Visceral Scenery

Here's a series of photos, all taken from the web, all of different types of sceneries and landscapes. Take a quick scan of these ... then explain which ones evoke the strongest draw to you and which ones the least. Why?

(Try not to allow considerations such as survivability or the time it would take to travel to the locale to factor into your response. This is really a test of what image evokes the strongest visceral response -- positive and negative.)

#1 - Temperate Woods


#2 - Tundra


#3 - Steppe


#4 - Industrial


#5 - Rain Forest


#6 - Plains / Wheat Field


#7 - Coastal Lighthouse


#8 - Mountains


#9 - Desert


#10 - Rolling Countryside


#11 - Cityscape


#12 - Tropical Beach


#13 - Arctic


#14 - Farm Country


#15 - Waterfall



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I am most drawn to #8 (mountains) the strongest, with #7 (coastal lighthouse) a close second.

I find #2 (tundra) and #13 (arctic) compelling.

I am least drawn by #12 (tropical beach). Yes, that's right. I find such things utterly uncompelling. I am more drawn to the "industrial" picture than the tropical beach scene.

I like cool, and I like remote.

Note: in looking back, I see that my selection of pictures betrays my bias. I have only two "hot and sunny" pictures -- the beach scene and the desert scene.

Note 2: I tried to represent different major geographical categories. What am I missing here?

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The next two don't count. They're here just because they're cute!





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Yes, the universe is strikingly vast and strikingly remote. I was thinking about that the other night as I went for a walk after dark. It was clear and the stars were out.