Stamps

In October of next year, the post office will reveal "Earthscapes" a set of fifteen stunning aerial photographs that border on the abstract. You can see a preview of five of them on the USPS's Beyond the Perf blog, or else just look at the set at the top of this page. The stamps are divided among three themes: the first row is natural, the middle agricultural, and the bottom urban. The images were chosen by art director Howard Paine to showcase designs or patterns and geographic diversity.If you're interested in trying semi-abstract nature photography, check out our guide How To: Photograph Patterns in Nature for a rundown on how to capture images like this yourself — though you'll need a friendly local pilot if you're going to go the aerial route.Full descriptions of each photograph and their photographer after the jump: