The Land Beyond #14793

The Story

Take off, eh? Here above a park lake, a low cloud floating above a summer lake lines up with a small portable boat dock in this landscape. Gravity aside, things appear as though you could go straight into the cloud with one good running jump from that dock. Here’s a clear invitation for any wannabe Icarus to make lift-off.

Simply idyllic, it was a beautiful summer day. Picture perfect, I might add. I have no idea what weather or atmospheric inversions led to this low cloud coming down so low as if to kiss the lake water. It was barely a few hundred feet above the lake while other airborne companions stayed up in the heavens. Their shadows dot the landscape in the background, and their reflections in the water streak faintly straight across the dark water.

Perhaps this was a daredevil cloud? There’s one in every crowd. Maybe it was a curious one, drawn closer to earth for a look-see at what those surface dwellers were all about. Or does a cloud sometimes need a little break to simply lower down and be a sightseer? Nevertheless, this was the day the sky almost kissed the earth and I feel lucky to have seen it.

Of course, this unusual view drew me immediately. The tripod went up and the camera came out. But why black and white infrared to make the shot? Easy: black and white photography is all about creating more impact with emphasis on the main elements. And with infrared, the water and sky go black while foliage goes white, both of which allow this unusual white cloud to stand out even more.

It’s always nice when Mother Nature allows you to take her portrait. In fact, this time, she was actually coming to ask me to do so.

Another interesting yet different black and white view near this lake location is shown in Bottomless Secrets #14915.

Location: near Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania. Picture and story © Andrew Dierks