Lilliputian or Bunyanesque?!

I took this photo last weekend when we met some friends at an Alabama state park. One does not typically associate Alabama with rock outcrops and sheer drops and dramatic vistas, but sure 'nuff, there they were. You can't argue with reality.

You know what I mean. Because I argue with reality all the time, and that's one of the reasons you come back to this blog. There's something--oh, I don't know--arresting about seeing someone hit their head on a hard wall over and over again.

But as I was saying...

This lovely state park had several areas of dramatic cliffs and terrific rock towers. In general they were easy enough for the kids to scamper their way about safely but scary enough for the parents (i.e. me) to worry that the kids would fall to their deaths. And such a scenario was a real possibility, as the footing was made more treacherous from all the fallen leaves.

This photo shows an area where there was a nice rock outcropping from which one could descend through a narrow path and then twist around the bottom to the right, out of sight. Here a couple of our kids had made it half-way down. I thought it would be a great shot to have Steve pointing to the kids from many many feet above them to create this weird perspective.

Here's yet another example of how I'm willing to (let others) suffer for my art. I asked Steve here--one of my closest peeps from my grad school days, and a terrific counterexample to the notion that academics must be nincompoops--to stand near the edge of a cliff to get this shot.

Me: Just a little closer Steveroni. You'll be fine.

Him: I don't know. That's what, a sixty foot drop?

Me: At least. Probably eighty feet. Anyway, could you get a little closer?

Him: Sure, but....

Me: Okay, now point down.

Him: Like this?

Me: No. More over there. It would be much easier if you just stood right there on the edge.

Him: Maybe since you have the camera, it might be easier if you were to move a bit and triangulate that way.

Me: MOVE I TELL YOU!!!!

Him: Okay.....

Me: Some people...sheesh. But if you do slip, would you mind throwing me your camera as you fall? I'm just saying that would be a waste and all. It's a nice camera and all....

Okay, it didn't go exactly that way, but it could have. Turns out that Steve was like a mountain goat, and he was pretty much fearless on the cliffs. But that makes for a less interesting story.

Here's the original photo.




And here's another view.