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: ) -- you make it extremely tough to pick out favorites. This one is one of mine!

Another in the " drive-by shooting " series. Taken from a moving

vehicle at slow shutter speed. The smeared effect is brush at the side

of the road between the car and the lake and is not a photoshop

treatment. Thanks for looking and comments. Cheers Gord

This is a truly outstanding photo. Not only is this an incredibly original idea, but I think it adds very much to the photo here. I know that I spend much of the time when driving through northern Ontario looking through the trees and catching glimpses of the lakes beyond. This photo has really captured that 'image beyond', which is hidden from our normal vision by the interspersed trees and brush.

 

In fact, I was so struck by the shear brilliance of this photo I immediately went and looked at the rest of this series. Unfortunately I'm not sure the effect is as useful in the other compositions with the possible exception of the Aspens or the flying geese. Still though, I'd keep trying other things in this vein -- clearly the results can be exceptional!

Thanks Ian for taking the time to share your thoughts. I'm glad this image moved you . I am also happy that you do not hesitate to point out that you lack equal enthusiasm for most of the others. Honest appraisal is what I'm here for. I have only been posting on Photonet for a week and these drive-by shooting experiments have been ongoing for a couple of years now. If you feel inclined, check back because there will be lots of updates to this series. I will be sure to take the time to look at your work and leave behind my thoughts.

 

Cheers Gord

Here's a perfect example that it isn't that important to use fancy equipment or to wait for the best shooting conditions possible in order to achieve something original and extremely appealing. I love the painterly feeling to this, wouldn't mind to have a print on my wall. Congrats and regards, Alex

PDE

Gordon this is marvellous, something between photo and paint, you may find the

ism-word ;) If you don`t know John R. Math, please go to his folder, he is the

Maestro,,re niels

Thanks for the comment and also for bringing the amazing work of John Math to my attention. My head is still spinning from that experience. I will be back to soak in more later. A maestro he truly is, at the moment I can't decide whether to be glad of seeing such work to aspire to, or whether to throw away my camera and find a new hobby.

Hi Gordon, all of us stand on shoulders, everyone makes a copy of previous copies, even Mondrian in his minimalism, started as an expressionist. But we are so lucky being photograhers, because the photograhy is so far behind the greater part of the visual art, about anno 1900 ;), please don`t say it to anyone. And now we have the very best media of all, and few dare to use it! Of course we all want a feedback on our creations, but the history of art, tells

us that the moment is not capable to judge it! Better to be humble than to be a part of the vanity fair. We make pictures because we love it, because we need it, because we find our way doing it, to tell a new story about the life, 2007.

re niels

 

You cannot create meaning, but there is meaning in creation..nichroe

Wise words indeed Niels. John Maths sense of colour and composition is spectacular, his images touch some deep primal core for me. I've decided not to throw my camera in the lake after all. Instead I have chosen to be inspired and I am actually reveling in how different my images are to his. This is part of the beauty of each one of us being unique, yet joined by common threads.

Gordon ... this just might be the best of the series. Not to copy your work, but I think I'll start my own experiments with this. I guess "imitation is the highest form of flattery".

Yes Mark please do embark on your own experiments with this technique. I think that would be terrific. I am not in need of any flattery but I would love it if you shared some of the results you get. I've been working on these for awhile now and it does start to boil down to a sort of abstract science after awhile. Now when I see a subject approaching the vehicle I start making adjustments to camera settings and have a pretty good idea when to fire the shutter and what will result. Of course there is a huge amount of random chaos in the mix which keeps it all interesting. Thankfully I have a lovely and talented assistant driving the car for me when I go out on these drive-by adventures, although I do keep a camera on the passenger seat when I drive alone and have gotten a few good one this way. If you do set sail in this direction please don't forget to keep me posted. I would highly recommend that you also look at the post above and check out John Maths work for reference and inspiration.

Math's work is good but I'd hardly call him a master. His use of oversaturated color is annoying. You've got more in this shot then any I just viewed on his gallery website.

Man, the country could use more Drive Bys like this, if the punks stuck a Canon out their window instead and AK, the world would be as beautiful as this picture.

This has a haunting feeling which I like, a coincedence the lake is named Skeleton.

I like this one and the Birch one the best; your others are very unique and creative but the Birch and Skeleton Lake are in a league of their own.

I'm glad to be looking at this sitting still because when I stare out of a moving car and see images similar to this, I can get a little dizzy!

Congratulations!

 

Kirk

Gordon, great imagination, superb shot again, let see more... thanks to share,

Fernand

You should be looking at the road ahead and not taking pictures heh heh

Very eerie quality to it almost like a Nuclear Winter.

Simon I do not hold the wheel and the camera at the same time. My lovely and talented assistant drives while I shoot.

I really love your work. I'm trying to figure out how you manage the drive-by shots. Do you hand-hold the camera as you drive or have someone else drive while you shoot?

 

Judy

Judy,

 

When I first stumbled across the idea, I drove with one hand and shot with the other. I soon came to my senses and asked my wife Vida to do the driving when I take these type of photos. Thanks for your interest.

Hola Gordon.

 

I have just discovered this shot and I am shocked, I really think it is a precious gift to the photography world. Thanks a lot.

 

I can't find any words to describe this shot, the graphics, composition, atmosphere, color tones, all are one in a whole.

 

Abrazos.

 

Oh ! Superb!

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Drive by shooting sure has gotten more popular these days…..

In fact, motion blur seems pretty common in general, whether it is this sort of drive by type or camera shake. I think it is fun and can create a lot of fun imagery and certainly something to try if one hasn't.

What I haven't found too much with this sort of photography is something more to it than just the application of technique to create an interesting visual. Sometimes that is enough and sometimes the images end up lacking any depth. Because it is technique dependent, the imagery made by various practitioners can end up looking quite similar and hard to differentiate without an underlying conceptual rationale or some tweak in the technique that is unique. This isn't really too different than we see in other genre's either, I suppose.

Gordon's image here has a bit of a different feel than much of what I have seen and maybe it has to do with his technique being a bit unique as compared to what others use. The longer lens on a crop sensor can certainly expand the difference between the subject and the foreground, which I see happening here. This gives us a different effect than much of the work that is out there created in an otherwise similar manner. That is what caught my eye initially. After looking awhile, I do see some similarities in the result with the popular texturing of images done in post. I am not suggesting it is the same, but has some similar properties to it although it is far less controllable creating the visual this way.

Like I said, I think these sorts of images are fun to look at and fun to create. They aren't much more for me than that but I did find a lot of attractive images using blur in Gordon's portfolio, including this one.

Hi Gordon,

When I saw this photo today, I immediately recognized it as your work. I was looking at your portfolio 1-2 days ago and loved it so much that I made you one of my "interesting people." What a coincidence!

This is my favorite of your series, so far. It evokes a peaceful atmosphere for me which I find very interesting, given the fact that this image is "moving". I definitely hope you continue to experiment and share your images with us.

I would absolutely pay money to put this on my wall. Excellent, inspiring work.

Leslie C.

There is a painterly quality to the image that I like. An impressionistic effect like I'm looking at a landscape through layers of clouds or fog. I wish the colors were pushed up more, selectively or generally, as I think the effect would be enhanced. Overall a compelling image and worthwhile experiment. Also worthwhile is the lesson it demonstrates that not everything in photography need be straight, locked down pictures with lens sharpness as the all important element. Sometimes creative ideas and serendipity can be as important as "IQ". I'm glad to see such an image make POW.