If You Could Wander

    If you could wander on the earth during any time

in history, what era would you most like to visit?

     I first posted this photo, Frozen Limbs, in February of last year. It was taken at Ballard Nature Center's Second Creek, around sunset. The picture already had natural blue tints to it, so I added more greys using Picnik. It now reminds me of pictures that I've seen of the Illinois woods during the time of early settlers of the 1800's.

     One does not have to go very far into any woods, to get a glimpse of the struggles they must have gone though to clear the land and build their homesteads. My own grandfather was raised in such a home not far from where this photo was taken. So, my first intention was to tell you how I would love to wander through the woods of the past. And then............

    I took the same photo, deepened the colors and stretched some portions to give it an entirely different feel. Were I to wander through these woods, I would hope to see an entirely different type of creature then an early-American settler. (But I would borrow his ax, just for protection of course.)

     I fully realizze that the bottom picture is a feeble, if any, attempt at manipulating a photo to show emotion. For a real, professional look at the art, I checked out Digital Art Revolution: Creating Fine Art with Photoshop. After seeing what can REALLY be done, I feel I must offer my sincere apologies to all true digital artists out there.

     To learn more about the early settlers, go to  An Open Land: Views of the Midwest Landscape by Early Travelers and Settlers, Prairie School Artists, Photographers, Poets, and Musicians