Steve Simmer Photography

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Steve Simmer Photography

This is the place where you can see my latest photographs. No cats, dogs, cars, grandkids or politics

09/04/2026

If you have never witnessed the great buffalo roundup at Custer State Park in South Dakota, put it on your bucket list. This year's event is coming up soon.
The Park holds a herd of about 1300 buffalo. Every year, they have to round them up, sort and cull, tag and take DNA samples, all to maintain a balanced herd that the Park can hold. Surplus animals are sold to herd managers all over the country, because this herd is pure and not mixed with cow DNA. It is a complex operation because buffalo are not easy to "drive". Scores of volunteer horsemen and women, plus pickup trucks, attempt to keep the herd moving toward the stocks, where they will be checked and sorted. To have this view, you'll have to arrive onsite before sunrise. Pick a spot on the hillside, set up your camera and tripod, and wait (if photography is your thing). It's a party and a celebration of a long-term commitment to preserve the buffalo in the American West. Since I am not going this year, I encourage all of you to go and have a blast! Here is a helpful link: https://www.custerresorts.com/activities/buffalo-roundup

09/03/2026

Misty Artists Point, Grand Marais, MN I never visit Grand Marais without taking a walk to Artists Point. On this day, a light, easterly breeze was pushing waves onto the backside of this outcrop. The resulting mist and cloudy sky created an ethereal mood. You would never know you are just a hundred yards from downtown.

09/01/2026

Lake Namakan Night: In Voyageurs National Park, the skies are as dark as you'll find anywhere in the world. This Milky Way photo from a few years back was taken from a campsite on Namakan Lake, where we were camped with friends. Even in many designated "dark sky" parks, a shot like this reveals distant lights of development on the horizon. Here, the sky is filled with stars all the way to the horizon!

08/30/2026

St Paul from the Smith Avenue Bridge. A winter shot from a few years back. The high end of the "High Bridge" offers a nice view of St. Paul. Notice the steam coming from the District Energy facility, which burns biomass (e.g. wood chips). In the foreground below is Harriet Island Park.

08/28/2026

Lunar Eclipse at Highland Water Tower. It's always fun to include a local landmark with a celestial event. Last night I met friends Cindy and Ken, who provided the motivation to try this location. Ken correctly determined there would be a favorable position. However, we had some difficulty finding enough distance to bring more of the landmark into the photo. This is on a busy street and surrounded by visual obstacles. If you know the old water tower, you'll recognize this glimpse of it. It was a beautiful evening!

Version #2 added. Helen asked if I had a shot that showed a bit more of the tower. I said yes, but the moon is smaller. She had a good point, saying that showing more of the structure and its distinctive windows is needed for most viewers to identify it. Here it is. What do you think?

08/27/2026

Sifting through files, I found a couple not previously posted. This was in the BWCA on Ogishkemuncie Lake. My brother and I were enjoying a bright, fair day on the campsite when this violent looking wall cloud approached. In the background, we could see the solid gray wall of rain. We battened down the tents just in time. It was not long before the rain and wind passed, however. John was ready with some dry wood and lit the evening campfire, as a rainbow still shone in the sky.

08/25/2026

Another oldie from the BWCA at Wood Lake. An old weather saying is, "Mare's tails and Mackerel scales mean rain within 24 hours." You can see the mare's tails (high, thin, cirrus clouds) on the right. The mackerel scales (patchy altocumulus, resembling fish scales) are nearly overridden by the fast arriving altostratus clouds. And indeed it did rain. We "hunkered" for about three days of cold rain. Coming out to attempt fishing between showers. I recall one fish dinner, for sure. It was a time for reading books and telling stories under the shelter of our Kelty screen tent.

08/24/2026

Has it really been four years? Our first experience at a Canadian fishing resort in Ontario. Onaway Resort on Lac Seul. Besides being a wonderful week of fishing and friends, we were treated to this view one evening. I count this as one of my luckiest shots. I was, shall we say, sitting on the deck with everyone else and enjoying the wh***ey. Rather than walk to the truck and take out my camera, I just used my phone. Big mistake initially. But due to the magic of digital processing I was able to make something usable. This turned out to be a memorable print, and a lesson learned. Phone cameras are pretty good, but for a situation like this, use a proper camera!

08/22/2026

H**e, our garden goddess, daughter of Zeus, and bearer of the water of youth, looks good in this moment of evening light, which lasted for only a few minutes.

08/17/2026

On my way to home in St Paul after watching The Odessey with my son, I spied this sunset over the old Highland water tower. I almost drove by, but could not resist such a photogenic scene. PS - The movie was very well done. Even at 3+ hours, it held my attention all the way. And an all-star cast, to boot!

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1225 Estabrook Dr
Saint Paul, MN
55103

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http://www.stevesimmer.com/

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