Not to go off topic, but Shashin, the smart money has already learned that the payback period on wind turbines is longer than their anticipated life span. In general the wind market is being supported by USA federal subsidies. As soon as the subsidies are over, so will the wind industry. It won't be long before the subsidies expire. Sorry. Furthermore, the country side filled with turbines is nothing but eye pollution. Please Google a few photos from central Kansas. I know because it is part of what I do for a living. Sorry to go off topic. As you were.
Well, I am so glad that the fossil fuel and nuclear industries do not have federal subsidies. And I don't think that, for example, a coal-fired power plant is much prettier than a turbine--perhaps we should put power plants in our national parks. I would rather look at turbines. And how sustainable is the fossil-fuel industry? Is it sustainable enough to pay for the pollution that killed Maine lakes? Is it sustainable enough to compensate Maine fisheries for the stress caused by the acidification of the Gulf of Maine, at least their contribution? And what "smart money" are you talking about? Wall Street? Wind has proven to be an economic choice. Actually, I was not going off topic in the sense I was making a counterpoint to Graham's comments. I do think it is important for photographers that work in the natural world to appreciate it a little more than as an object for pretty pictures, because I think those pretty pictures can cause harm.
Tom, just like modern architecture, Palouse is very beautiful. But combined by what that beauty cost, it does make the image more poignant. In Japan, I would often see, almost a cliche, a photograph of regular trees on a Japanese mountain side in "nature" contests. It was simply a picture of a tree farm. And if you have been on a Japanese tree farm, you will see under the canopy a brown desert that is the forest floor--nothing grows there.
And I am just going to have to say that wind turbines are some of the most beautiful machines made by man. There is certainly no other power plant as beautiful. And if wind power plants are really so ugly, why do so many people go to Holland just to see and photograph them? Why do so many people photograph in very sentimental ways all the wind water pumping towers in Texas? Even the rusting, broken ones.
Now, if we really want to get off topic, but maybe get some consensus, what about cell towers...
...now back to the regular programming.