An upward view of tall palm trees with green and golden fronds framing a vivid blue sky streaked with white clouds.

An Opening Above

MG-0148

2020-07-20

About this piece

Seen from below, palm trunks rise diagonally into crowns of green and gold against a vivid blue sky. The finely divided fronds surround an open expanse of cloud, balancing intricate foliage with spacious light.

The story

I tipped the camera upward until the ground disappeared and the palms became the edges of the picture. Above me, their fronds made a loose frame around the clouds, each narrow leaf catching a different measure of light. I wanted to keep that opening intact, to let the blue carry as much weight as the trees. For a moment, the whole place could be held in the simple act of looking up.

More from Open Skies

View all →

A dark flying-wing stealth bomber seen from below against a clear blue sky, sunlight tracing its angular edges. — An Edge of Light

A B-2 stealth bomber and a B-52 bomber seen from below against a clear blue sky. — Two Geometries Of Flight

The Statue of Liberty rises from a stone pedestal beneath a blue sky with streaked white clouds. — A Flame Held Still

Two white jets with red and blue markings pass in opposite directions against a blue sky, trailing smoke. — An Instant Between

Four white jets with red and blue markings fly in close formation against a blue sky and pale clouds. — The Shape Of Unison

Two red, white and blue U.S. Air Force jets fly in parallel against blue sky, the upper aircraft inverted. — A Balance Of Wings