Our top photographs of the year graced the pages of the Journal a few days ago, but here in the photo department, we had a few more favorite photos that we wanted to share with you, our readers. We put together a slideshow with some audio of us talking about why chose these photos.It was an incredible year. The Black Hills made the national news scene with political campaign stops and some harsh blizzards, but there’s nothing like local journalism and covering the community that you live and work in. Thank you to everyone who let us be a part of your lives, or talked with us when we stopped you on the street.

By Seth A. McConnell

I had an assignment earlier tonight to make photos of the Rush’s assistant general manager Tim Hill.

This was my favorite image from the take but I’m not sure it will run that well in the paper. Its almost too dark and will more than likely come out looking like mud. Oh well! Thats what this blog is for

By Seth A. McConnell

I was kinda looking forward to tonight. I worked the prior three days following gymnasts and ice skaters around the hills from practice to Mt. Rushmore. Tonight was the pay off, getting to photograph athletes that are at the top of their game on an international stage. These photos can practically take themselves…

Tonight was a train wreck. The events PR lady (whom I spent the last 3 days talking to incesantly) pretended she didn’t know us when we came, then became my good friend, then left me standing in the middle of the arena by myself as she ran and hid in the media room, to yelling at me, to being my friend again and “pulling” strings for me. I’m honestly wondering if this event was all a horrible dream. I went from having all access to photograph where I wanted to being relegated to the top of the arena and then I was told I could shoot from below if I could find an open seat.

I did manage to make a few photos but I really feel like I could’ve done better.

This photo to me is more about the crowd in the background. I wish they would’ve had a white light on them instead of red.

I guess you win some and you lose some. Tonight was just a confusing mess that ended up not so “Spectacular” for me. You live, you learn… right?

-S

By Seth A. McConnell

This is one of the more entertaining photos I’ve taken at Mt. Rushmore. Totally posed for just me so it wasn’t usable in the paper. Normally I pass on making these images but when a gymnast approaches you and says he’ll do some crazy splits handstand in front of Mt. Rushmore you can’t really turn it down.

-S

By Seth A. McConnell

Rapid City is being overwhelmed with Olympians this week for Tuesdays Skating and Gymnastics spectacular.

I spent the afternoon at Just Jymnastics (yes its spelled with a J… why? I’m not sure) photographing the gymnasts as they run through new routines and choreographed routines. I managed to make a few interesting photos of gold medalist Shawn Johnson.

and Raj Bhavsar

But their was one gymnast who I really wanted to make a photo of, Ivan Ivankov. This man had the biggest arms I’ve ever seen. He did a few flips on the high bar that were down right impressive at one point I thought he was going to hit the ceiling when he easily came 12-15 vertically off the bar. The only problem… Ivan seemed a little camera shy. Everytime he saw me point a camera in his direction he stopped what he was doing and walked away. I pulled out my 70-200 and stayed back trying to sneak a few shots. No dice, he had a sixth sense. I managed to make one image of him.

It does no justice to what he could do on the rings and bar but I couldn’t make a photo to save my life. Hopefully Tuesday night won’t be the same.

-S

Let’s all keep Ali in our thoughts and prayers this week as she gets ready for brain surgery on Friday.

by Kristina Barker

By Seth A. McConnell

Wrestling can be a bloody and violent sport. Sometimes the blood isn’t yours. Case in point is the image above, the other wrestlers nose sprang a leak and poured all over this guys face.

-S

Just an outtake from an assignment this week about Mike Edwards, a piano repairman.

by Kristina Barker

By Seth A. McConnell

Tonights game got physical early and often well at least in the first period. This is the second fight I’ve seen Goulet in. I’m honestly not sure if he is that good of a fighter. In going through my images at the end of the night I seem to have more images of him getting blasted in the face than him landing punches on the other guy. He is good at the body slam though, so when its all said and done he does come out looking like the winner.

It does get the fans going though and hopefully it’ll help bring in a few more fans early in the season here and hopefully get them a little more interested in the sport.

-S

I’ve made four trips to Deadwood in the last three weeks and I still feel like I couldn’t make a picture to tell the story of the town and how it came to be. But maybe it’s a story that can’t be told in one photo. There’s so many different faces to Deadwood. Yeah, there’s the casinos and the souvenir shops and the bars. But the city and the steep hills that surround it are bursting with stories of the West and the way things were. In an effort to educate myself for this story, I found a Deadwood that I didn’t even  know I was there. Of all the times I’ve been stopped around town and had someone say to me, “You HAVE to go see this,” not once was one of those places in Deadwood. Maybe it’s just something you have to explore on your own. And maybe people don’t want tourists traipsing around in their backyards. Or maybe it’s better that the traffic is confined to the downtown streets. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I hadn’t heard of Mt. Moriah cemetery, but I had never had someone say, “Go up there, it’s beautiful. You wouldn’t want to miss it.” With some coaxing from our photo editor Ryan, I bundled up and wandered up to the cemetery at dusk, hoping to get a moodier photo that would help tell the story of Deadwood that we wanted to tell. This photo didn’t make it into the final edit. And I’m not sure my snowy footprints really need to be gracing the pages of A1 in the first place, but at this moment I couldn’t help but wonder about all of the stories buried six feet beneath me.

Go up there. It’s beautiful. You wouldn’t want to miss it.

Kristina