South to Kalona

A friend of mine posted this photo, which I have titled South to Kalona, on Facebook. It was so quintessentially Iowa that I asked her if I could share it and she agreed. She took the photo one afternoon driving from Iowa City south to Kalona on Highway One. When I asked her why she took the photo, she said she felt compelled to pull off the road when she came upon the perfectly lit cornfield. And I am glad she did. It was, at least to me, evocative of Grant Wood's work, especially his paintings of Stone City and rural Jones County. If you would like to learn more about Grant Wood the library has many books of his paintings and other creative endeavors and several biographies.

If you are looking for a day trip to find your own perfect picture of Iowa, the library can help you plan your adventure. We have a number of items on Iowa travel. One of my favorites is Hiking Iowa by Elizabeth Hill. Other titles of interests to the Iowa tourist are Great Iowa Walks: 50 strolls, rambles, hikes, and treks by Lynn L. Walters and Take the next exit : new views of the Iowa landscape edited by Robert F. Sayre.

If you would like to learn more about how to take great photographs, , the library can help you. We have many books on photography, from the basics to advanced, from using an SLR camera, to your cellphone or even how to use a drone. We also have coffee-table books of famous photographers works as well. Let me issue you all a challenge - take a little trip before summer is over and take a photograph that captures Iowa for you. Then share it. Let's celebrate the beauty of our state.