This amazing composition from within Second Life looks like it is a multi-screen capture of a farm scene, complete with stormy sky and windswept fields. It is positively stunning! You really MUST see it full size on Zander’s Flickr page by clicking here.
In my last post, I mentioned I have a “thing” for Dragons. Today, I share my life-long love-affair with horses! I began riding when I was 8. I grew up in stables with horses, and in arenas competing. So, why on Earth am I telling you this? In an attempt to give you some insight into what captured me in this piece of art.
For me, all senses are involved when bonding with horses. Every smell, flicker of light, buzzing fly or dust mote, adds to the overall experience between horse and human.
Imagine it, you’re grooming your horse in the stable. In the background you hear the knickers of other horses and the soft muted thuds of their heavy hooves upon the sweet hay in their stalls. The gentle sound of horses eating hay and the occasional clink of chain as a halter rattles and catches your horses attention. His ears turn to take in more of the sound and he makes a soft grunting noise in response. You continue currying as the scent of horse, their droppings, hay and dust gather around you. Breathing it all in, you smile, catching your horses gaze as he turns to look back at you, the two of you are enjoying the rubdown together. It’s so peaceful, relaxing and yes, rewarding!
In this photo by Zander Reeves, it seems easy to place myself in the shoes of the avatar. I can feel the quiet, trusting power of the animal beneath my fingertips while the electricity of the storm moves in on us. The power-heavy wind creeps in across the fields blowing the tall grasses against my legs and his. My hair whips about in wild symphony with his as we continue to remain still in our moment.
I loved this photo because of the deep sensations and emotions it evokes. A large part of the energy and awe here comes from the huge panoramic display. Not unlike how a lot of white-space can give a graphic design more impact, this larger view of the scene around the horse and human adds to the impact of the intimate sweet moment surrounded by the vastness of a world about to be consumed by the wild fury of an on-coming storm.
What a fabulous job Zander, thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!
