Turbines seem to be the next big thing in central Indiana. I first noticed some turbines already erected along I-65 north of Lafayette in July, with more structures being worked on. Every time I would drive back and forth to Chicago I would watch the progress as another few turbines were set up. And the scale of these are amazing.

It's a little too far out of the Kokomo Tribune's coverage area for a local story so I knew I wouldn't be going over to shoot them, but whenever I'd look at them while on the interstate I would think how I might shoot the assignment if I had it.

I think all photographers are like that to some extent. Whether it's watching a football game on television or being at some event in your off time, those creative thoughts are always flowing. Would I choose this angle or that, how I would light that subject etc.

One of the turbines emerges from the fog above

an Indiana cornfield.
Image copyright Erik Markov 2009

Something about the turbines just fascinates me. I don't know if it's the size, the complexity or it's just something new and unique.

I had to go up to NW Indiana for the day recently. It's an errand I could have and should have taken care of when I was there several weeks ago but I ended up putting it off. Maybe it's fortuitous that I procrastinated. I left Kokomo about 6 am and as it turns out it was extremely foggy that morning. It can get pretty foggy in central Indiana occasionally, but it usually burns off fairly early. That morning was a little different, as the fog was still hanging around at 7 am when I got to Lafayette where I was getting on the interstate.

At some point I figured I would go over to the area where the turbines are to get some photos, mainly just because of how unique they seem, particularly for Indiana. I just didn't plan for it to be that morning.

The fog was sticking around as I got to the area where the turbines are located near I-65, so of course I stopped to take a look. The sun was just coming up, making some cool colors as it reflected off the fog. One of the unusual things I had never seen was that there seemed to be almost two layers of fog. There was a layer closer to the ground, then a break, then more fog. As in the photo above, it almost made it appear as though the turbines were just magically appearing in the area.

A turbine rising above grain silos.
Image copyright Erik Markov 2009

One of the things I found interesting is the old and new competing, like in the photo above of silos being dwarfed by a turbine.

After I did my errands up north, I headed back to Kokomo. As I got farther south, some nice puffy cumulus clouds started to dot the sky, making for interesting background scenery.

Classic Indiana scene: Cornfields on either side of
a gravel road that disappears in the distance.

Image copyright Erik Markov 2009

Turbines sprouting up from cornfields. Who woulda thunk?

A turbine far in the distance framed by an old

barn in the middle of a soybean field.
Image copyright Erik Markov 2009

From what I've found on the internet, there are supposedly hundreds of more turbines that will be sprouting around central Indiana. It should be interesting to see what that means for Indiana's future development.


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