Chariots for Charity

It's time to bring my blog back to life! I have been so busy with senior and family pictures, I have been neglecting my blog, so I am going to make a dedicated effort to start blogging regularly! I will try to keep it interesting, with local events, photography tips, photoshop tips, places to photograph, etc.!

To start things off, Sunday I headed to the McCreery Ranch just outside of Gillette, Wyoming, for the Chariots for Charity fundraiser event for the Gillette Shriners.  With only a $5.00 admittance, this was an exciting way to spend an afternoon! For anyone who has never attended chariot races, a team of horses are attached to a homemade chariot and they are raced in a match race style on a quarter-mile straight track.

 It is a winter event, held regardless of the weather, so dress accordingly! However, the nice thing is that you park right along the track, so even if you choose to bring lawn chairs or a tailgate, your heater is always close by! It's a very exciting, action-packed event and a great way to spend the day with the family!

 

 

All of the images from the races on the Sunday can be viewed at Thompson Photography ~ Chariots for Charity . All of the profits from the November sales in this gallery will be donated back to the Wyoming Shriners!

NOW OPEN!!!! Green Acres Dog Grooming!!!

Did you spend the weekend at the lake and your dog smells like he brought a dead fish home with him? But you HATE trying to give him a bath? Or does he have shaggy, matted hair and is in desperate need of a cool summer clip? Give Theresa a call at Green Acres Dog Grooming and she will get him all cleaned up for you!

 Ahhh, feeling MUCH better!

 Now it's Tucker's turn!

 

Tucker's favorite part...he was such a good boy, he gets a play date with his girlfriend, Bomber!

Call Theresa at 641-4404 to schedule an appointment to have your pooch pampered! 

It's Time for Seniors Portraits!

ATTENTION CLASS OF 2012!!!!  Fall is rapidly approaching, and school will be starting before you know it! It's time to start thinking about those senior portraits!  

  Brooke - Class of 2012

 

August is completely booked, but there are still many sessions available for September and October.  Call 605-641-2335, or email Jana at jmthompson@spe.midco.net for details or to schedule a session!

Wyoming Ranchland

The mule deer are in full velvet this time of year, so I have been yearning to go out and look for some trophy mule deer showing off their beautiful velvet racks! Last night, my husband took me out to a friend's ranch outside of Moorcroft, Wyoming, to see what we could find. It was still a little too hot for the big deer to be coming out, although we did see quite a few does, but we had a wonderful drive and found plenty of other interesting stuff to put in front of my camera!

I love finding old homesteads! 

This juvenile redtail hawk was perfectly willing to pose for us!

 The Gatekeepers! 

I don't know what it is about cows, but I have a hard time going anywhere without taking at least one picture of a cow!

 The Wyoming Golden Hour

 Time to call it a night!

 I guess I will have to go back again and keep trying for my buck silhouette at sunset, but with beautiful scenery like we found, I don't have a problem with that (as long as we can find him before hunting season!)!

Butte-Lawrence County 4-H Horse Show

Tuesday was a day for bringing back wonderful memories, as I spent the day photographing the Butte-Lawrence County 4-H Horse Show, held at the beautiful Besler's Cadillac Ranch just outside of Belle Fourche, South Dakota.  As a child, my entire summer every year was spent preparing my horse for the 4-H show in August. Then, when the first week of August finally rolled around, my Mom and Dad would haul our camper into the fairgrounds and I would get to stay in town for an entire week, having fun with my horse and my friends!  Tuesday's show reminded me so much of those days, with all of the smiles, laughter, and all of the kids and parents cheering each other on and offering constant encouragement and support...such a terrific way to spend the day!

 

The entire gallery can be viewed and images can be purchased at Thompson Photography.  If you know of an event coming up that you would like covered, call Jana at 605-641-2335 or email at jmthompson@spe.midco.net and I will get in on my schedule!

Spearfish Booster Club Athletic Banquet

Last night was the annual awards banquet for the Spearfish Spartan high school athletes, and I was honored to be asked to photograph this special occasion! After missing the banquet last year due to my cancer treatment, I was thrilled to accept this request this year!  All of the banquet images are online and available for purchase at Thompson Photography ~ Events, and 50% of all sales from this gallery will be donated back to the Spearfish Spartans Booster Club.

Opening Night of Little League!

You know spring is here when baseball starts! Tuesday night was the opening night of Spearfish Youth Baseball at the Pope & Talbot Youth Sports Complex in Spearfish, with a Majors game between the Spearfish Blue and Spearfish Green teams.  If you want to get out and enjoy a beautiful spring evening, come out and relax at the Pope and Talbot fields, where a youth activity can be found almost every night of the week!

More images from Tuesday night's action can be viewed and purchased at Thompson Photography. If you have an upcoming game that you would like photographed, don't hesitate to give me a call or send an email to jmthompson@spe.midco.net and I will get it on the schedule!

Lions Club Ladies' Night Out!

Vendors, food, drinks, door prizes, a guest speaker, and a prom dress review were all packed into the Queen City Lion's Ladies Night Out at the Spearfish Holiday Inn on Thursday night!  Guest speaker Michelle Kane, from Black Hills PR spoke about "Social Media for Power Women", which was followed by a review of stunning prom dresses from Kathleen's Unique Boutique in downtown Spearfish, and modeled by several beautiful young ladies from Spearfish High School!

Donated door prizes!

 Beautiful center pieces!

 A wide variety of vendor booths!

 And beautiful dresses and models!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this fundraiser a success for the Queen City Lions! If you missed this night out, don't fret...another Ladies night is in the works for this fall!!! All of the proceeds go to local charities!

Spring in the Black Hills!

Well, although spring is officially here, it sure feels like winter! With the temperature hovering around 35 degrees F and a foggy drizzle in the air, I thought I would pack up my camera and see if I could find a bald eagle or a hawk out looking for some lunch.  After making the loop around Hwy. 14 and Crook Mountain Rd., to no avail, I decided to drive toward St. Onge, which always seems to be a photography jackpot! A deep fog had settled in, along with a light "slush" falling from the sky, not ideal photography conditions, but I wasn't one to give up easily!  And I was glad I didn't, because after testing out the 4WD in my 4Runner on a couple of very muddy, "not maintained" roads, I finally found what I was looking for!

Okay, so they aren't raptors, but it was still a very peaceful and beautiful scene!

Then, back out on the highway and heading home, I stopped and got a picture of this old house...

I have driven past this house at least 100 times thinking there has to be a picture there, but no matter how many times I stopped, I just didn't like it...the light was wrong, the surroundings were wrong, etc.  FINALLY, this was it! I'm not sure what has more mud on it, the 4Runner, me, or my camera...but it was all worth it for a great morning of photography!

All of these images can be purchased as matted and framed prints. View more images at Thompson Photography ~ The Black Hills of South Dakota .  All custom matting and framing is done locally in Spearfish by Focus West Gallery.

Spring School Portraits!

Are you tired of those same old boring school portraits? How about a 20-minute mini session for only $35.00! All images are professionally retouched and uploaded to a password-protected gallery for ordering...you are not obligated to buy packages full of unneeded prints!

 Call 605-641-2335 or email Jana at jmthompson@spe.midco.net for details!