Minneapolis Photographer Mitch Rossow presents daily photos of Minneapolis. Cityscapes, People & Perspectives: Mitch explains composition and techniques.
Back on Easter, I posted a photo of a Labyrinth someone had made in the snow. When it snowed again this last week, the labyrinth maker was back. I had my good camera and took some better photos for you. Then, in a fit of over-explanation, I drew a plan for making one.
A labyrinth is different from a maze in that you can’t get lost; there is only one path. They are found in many ancient places including cathedrals. To walk a labyrinth, you enter the path and think about a problem or question. As you walk it, meditate on the problem. When you reach the center, leave the problem there and come back out. It reminds me of the crooked bridges you find in Japanese gardens — the evil spirits are supposed to get lost and let on the bridge.
Anyhow, I enjoyed making a few of them myself, I wish I had discovered this earlier in the winter, so I could have made more. It’s a fun thing to do in the snow that’s easier and less messy than making a snow man. I’d really enjoy it if others did them too — hey kids, it’s better karma than misspelling-out obscenities in the snow!
Though it looks simple, it takes a lot of concentration and practice to make one. My drawing is off, now that I look at it, but you get the idea.
The photos. The first one is at an angle so that you can see the whole thing. If I backed up, I was too low and the ridges all blended together. All the photos have been clarified and contrasted to make it easier to see the white-on-white.
