Bare trees in spring, some rising from a trail that spontaneously wraps around either side.

A warm April afternoon at Giant City State Park of Illinois, USA. I was drawn to this scene by how the shadows fell so precisely on the path. The stark, unerring lines caught my attention, but offered little inspiration when I returned home and pondered why I found them so interesting.

Now, almost 3 years later, I see how the unpredictability I stood before is what captured my eye and admiration.  The trail followed years of footfalls that, without reason, strayed from some trees and enveloped others. I look now and imagine the glacier that chiseled the massive bluffs being just as spontaneous and unpredictable, and the whimsical path mirroring that adventurous freedom on a far-smaller scale. The thought makes me all the more eager to return and see how the path has changed, how much of its flow I’d recognize from before.

Minolta XG7
Minolta MD W.Rokkor-X 28mm f/2.8
Kodak TMAX – ISO 100