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HOT SPRINGS - Acclaimed Black Hills photographer Paul Horsted is next in line for the Meet the Artist series, on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. at Pine Hills Retirement Community.

Horsted, who embraced the colorful history of the Black Hills 20 years ago, is best known for his "Then and Now" photographs of various locations throughout the region. Some of his more well-known pictorials include Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Harney Peak.

"My goal is to be able to share as an artist through my prints and my books," he said, speaking of his latest project, "The Black Hills Yesterday and Today," of which he will speak at the Meet the Artist presentation."

Horsted said that since publication of his first book in 2002, he has been studying historic photos of the Black Hills, "doing my best to find those locations, set up my camera, and match it as precisely as possible." Horsted said that just a few inches can make a huge difference in the result of the image. He calls the technique creating a "matching modern image" of the historic photo. He said he used his best guess by looking at the geology and the terrain in the historic photographs to figure out where to go next.

Sometimes compromises arise in his quest when there is a tree trunk or a building in the modern view that wasn't in the historic photo. "If you can find the background, usually you can work your way to the foreground," said Horsted as he discussed the process, using Harney Peak as an example.

"The first recorded photograph was in 1875, a year after General Custer was in the Black Hills. The photographer's last name was Guerin and right at the summit he took photos from different directions." Horsted said there were photos from 1875 to the 1930's and he thought it was clear he was to go up to Harney Peak to shoot the matching modern image.

"Seven trips up and down Harney Peak working on these photos and I'd have to guess we have 10 images of or near Harney Peak in the book."

Horsted's photography experience dates back to his high school days in Brandon. The 47-year-old said that camera required something called "film," which has been widely replaced by digital format photography, which Horsted said he loves. "The downside of digital though is that it's 90 percent in front of the computer and only 10 percent behind the camera," he said.

Horsted started his career as a newspaper photographer where he got to "meet and photograph many great people of this great state of South Dakota." He also was photography editor of the SDSU campus yearbook.

Horsted works with his wife, Camille Riner, a graphic designer, in their publishing business, Golden Valley Press, in Custer. He gives credit to Riner for helping him. "I couldn't do any of this without her," he said.

Horsted's and Riner's works can be seen in area galleries. His goal in the presentation of his prints, books, and speaking engagements is the hope that other "people appreciate the history that's right under our feet. When you have these pictures in your hand, you realize that's where the photographer was standing so many years ago."

To check out Horsted's pics, go to www.dakotaphoto.com.