Summer Day

I find that this image carries a certain peacefulness and calm. I was immediately attracted to it as I was driving down the highway last summer on the way to Drumheller in Alberta. Horizontal lines in an image usually give the sense of calm, and this artistic tool is used by artists to create a quiet mood. I toned down the colour somewhat, something I have been doing with my photos recently. A more saturated colour image would create an uncomfortable feeling that would take away from the mood I wanted to project. Two horizontal lines dominate the image, those being the horizon, and the lower edge at the water. The horizontals are not quite horizontal, with the bottom line curving up, while the horizon curves down. If both lines curved upward, the mood created would be perhaps a bit more joyful, like a big smile. The downward curvature of the horizon sort of opposes the feeling projected by the lower line. A downward sloping line in art can convey a feeling of sadness, but having them both present in the same image creates a contradictory feeling.