Rock Balancing

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Rock balancing is an ephemeral art requiring a great deal of patience.
A slight breeze or an unsteady hand is all it takes to bring them down.
The above balance almost looks like a kanji character.

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When I began rock balancing it was more like rock stacking creating piles of flattish rocks or a rock cairn.

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Then I began to choose rounder rocks and aesthetic locations.

Balanced rocks will usually stay steady for several minutes unless disturbed.

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Balancing rocks focusses my body and mind.

Rocks can become an extension of my hands as I feel for balance points. Rocks of different densities and unusual shapes can be very challenging to balance.

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The above rock balance on the left inspired an artist to paint it.

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Balancing groups of rocks introduces more complex relationships into a scene.

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Repetition of design can be quite striking.

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Some rocks were formed when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Others are much older and a few are younger.

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This image taken with a 360 camera gives a different perspective of a group of rock balances.

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Sometimes I strive to make balances look very improbable.

Other times I play with post-production edits.

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