“…To the kingdom of the West-Wind, where upon the gusty summits sat the ancient Mudjekeewis, ruler of the winds of heaven. Filled with awe was Hiawatha at the aspect of his father. On the air about him wildly tossed and streamed his cloudy tresses, gleamed like drifting snow his tresses, glared like Ishkoodah, the comet, like the star with fiery tresses.”
I can think of no more apt imagery to complete another (6th) year of Image for the Asking than an image from the awesome Upper Peninsula of Michigan, that seemed, in the moment I saw it, to completely embody the words of Longfellow’s great poem. We were between Baraga and Nisula where the road to Pike Lake would take us to some amazing early-morning fall color. The sun was still below the horizon when I looked to the north and saw him, looking eastward over the landscape. We stopped on the side of M-38 and began to photographically contemplate the visage of the great immortal of Anishinaabe myth and lore.
A focal length of 27mm, definitely wide-angle to cover the enormous cloud and a bit of anchoring countryside, gave me the angle-of-view I wanted. An aperture of f/22 provided depth-of-field, and a shutter speed of 0.4 second, fast enough to avoid significant blurring, at ISO 100 gave me an overall medium exposure.
There is a fine assemblage of adventurers accompanying us to the UP in October for what may well be our final adventure there with a group. We are looking forward to it.
Now that is indeed seeing…thanks for sharing! Happy New Year.
Indeed you saw and e cane see the face of the Ruler of the Winds as he leans forward to survey the work of his winds. A wonderful morning sky so beautifully captured. Thank you Don for helping us to learn to see. May you have a great year.
This is a Wow photo.
The skies seemed to be extra dramatic this year here in New England. Probably an effect of our erratic weather now. Chaos can be frightening and still beautiful.
This is so very, very awesome! I am so glad you spotted and captured the image. It’s not just another angel cloud, this is so special, it had to have had some divine intervention and perfect timing. A book cover for your pareidolia collection. 🙂 Thanks for sharing
Awesome pic once again. Have a Happy New Year!??
Wishing you and Bonnie a Very Healthy New Year, and another year of happy memorable moments!
Beautiful image!
Thank you for everything you do
for us! You are very generous and inspiring.
I’d love to join you in the upper peninsula area one of these days!
Good afternoon Everyone. Happy New Year! May the coming year be a wonderful milestone on your creative journey. Bonnie and I are looking forward to it in a variety of ways: My recovery is proceeding apace, and I think I can foresee that by April I will be very ready for the first Road Scholar adventure in the new year. Beyond that, we have a reduced, but appealing, assortment of learning adventures, especially including the Appalachian Barn and the Mindfulness and Photographic Seeing events. But those are coming up and we are here now.
Cloud forms are amazing atmospheric phenomena to me, especially when they evoke a metaphoric relationship between cloud and landscape; so when I saw the form of Mudjekeewis rising over an Upper Peninsula landscape, there was no thought but to stop immediately and begin expressing something.
Hey John, I hope the New Year finds you well and in anticipation of what creatively lies ahead. I very much appreciate your kind words. Thank you for being a part of the work we do and the enjoyment we have in sharing it.
Hey Chuck. We sure miss having you and Lois much closer my friend. We hope you will have a wonderful time being so much closer to family, but we also hope you will somehow find your way back to the Southern Appalachians as often as you can. What great adventures await you along the Mid-Atlantic Coast! We’re looking forward to see what you discover and show us from that beautiful area.
Hi Linda. Thank you for joining us; we are so looking forward to seeing you in June. I am familiar with those New England skies and am really anticipating sharing them with you. Thank you for your kind comment. I couldn’t agree more: chaos is both of those, and we are cursed, but blessed with the opportunity to create from it.
Hey Nancy T, somehow I knew that of all of my creative family, this image would resonate with you most deeply. You are the pareidolia master of all time. This one was, indeed, special; and I’m glad you and I had the chance to share it. Be well and Walk in Beauty.
Hi Mike. Thanks for joining us and for your thoughtful words. May the coming year be filled with wonderful adventures and creative opportunities.
Hey Joni. Thank you for those kind wishes. We wish for you and Mark very much the same. We certainly hope our paths will cross as we journey down the road. Be well.
Hi Joanne. Your kind words are more than appreciated. We hope you have a wonderful and inspired New Year, filled with creative adventures and opportunities. May you Walk in Beauty, wherever you go.
Thanks, again, Everyone. With Mudjekeewis, I think we are off to a great beginning. May this year be filled with joy and health, and may you find enjoyment in the journey wherever it takes you.