The winter snow is finally here and with that snowy change to the landscape comes new opportunities to be creative with our cameras.
This past week I finally decided to wander out with my camera to see what I could find in the snowy forest across the road from my home.
I covered my ears with my stocking cap, put on my warm coat and winter boots and attached a 24mm lens on my camera and started trudging through the snow.
I have been walking through that woody area for years. My friend Jo’s children have realized that it doesn’t take much coaxing for me to come with them on the winding trails. Jo’s daughter Evinn and some friend will knock on my door and say, “will you go with us to the old cars?” I always say yes, and we go running across the road and down the trails. Okay, mostly they go running down the trails because I get winded and call to them (so I don’t loose face). “I’ll take some pictures of you running,” I said.
When they reach the old cars I get them to pose on top or inside peering at me through the glassless windows. There isn’t much left of those two car bodies that were left there by some local teens about 30 years ago and they were stripped of anything useful years ago.
This time I was alone on my photo walk and it was again those wrecked cars that I wanted to photograph. I was sure the snow would offer interesting changes.
As I walked I would crouch down in the snow for photos. My camera has an articulating LCD screen that allows me to hold the camera at snow level. That is so much easier than previous cameras that forced me to lie down in the snow with the camera at my eye for pictures.
I chose the 24mm so I could get wide, low angle shots with my full frame camera and I was sure the wide 24mm lens would work perfectly with the cars. I like wide angle with cars.
The snow changes the landscape and in my mind, creates unique sculptures of features like the cars. I walked round and round, photographing them again and again. I would see something different when standing in a new position and walk back were I just was and lift the camera up or down, sometime shooting though one car at the other. Finding a position that highlighted what little paint was still showing or standing back for a wide view to include both cars.
Its fun to put the thought in one’s mind that these are abstract art sculptures. Imagining them as black and white images as well as natural colour. The snow lends to that kind of thinking. Gosh, the possibilities are endless when you think that these photographs of derelict cars in the snow can also be manipulated with some computer program.
I had a good time and now that I have looked at the many photos I took I am most pleased with a vertical shot where the snow hides enough of the bent up car to make it seem like some weird artists statement. Unlike that imaginary artist, my photo isn’t trying to convey anything other than an attempt at being creative with the snow and those rusting cars.
I don’t know who the person is that said this, but it’s a good quote to finish with; “photography is an adventure, where every shot is an opportunity to capture something special and unique.”
Stay safe and be creative. These are my thoughts for this week. Contact me at www.enmanscamera.com or emcam@telus.net.
