I know I just did an inspiration post not long ago, but I came across this image (on reddit, of course) and simply had to post it. It’s breathtaking. Taken by Shane Kalyn, it’s a stunning image of an island that appears to be floating in Tumuch Lake in northern British Columbia. When I look at it, my mind positively reels. What sort of place might this be? What sort of stories culd be woven from the idea of this lush but small floating island? Tales of the Castle in the Sky comes to mind, a place overgrown with nature and mystery and secrets.
The most wonderful thing about this photograph, besides the incredible potential inspiration, is the fact that this is an actual place on the actual Earth below our feet. It’s incredible how many truly beautiful things, things we think usually only fills fantasy worlds and epic movies, are actually all around us. Granted, this shot is the work of a good angle, the right lighting, and the perfect height, so it wouldn’t be the same unless you were in the same position, but it’s a moment of capturing a place just so, and it would surely hold a different kind of beauty were you to visit this island and enjoy the trees and the lake from a more personal, up-close perspective.
It’s such a beautiful image, I just had to share it, and brainstorm a little on what might be on this mysterious floating island. Is it a prison for some princess who has been wrong or upset the wrong person at the wrong time? Is it home to a powerful sorceress or a giant in the clouds like in “Jack and the Beanstalk?” Is it a palace for the gods, or a haven for the lucky? It sends my mind spinning, and I love the possibilities. What about you?
L.S. Engler 