I have photographed in many places including all the well-known ones: the Pacific coast from Olympic National Park south to San Diego; the Atlantic coast of New England, all the well-known (and well-photographed) National Parks of the west. But there is a lot of territory between the coasts and outside the parks. Some photographers see the Midwest and the Great Plains only as flyover country.
I’m now living in northern Illinois. For this native Californian, it’s really flat and seemingly featureless. At first, photographing here seemed kind of pointless. But I’ve found if you hike on prairie land—especially during “golden hour”—there are excellent photographic opportunities when you look for them. This post offers a few examples of my “let’s-photograph-the-prairie project.” While they may lack the drama of a windswept surf or the grandeur of Zion, Yosemite, or the Grand Canyon, they have a quiet power to speak to our souls. At least for me. I hope they do for you, too.
