Tuesday, October 03, 2006


Hmmm...this picture is unusual. It was taken in South Africa (not sure where). I think there is a bit of a contrast here. On one hand, the leafless tree looks so bare and evil, with branches reaching out like claws and the arms of tormented souls. Also, the fact that the whole front image is shadowed in black supports this vision. As do the vulture like birds perching at the top of the tree. The one at the very top looks rather graceful but the lower one, all hunched up distictly reminds me of the vultures from The Jungle Book. I dont know why. The contrast occurs because of the soft tones of the sky behing. Maybe if they were a firey red, the colour of hell it would be different, but as it is the gentle grace that the misty colour of the sky sends out balances out the harshness of the foreground. I think it could be seen as very metaphorical, the evil in the world is always kept at bay -kept in the tree- by the gentle but powerful greater good. I am not really a religious person but I saw a lot in the photo. All in all I think it is a lovely picture. Maybe not quite as stunning as the breathtaking Scandinavian landscapes but still, iy holds a beauty all of its own.
Imagine driving along a road with this fantastic landscape beside you. It is incredable. I love the fact that in this picture everything looks so smooth. The white snow at the top of the frame, the stteply falling green hills on the right side, the beautifully blue sparkling water and even the small amount of road at the base of the picture. The water is incredable, so blue that is almost looks sureal. And the pine trees- I hate to say it but they are quaint. This is absolutly amazing, I would love to see this place for real.

This photo is from www.dramainnature.com

The location is Icefields Parkway, Bow Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.