PicsArt Monthly April Issue 2014 | Page 74

Soaking in the Sun with Yellow Petals and Black Panels A bedding of saffron colored flowers blanketing a plane as far as the eye can see, punctuated only by an isolated pine rising from the center. This image evokes the feeling you get when you stand amongst the splendor of nature in the open air, drawing in with each breath the essence of the life thriving around you, feeling alive and connected. The image is a beautiful and worthy Photo of the Month, captured by user Hush Puppie (@hur1052). It demands closer scrutiny, however, specifically around the strange slanting black panels peeking above the horizon of yellow flowers. If you haven’t identified them yet, we’ll clue you in. They are solar panels, and here in this picturesque landscape, they are not only primely positioned to soak in clean and usable energy directly from the sun’s rays, but in this context, they remind us of the cause they were erected to defend. @hur1052 April is not just a month to marvel at the budding wonders of Spring, but it is also the month of Earth Day, a day in which we ponder the conservation of our planet’s increasingly vulnerable environment. It was therefore hard to ignore Hush Puppie’s image as the obvious candidate for our Photo of the Month. It is a reminder of the beauty and life of the natural world, as well as the measures we must undertake to ensure its protection. A stunning photo with a powerful message. 74| PicsArt Monthly