highway meditations (see the one with the yellow sign for an orientation) (inspired by t meyer) Highway Meditations #0774518

I made a picture of the feeling of holding my hand out of the window

of a speeding car.

I'll give this a go:

 

We all enjoy peering through our cameras at the world as it passes. Most of us, I'll bet, have ventured so far as to point the camera out of our cars in attempts to capture the fleeting motion that mesmerized us in childhood as the landscape blurred into streaks of unrecognizable color. This series returns to that ambition.

 

Although I imagine they had their genesis in boredom, feelings of security, happiness and familial bliss are how I recall such memories, being as they were gathered on long trips towards summer vacation, or to a cousin's house for holiday.

 

Therefore, the day for shooting had to be sunny and bright, beneath a blue sky peppered with puffy white clouds, which symbolize not only the joy of life, but also its transient nature. The landscape had to be spaciously rural, not cluttered or urban. Motion capture, a product of shutter speed, panning and automotive speed, had to be carefully timed to obtain the desired amount of blur. The horizontal format was essential to tie the landscape as seen through the car window to the forward movement of life.

 

The resultant unmanipulated images are more like transcribed memories, and serve to remind me of warm summer days, a sense of endless time, and of the journey traveled rather than any particular destination.

 

It's rare that I appreciate pictures as a series, most of the times it's just not-so-good photographs which look pretty when looking at a whole bunch of them. Just like in a clothes shop, when one sees five blue shirts and 12 light-blue trousers hanging beside each other. When one looks at a single piece, it's nothing special, mediocre stuff. This series is different, it does transport exactly that feeling you described, it's very well done, even technically. I do especially like the swing-swaying of different blur-directions.

Regards -

...not so loud... "most of the times it's just not-so-good photographs which look pretty when looking at a whole bunch of them"

 

You should never say that in public! That's my favorite crutch.

 

 

 

 

Andrea, what do you think about changing the title to Highway Meditations. Does that work against the feeling, do you think? Does it sound too philosophical?

too late! I did it already.

 

 

Doug,

 

I would say that you adequately captured the feeling of holding your hand out of the window of a speeding car! ;-)

 

I especially like the fact that I can still read the "Bridge" sign post.

 

Great composition.

 

Regards,

 

-Ade

Sorry, Doug, for being late, I always am. 'Highway meditations' is fine, you just might attract a bunch of esoterics, but well...

Thanks Ade.

 

All's well that ends well, Andrea. This was a quick, fun little project, but I'm not finished with my cows, yet. I didn't finish with the churches, either.

Nice series. I have been working on a somewhat parallel series which I refer to as my " Drive-by Shootings " Not so much about the childhood summer rush, which I totally get in your images, just another approach. I also really get a laugh from your bovine buddies.

Oh no... you've attracted an esoteric already.

 

Cheers

 

Gord

Thanks Gord, I wish we could search all these things, like all folders on photonet that have to do with this kind of photo. There are probably hundreds of them, if not thousands.