"My best work is almost unconscious and occurs ahead of my ability to understand it."
Sam Abell
A snow system has finally reached Northwest Iowa and it is finally beginning to look a lot more like winter here. With it being mid-January I can smile knowing that March and the sites of Spring are closer than if this storm was occurring in November, as is the case in many years past. Finally the browns are covered and I now have a new palette to work with.
The blog image is from a couple of weeks ago when things looked and felt springlike and the cloud formations were absolutely incredible in the morning. This is an HDR panorama that required 12 captures using Nik HDR Efex Pro to develop the 4 HDR images and then, using Photoshop CS5, a 4 image stitch to accomplish the final panorama image.
As I set up at the location I was captivated by the varied cloud formations that were moving across the sky. It really reminded me of times when I've been traveling through the northern or western plains where the land, as well as the sky, has this immense breath taking feeling that overwhelm an individual. In this case it's good old mid-western Iowa, where, even today, we can find such wide open vistas where clouds, not corn, can be king.
Looking up can reveal surprising tapestries...if we remember to raise our eyes from their normal human positioning by tilting our head back. It is then that your mouth will fall open whereby both neck and facial muscles are exercised to a fuller extent.
Thank you for joining me today and please feel free to comment.
SIC 'EM BEARS!
My book "Places I've Been, Things I've Seen" and new book "Take What's Given" can be purchased online at- http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1868649
For more views of my work visit;
"A Piece Of Work", Spirit Lake, Iowa http://www.apieceofworkinc.com
Lanesboro Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota www.lanesboroarts.org
BetterPhoto.com http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V
http://500px.com/pigs4u
The simple task of just looking around can bring so many rewards, just like looking back is the only way to tell how far we've come. Keep up the good work Dan.
Posted by: Mike Houge | January 22, 2012 at 04:11 PM
Well said, Mike, and it's something I have to constantly remind myself. Enjoy the new white layer of snow.
Posted by: Daniel Ruf | January 23, 2012 at 10:03 AM