Welcome to our very first look behind the lens. Our photography Journal series will feature a behind-the-scenes look at Sky Factory’s team of photographers and videographers as they travel across the country and abroad to explore those areas of wilderness and untamed natural beauty that are off the trodden path. We start with our first journal entry by Andrew Murray who travelled close to our home base in search of the Midwest’s unassuming landscapes, which still offer the dedicated explorer areas of gentle calm and open scenery.
Camera in hand, the Driftless Region of northeastern Iowa is the perfect place to meander through, any time of the year. Compared to other parts of the state, the terrain can be quite dramatic. Glassy spring-fed streams pass through dense forests, rocky bluffs and cliffs, and rippling prairies.
In mid-July, the weather was relatively cool but overwhelmingly humid, with strong storms blowing through on several nights. These conditions created thick fog in the mornings, especially along the Upper Iowa River that runs through Decorah. The stillness of a prairie covered in dew is a photographer’s dream – tiny shimmering drops highlight each blade of grass, flower petal, and orb web. As the sun rises, the morning fog diffuses a warm glow across the landscape. When the fog has faded away, there are still plenty of spots along the river to discover.
Around the river, plant life was lush in midsummer. Deer were a common sight along forest trails as well as prairies. Deeper into the wooded areas, clear trout streams ran high from the recent rain and these were another excellent photo subject. In some spots, the vegetation was so dense that a flashlight was almost needed for an afternoon walk.
After the excitement of setting up the camera and taking some photos, these places are also ones that settle you down and make you stop for a short while. The last mist rising off a cold, clear creek, the smell of wet earth and rain-soaked plants, and the sound of birdsongs can be difficult to conjure up from a single photo, but that is the goal of these trips – to bring the quiet, genuine beauty of nature to people who need it.
Sky Factory is the only designer of evidence-based, virtual skylights that also provides continuing education courses on the benefits of biophilic design. Our family of Luminous SkyCeilings, OpenView Luminous Virtual Windows, and Digital Cinema applications are biophilic designed products that provide research-verified, architectural solutions for a range of healthcare and commercial spaces. To find out how Sky Factory can bring the healing presence of nature to your organization, contact us today.
