As the sun sets, I often switch to sepia or black and white to use the contrast. This little reservoir in the badlands gave me the perfect opportunity to play. This one turned out to be my favorite… and “Open” seemed like an appropriate title.
The badlands aren’t that “bad”… as you can see in this photo. There’s plenty of old growth grass out there, with new growing beneath it. Many sections of the badlands, those where bentonite is prevalent or erosion has washed away nutrients, are bare of growth… but not here.
This pond was the only one we saw not filled this spring with runoff from snow or thunderstorms. The vagaries of weather are hit and miss in Wyoming… one hill can be drenched in a storm that leaves the ground dry on the other side. Often there are years where this reservoir would be a dry hard patch of caked ground.
But for now, peepers croak their little songs, meadowlarks trill in delight, and pronghorn antelope delicately step to the edge and drink their fill of precious water.
*This moment brought to you by the BLM and an American Rancher.*
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