. Many of these students are also working part-time jobs, perform volunteer work, and participate in other programs such as 4-H along with their studies. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be a small part of your high school experience.
The world may seem to be a roller coaster of events, but these examples of the class of 2017 give me hope.
Best wishes for the future and peace out!
Foreground image was taken in the studio with accent lights on both sides of the face and one light to camera right. Background looked too dull and I wanted to “jazz it up” . Many hours of blood sweat and tears take place on and off the court so decided to try blending the subject with a background photo of the gym. Still too blah…
I tried a haze in the background, but not enough texture for me. What to do, what to do? Found some free smoke brushes and played around? Here is the link to the free brushes found at a site called ucreative.com. (Click on link) Made a transparency layer to apply the smoke to the background, erasing if necessary and another transparency layer on top of the image. Go Lancers!
Image lit with sun plus an external Canon 580 EX 2 speed light positioned behind subject to define muscles. I believe this may lend itself to a faded blend with another image… Hmmm?
Our family get-togethers tend to NOT involve sitting around and visiting. Let’s run a marathon!
Ready and waiting for Randy to complete the first four miles as runners sprint by…
…and waiting. We notice the crowd has diminished.
Hooray!! He made it with his knees intact.
Bryon takes off and appears eager to attack his five miles.
What a perfect day for a run in Brookings, SD.
This hand slap appears to be choreographed as Julia begins her three mile section.
…hand slap and Angela begins her five mile challenge as the temps are climbing.
I. Am. Ready!!!!
I hear the theme from Rocky playing through my mind… Go, Joyce!
I complete my three mile challenge and the temps continue to rise. I did it!!!
Liz is ready to rock on with the last six miles as the temps hit 80’s. Go, Liz!!
As we wait for Liz, the seniors with their daycare walking/training buddies walk the last bit of the path to the finish line.
What a super idea to pair young kids with elderly seniors to include them in the training and this event. Family members walk with parents/grandparents and the smiles are priceless.
Here she comes! Here she comes!!
The anchor of our relay team has made good time and we complete well before noon which was our goal. We all join in to run across the finish line together. I was hoping they’d play “We are the Champions” by Queen for us, but I just play it through my mind.
Kudos to the Brookings community for a well run event. Brookings, SD has been hosting the marathon since 1970 and I notice finishers from all over the country. What a fun morning and we’ll be back…
Now to celebrate our 48th out of 52 team finish and rehydrate…
It was a warm, summer day as my mother accompanied me on a trip to a little South Dakota town just across the border from Minnesota. A job interview was scheduled for a teaching position and the day resulted in a job with a new life living in a small, farming community.
Yeah, I can see myself doing this a couple of years… which stretched out to 26 years plus additional substitute teaching years.
It was an emotional ending for the last Grant-Deuel High School sporting event held in the Revillo, South Dakota gymnasium. I listen for that memorable roar of Go, Big, Blue!, smell the fragrant concession stand popcorn and gaze at the sea of blue and white filling the stands… now merely memories of days gone by.
Blessed be the memory…
RJMeyerArts 