Rediscovering Photography in a Changing Landscape

 

Something that I noticed recently as I’ve been trying to make a point to photograph again. I used to spend countless hours just driving around and photographing anything and everything that was interesting to me. I’ve tried to recreate the process, but I’ve noticed 2 things.

1) I feel awkward and nervous

I feel differently about stopping and photographing. I feel awkward lifting the camera up to my face from inside my car, worried that onlookers are going to be suspicious of my photography. An incident happened many, many years ago when I was walking around Emmaus in the evening and I was photographing some old headstones that looked neat. Someone came out of their house yelling at me and my friend, and accusing us of photographing his motorcycle. I could care less about anyone’s motorcycle. I explained I was photographing the cemetery, not his bike. I can’t remember if I showed him my camera photos to prove it or not but he was very accusatory and made me uncomfortable. I do think most people would wonder why I would photograph the things I do, and might not at first assume it’s for art. Being 10 years+ older now, I can also understand the suspicion of some teenagers near my property with a camera. But that interaction is still vivid in my memory.

I get that sense around where I live people are very private and wouldn’t be too receptive if I got caught photographing their porch/signs/yard/house front/or even the nature surrounding their property. There’s something about a camera that I think makes people suspicious. I could probably do the same thing with a cell phone and I don’t know if anyone would notice. When I was younger I really never thought twice about trespassing for a photo or openly photographing private property. The photos called me, I didn’t choose them đŸ˜‰

2) There are so many cars, everywhere

During college, I had long breaks and didn’t live on campus. So instead of sitting in the library or driving back home, I would drive around and take photos. I would ride all around Kutztown and Berks County. I have numerous folders on my drives with folders labeled by their date followed by “driving”. I feel that’s when I was able to explore my passion for photography the most. Out on the road with no one around, discovering unique places, structures, and scenery. I always had the time to slow down or completely stop in the road to capture a photograph. Many times I pulled over where there was room and got out for a photo. Now, even in my little rural town, the traffic is relentless and much faster. I would have thought “out here in the sticks” there’d be more opportunities to stop. But every time I start to slow for a photo op, I see another big pickup truck coming up the rear. There are some really neat hand-made Mennonite signs down the road I’d like to photograph but there isn’t really a lot of area to stop and again, I’m nervous to be questioned. I’ll have to head to even more rural areas to avoid the confrontation, or of course, I could just get over it.

Just some interesting observations I’ve made as of late when my renewed interest in photography. What are your thoughts?