The black and white image titled “Stage Lighting” by Kelly O’Leary is a stunning depiction of a backlit cloud over a beach and wild grass growing on a sand bank. The cloud is a billowy mass and it is backlit by the sun, creating a halo of light around it. Notable for its composition, the cloud is positioned in the center of the frame with grasses on the bottom of the frame rooted into a sandbank - this creates a sense of balance and symmetry, and it also draws the viewer’s eye to the cloud.
The image is reminiscent of a stage set, with the cloud providing the backdrop and the grass acting as the foreground. The light from the sun is like a spotlight, highlighting the cloud and the grass. The image is almost dreamlike, and it evokes a sense of wonder and awe.
Kelly has done a masterful job of capturing the beauty of this natural scene. The use of black and white only enhances the image, making it more dramatic and timeless. This is an image that one could look at for hours on end, and never tire of it.
"Wrapping up a day’s shoot along the beach as the sun began to lower, having just packed up all of my gear in order to begin the return walk to my vehicle, I turned to find this serendipitous scene before me. I adore capturing sculptural dunes, I do so quite often. I am attracted to their structure and elevation and the fact that they are always filled with a whimsical cast of personality-filled grasses, perky and gregarious, their finely textured blades exuberantly dance against the sky. But this dune, this particular moment was quite special. Skies burgeoning with voluminous clouds are a frequent occurrence here, but finding the loveliest quintessential lone cloud perfectly placed above a dune in this manner simply isn’t. The sun’s rays bursting through the backlit, clouded sky washed the very top of the dunes as if a lighted stage awaiting it’s cast & crew. The dune grasses were exceptional some cheerful and lively others in repose, draped gracefully over the dune’s edge. And the exceptional cloud, as if selected by hand, appeared to have been ever so carefully suspended above- the finishing touch to our production. Fin!" ~Kelly O'Leary
