Finding Light

Photography is my hobby. By that I mean, for me, the making of photographs treads a fine line between passion and obsession. It is my creative outlet and a constant struggle. I try to force myself to take photos, and it's not until I am calm that I can make my best photos. Of course there's those times when I need to get something off of my chest: I'm upset and focused. My mixed feelings come together and end up in my better work as well.

Yesterday, I learned a valuable lesson. I wanted to make a great to photograph: I looked for 'good light,' an uncluttered background, and a great angle. My first attempt was around two in the afternoon. Not so great because the light was to hard. A little bit later I came back to the same spot and tried again. Better, but not what I was looking for. There was no chance for a photo I could live with. Ce la vie.

And in one last attempt, I found another subject. Of course, the subject wasn't right. The light, however, was. I made my way back to my previous German subject, waited, and walked around. I had the right light and background, but the angles were wrong (to my eye). And then finally I saw what I wanted. The light was beautiful, the angle was terrific, but of course there was a cluttered background. I took the photo despite it, and ended up exactly with what I wanted: a nice photograph of a beautiful car. It's not perfect, but I worked hard to get that much with nothing more than my camera and 'free,' quickly fading light.

The lesson learned: sometimes there really isn't a photo there, or I'm just not in the mood. No matter how much I struggle there's so much to be done. I can look, experiment, move myself physically, and there's nothing I can do but wait. Wait for either the light to be right, the mood to be right, or even for a more interesting subject. Of course someone could go into detail regarding artificial lights, reflectors, and 'pro' jobs that need to be done no matter what. In that case, you need the right tools for the job. In my case, I am trying to learn about finding a quality of (natural) light. And I'm just a little bit closer to my goal.

Please feel free to leave a comment!

Emotive Automotive

Sensual curves, melodic sound, a big caboose. It's no wonder that cars are often referred to in the feminine, as works of art that we lust for. Their mystery and power are things of both legend and beauty, power and agility, aggression and serenity. On the tarmac, the limits of these vehicles can be tapped into with graceful footwork and pinpoint steering accuracy. Metal, rubber, plastic, carbon fiber, cloth, fuel, lubricants... so many parts moving, revolving, and internally combusting. Tears and blood through and through, for better or for worse. And on the show floors, the spirit of all these come together alongside wax and tire shine as automotive pornography. The glittering, beautiful framework covered with coats of paint and gloss are sirens leading men (and women alike) to their bank account's doom.

Everyone has their own story of what their vehicle means to them. Whether it be the visual and auditory aesthetic or performance attributes, there's something truly special about these machines that can comfortably get us from point A to point B, or from the start line to the finish line. A car can be artwork to one person and a tool for another. Beauty on the outside, a beast under the bonnet. I for one started with the pure sound of them, listening to the throaty exhausts and whining intakes. I progressed to a love for the ride, and finally for pure motorcycle-riding lust. Not the adrenaline, mind you. Adrenaline is a sure way to the emergency room. It's the "zone." That place where man and machine are in sync, where the world melts away with every synapse firing so that every nuance of the road and your body move to go forward without anything else mattering. Like a waking dream: it's something fast, delicate, and indescribable.

I hope you enjoyed the photos. Please feel free to post your own stories and love for cars, trucks, motorcycles... whatever automotive machinery that gets your heart pumping.