Unnamed Fifty One — Sidelong :: (click image to see more)
And what is a moment then? What is the length? There is much beauty in a moment, in drawing out a moment, in smearing out a moment into a wafer thin layer of sight and sound. In doing so, we see a moment’s true composition, it’s fundamental components, it’s elements, it’s structure, it’s essence. So much of which is not so readily apparent when taken as a whole. Particularly when there are so so many more “moments” stacked up behind it steadily and rapidly accreting on it’s heals waiting for us to ingest, digest and comprehend on some higher level – for the high function purpose of survival. So much stimulation and information it’s very difficult to slow down and see – really see, let alone meaningfully think about and consider what we see.
Inverted Orange Sky Smear, 2014 – Light Signatures :: (click to see more)
After some reflection over today’s image, it feels like it has roots in skyline images I took years ago hanging out the window of a car bombing down a road at sunset in Kaui. There was a flat green foreground with a clear line of sight to the horizon with the orange sun glowing through some stormy grey clouds.
I’ve always been activated by the motion of driving – from early memories of daydreams on long trips, to hours of commuting. My mind drifts mesmerized by the smeared trees and rolling fields.
No matter how I analyze and explain it – the visuals from movement are just something fundamental to my makeup – to my history – an early imprint on my personality – my dream.
I’ve begun to step away from the simpler smear images in the Light Signature series that I’m currently collecting material for. I’m now manipulating the camera in patterns that I think up on the spot as I’m riding – which is surprisingly difficult, considering that most of my concentration is devoted to defensive driving and looking out for all manner of dangers – with a portion reserved for identifying interesting material to photograph – not to mention the extra difficulty of balance and control since one of my hands is clutching the camera instead of the handlebars.
Nooo, I’m not reeling all over the road like you’re imagining or swinging my head wildly from side to side looking for new material, ignoring traffic, parked cars and pedestrians. I actually do want to stay alive while I do this so I have a slightly more conservative approach – well, conservative for me.
The important thing is the images are changing in really interesting and beautiful ways and its forcing me to re-examine the things I’ve been seeing and photographing. I am photographing essentially the same things now every day – mostly because my route to the studio is the same and because a lot of the things that draw my attention are static and unchanging from day to day. Although there are some things that are dynamic, like the vehicles and people but the majority of what I’m seeing along the way are buildings and urban structures.
I think this is partly why I began to vary my process. I was starting to see the same type of images appear and was getting bored with the sameness of it. That and the green blue lines image opened the door to new possibilities for me. Since then I’ve begun to experiment with movement to bring the added dimension of shapes to these images like the one above.
