To See a World in a Grain of Sand

We all know Nachusa Grasslands as a place of space. Rolling hills of grasses, seemingly endless skies, and even in the woods or savannas you can see great depths—all tell the spacious story of Nachusa. Looking at things up close tells a very different story. Up close, you see patterns, textures, rhythms that are more abstract. Up close, you see a world more intimate and, conversely, more alien.

A pheasant feather. Though not a bird native to North America, the pheasant is a common sight here. Look at the patterns of lines—lines arrayed as if in motion, branching in multiple directions. The white line down the center, the shaft, like a lightning bolt, gives energy to the feathery lines radiating from it.

The current of Clear Creek molds the sand along the bottom into irregular linear shapes. On the surface, the gold, sinewy lines of sunlight dance across and intersect the darker bottom shapes, forming the warp and woof of a living tapestry.

Focussing now on a feathery image of a different kind, the heads and flowers of Big Bluestem. The photo is framed to capture the more delicate abstract of positive and negative space. The three spikes of the grass, with its dangling yellow flowers form the positive space, while the white, cloudy sky in the background forms the negative.

Even in the most commonplace of subjects, beautiful patterns can be found. This rusted gate at the bison corral may almost seem like an underwater scene, with a school of goldfish swimming in the current. Admittedly, the contrast was pushed a little higher than usual in post-processing this photo to emphasize these patterns, which are really there, but not as visible to the human eye.

A partially burned tree is framed to suggest a kind of rectangular yin/yang symbol. The linear structure, color elements, and burned wood textures all add to the quiet beauty of this rather familiar sight at Nachusa.

To me, ice is endlessly fascinating and I always look for patterns in ice whenever I'm out in winter. The bold abstractions, lines, and movement caused by the ice crystallization has a mesmerizing effect on me. I poetically call this photo: The Heart of Winter. The red "heart" is formed by a fallen oak leaf buried under the ice.

Another undersea view where a goldfish swims over coral and seaweed? No, mosses and lichens exist together in a community on a rock outcrop at Nachusa. This image presents an almost bewildering swirl of color and texture, seemingly in motion, even though every element is securely attached to the underlying rock.

Next time you're visiting Nachusa Grasslands, take a break from bison-watching or cloud gazing and look closely. Look and see. As William Blake said, you can see a world in a grain of sand or heaven in a wildflower.

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This blog was written by Charles Larry, volunteer and photographer at Nachusa Grasslands.  For more of his images see: charleslarryphotography.zenfolio.com