The juxtapositions of human patterns with those of nature have always intrigued me. Here I was drawn to the way the rice plants are carefully placed in a manner that is orderly to the human eye. They form a “V” and almost come to a point where I stood taking the picture. And then they spread out encompassing the land, farmers, and wide blue sky. These terraced fields have been in place for centuries, with water flow controlled by practices derived over generations to provide just the right amount of water for each delicate, vigorous new green shoot to thrive.
—David O. Brown