Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Karst

The cave is the antechamber to the underworld, acting as an ancient and mythical space that demolishes the thin connective tissue dividing this world from the supernatural world. The experience of being in a cave is an allegory for moments in which we allow ourselves to enter a subterranean (or subconscious) space to intentionally confront massive feelings like grief, desire, pain, and sublimity. Caves sever the logical connection between time, space, and transcendence.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2024
Date Uploaded: 12.2024
Photo Location: Floyd, Virginia, United States of America
Copyright: © Nika McKagen