Monday, September 17, 2007

In the night country

Living northwest of Chicago is living life on the edge. I live near the edge of the metroplex. I can drive a few miles west and find myself in farmland. The edge advances farther into the farmlands each year, but it is still easily accessible.

I also live on the edge of the rolling hills and kames left by retreating glaciers a few thousand years ago during the last period of global warming. Rolling hills and valleys stretch for hundreds of miles north into Wisconsin. Just a few miles south begins the large expanse of flat prairie land.

This photo was taken a few miles northwest of my home where the county had taken steps to preserve the glacial heritage of the area. I blended two exposures - an underexposure of the sky and slight overexposure of the rolling hills - to capture what my eye saw as I stood where the edge of day meets the night.

Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph © 2007 James Jordan.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

James, this is a great picture to "say goodnight" with, thanks.
V. Schroeder

HeyJules said...

Beautifully done. What a special image!

Sheila said...

I love this and the what you said about the vast farmlands surrounding your area. I love how on the edge of such a developed area you can still find these treasures.

Kim said...

Wow! I have such a hard time taking shots at this time of night - usually lose the foreground trying to capture the sky. You've done a beautiful job with this one!

Anonymous said...

great shot. the blending of the two works great and it really feels like i'm there. well done!

jennifer black said...

What an amazing photo. I absolutely love it. Love the comments, too. For those of us who've only flown into Chicago, visited the city, and flown out, it's hard to think of this as "around the corner." Nice contrast.

jb

h said...

That's truly exceptional. You should play Mute Mondays!

Steven said...

Great selection for Photo Friday's "Dead of Night." Thanks for sharing!