Capturing the Broader Story...

First impressions are always the most important and influential and the first time I set foot upon the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Northern Oklahoma the moment so impressed me, it became a lifelong quest to return with camera in hand to capture this amazing landscape. It has been almost 30 years now since then and I have returned there many times and although it has been several years since my last visit, I still relish each and every photograph I've taken of that landscape. I have realized in more recent years there is no single photograph that can tell the story of the Tallgrass Prairie. It must be done by capturing the broader story via a series of images. The trick is to find the right number of images that collectively tell its story without overdoing it.

Time seems to roll back on the prairie. It is almost as though you have stepped through a time portal and into another era from long ago. A calmness prevails across the landscape and the Oklahoma prairie wind sweeps across the land and the tallgrasses dance in time with it almost guided by an invisible hand moving individual stems to act as one. There is a bigness to the landscape and indeed there are places on the preserve where you spin around 360 degrees and see nothing but horizon to horizon tallgrass prairie, one of the few places left where you can still do so. 

As a photographer, capturing a series of images that reflect the true dynamics of the prairie is a daunting challenge because there is so much diversity, how does one do such a thing. I've discovered that simply blitzing the location with thousands of photographs doesn't work. Nor does simply driving through it and stopping at scenic overlooks work. More thought and effort must be put into it. The prairie is something you must experience up close and the best way to do so is to walk into it. Even just a few yards will give you a fresher point of view, but to truly experience the prairie you must be prepared to hike a ways in. (As always, certain precautions should be adhered to; wear long pants tucked into your socks, liberal bug spray, good hiking boots as the terrain is rough, and always venture well clear of the several thousand American Bison or buffalo that roam across the landscape.)

One of my favorite locations within the preserve is a rocky arroyo located about a mile from the gravel road that cuts through the landscape. It is a tough hike in and tougher hike out as going in is sort of down hill, while coming out is mostly up hill. To capture the broader story of the prairie this location is a must place to experience. 

One of my favorite images, a prairie sunrise, was taken from a high point overlooking this arroyo. It truly captures  the majesty and grandeur of first light upon the landscape.

I'll never forget that morning. There was a coolness to air that early, even though it was early-summer, and the grass was filled with dew which soaked my pants legs and boots as I hiked in before sunrise. A slight breeze was rising out of the arroyo and prairie birds were beginning their morning songs.

 The prairie carries with it an aroma unlike any other place I've ever been. It is a fresh scent almost like a cross between new cut hay and damp earth. The morning sounds are carried on the wind and fill your senses with a stereoscopic surround sound. I simply waited that morning for the prairie sunrise to perform its epic routine and captured what I feel is a epic image from this unforgettable moment.

Capturing the broader story of the prairie involves more that a series of images, it must also include the emotion imparted from being there. I've had a longing to return again...maybe soon I hope. Even so I have enough memories and images from previous encounters to fill a lifetime. 

The Tallgrass Prairie's story is one of a magnificent landscape almost lost where 95% of it has been plowed under and paved over. Only a few remnants remain, and this preserve is one of the best and most rewarding. I truly love this place...and after 30 years...I've only just begun to capture its true identity.