Loren Sean Key was a Williston, North Dakota, native and lifelong resident of both the western Badlands and the eastern Northern Prairie. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of North Dakota in 1980, studying Computer Science and Geology which subsequently influenced his photographic style. Sean’s technical
aptitude combined with an extraordinary ability to apply himself would later prove to cement Sean’s reputation
as a talented, self-taught photographer.

In 2006, after being diagnosed with a rare and progressive autoimmune disease, Sean received a living donor
liver transplant at Mayo Clinic as a lifesaving gift from his sister, Theresa. While convalescing from transplant
surgery and adjusting to new lifestyle norms, Sean picked up his first camera – a simple point-and-shoot – as a
way to pass time. He first documented the landscape in his own backyard: the weathered hills of the
Badlands, the open Missouri grasslands, and the time-worn structures left behind by the pioneers of Williams
County. As Sean started traveling west to east in 2008, he discovered the allure of the Northern Prairie. He
developed a keen eye for composing leading lines with the natural and man-made structures of the
boundary-less fields of green and amber, and the breathtaking skies of azure, white, crimson and pink.

Through his love for North Dakota and his passion for photography, Sean left behind a prolific digital record of
importance to those who came and stayed, and to those who exited the prairie in search of other opportunities.
Sean will be remembered as an exceptional landscape photographer of North Dakota geography and beyond
who captured the essence of our beautiful but brutal territory.

This website pays tribute to L Sean, a brilliant and resilient man, who was determined to document his
experience with his camera and his computer, despite tremendous health setbacks. Yet, he did it anyway.
This website honors the various early pilgrims to this territory who chose to settle here under
seemingly insurmountable odds. Yet, they did it anyway.

And finally, this website is dedicated to those who work hard and persevere on the prairie and nurture future generations of prairie pioneers who will, no doubt, be faced with their own discouragements. Let there be plenty of young bloods brave enough to overcome their adversities so they, too, can one day look back and say,

“I did it anyway.”