Cloudy Skies

 

Clouds are no strangers to Iowa's summer-time skies. In fact, the marvelous display of cumulus clouds drifting lazily above the landscape is one of the few "perks" of a hot, humid Iowa summer. And while my weather knowledge is limited, we don't often seem to see such a variety of clouds as we do in this photo of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Story County.

The clouds adds a sense of mystery that helps make this more than a picture of a steeple against a cloudy sky. It adds -- and I'm struggling with terms here -- an unseen dimension which I hope is found in the other photographs. My goal for The Church Project is to portray these wonderful rural churches as sacred places and I feel these clouds help this photograph meet that goal.

However, this photo walks a fine line. Is this a photograph about clouds or is it about churches? Considering the time I spent adjusting the contrast in the clouds and only including the steeple of the church, the argument could be made that the photo is about the clouds and not the church. While I like this photo quite a bit, I need to think about the question it raises before including it in the final project.