End of the Road, a photo from Michigan, Midwest

Photographer's Note

While in college I would spend hours of spare time just driving. I would drive out of Ann Arbor in all directions choosing various roads that led through the farms and small towns of Southeast Michigan. And usually I had to turn back and head home before reaching anywhere. But I just enjoyed the scenery and seeing new places.

On some occasions I would reach the end of the road. For me it was a great satisfaction to see the yellow sign with the two arrows. It was like finding the source of a river far away from its wide estuary. Passing from 8 lane roads between crowded downtown streets, then narrower streets through surrounding neighborhoods before eventually coming to 2 lane roads through the countryside that eventually turned to dirt surfaces. It made me feel like I had completed a full trip.

And then, if there was time, there was the choice. Should I turn left or should I turn right. At the stop sign I would carefully look in both directions and just let whichever seemed to be more attractive at the time pull me. Sometimes I would choose the winding path through hills and sometimes the straight path across farms.

And I still often travel the side roads. I was visiting a friend outside of town and instead of taking the expressway I chose a road that narrows to nothing. And then on my way home I took the back roads that only the farmers use. It really serves as a pleasant and relaxing drive. Especially in contrast to the major roads full of rush hour traffic and construction headaches. And it allows a gradual entry into the city rather than the sudden appearance of subdivisions and strip-malls.

A farmer across the street probably thought I was crazy, crouching down getting shots of this street sign.

I thought I would get a storm, too, for the hunt, but it cleared up after this.

In PP I increased saturation to +17 and played with backlighting a slight bit.

rudymalou, jurgen, Rinie_Hoff, prlcs, elroyie, cmartos, electro76, gaetantgp, robertspotswood, elihesamian, jhonny_blue, jhm, nwoehnl, kajenn, Sasha, marcon έχουν(ει) επιλέξει αυτή τη σημείωση ως χρήσιμη

Critiques | Translate

jurgen (2074) 2004-06-20 17:03

I hope you have a well-equipped vehicle to cross all that difficult roads. Here in Peru there are almost no signs in rural areas, so the end of the road is known when one happens to reach one, and realize there's nowhere else to go. And roads are but very far from good in rural areas, because in the cities we have asphalt, concrete and everything else.
Blue, yellow and blue/yellow is a nice mix, but maybe if it would have been heavyly clouded you could have got a more interesting picture. Good picture.

Rinie_Hoff (9340) 2004-06-20 17:08

Hi Paul, very nice describing note, a pleasure to read it, and to read that you had a good time. The an gle is great, and the colours are so pleasant. The grass in the wind, gives a feel of freedom, somehow. Sky is beautiful. A very pleasant pic.

prlcs (63) 2004-06-20 17:10

Trθs bel angle de vue avec des couleurs trθs bien rendues, l'orange de ce panneau sur fond de ciel entre bleue et blanc : trθs beau. La profondeur est parfaite pour permettre de voir tous les dιtails de l'avant plan. Bravo Paul !

cmartos (242) 2004-06-20 18:03

I think your note describes very well a common feeling. We live, work and "think" in town, within rules. Sometimes we need some ability to choose to be surprised and to feel more free. I like the POV you choosed, excellent sopted on. The saturation increase is perfect, I like it that way. Couldy sky, superb colours, excellent sharpness. A perfect illustration of your note. Very well done Paul!

gaetantgp (1310) 2004-06-20 19:46

Very nice Paul, I do the same me too, drive around on small roads chasing for images . well done, like the sky and the wead in the wind, It remind me one I tooke with an Hydrant with wead in a field recently, wich I will be posting soon.

elroyie (2750) 2004-06-21 3:03

Great frame with very good composition, I liked the shots' angle, you also had a very good sky to give you a good contrast to the road-signs, well done!

:-)) tommorow.

rudymalou (800) 2004-06-21 3:04

That's the kind of shot I like: signs in a natural context, they give subtle indications on the worldwide location of the picture. You choosed an impressive angle, nice colors and sky and a very sharp foreground. Great shot, 2pts2morrow

elihesamian (26149) 2004-06-21 3:44

Great angle,fine colors,neat & admirabl!
let me say no more,Really I like it very much,The other friends wrote here about this attractive shot,let me see it more,Dear rafael with very great note that you write & I need read it with carefully,
Thanks,very well thanks Paul!

jhonny_blue (4956) 2004-06-21 5:10

It΄s a consusion ! :) What street you catch ?
Very good composition and colours !
Congratulations

jhm (211734) 2004-06-21 6:03

Perfectly note concerning this photograph Paul, the photograph these is, perhaps also maybe for the orange hunt, simple but very sharp and clear. Well done!

nwoehnl (122) 2004-06-21 12:25

What a nice and colorful shot from rural Michigan, with a very well-chosen upward angle towards the signs. The strong saturation works beautifully here, and the wind-bent field reminds me of some of the driving I was doing in the vast fields of Nebraska and South Dakota last year. The writing job on the note is a quality short story, really. Great job on this posting, Paul. I always wanted to try a shot like that, thanks for the reminder ;-)

kajenn (2462) 2004-06-21 15:38

Strong angle - strong colors, Paul, a good one! And the shot toward the beautifully scattered sky and the inclusion of the weeds really pays off. I see it as a symbol of life itself - on a nice day you reach the end of this road and you have to stop and choose - left or right... And then, like you write in your lovely note, we choose the "more attractive at the time".

I recognize myself a lot in your driving around - I do that in my spare time today too - it's a good way of letting your mind wonder. At the same time allowing yourself to go in directions and to see things not planned - it almost always pays off! My only problem is going too far and then I have to return home... ;o)

jrzufferey (7305) 2004-07-20 15:06

Construction superbe, le ciel est immense et tourmentι avec au centre ces panneaux indicateur,bien vu et surprenant. J'aime bien ciao\jr

light (865) 2004-08-06 14:12

Beautiful colors, interesting and really good perspective. Very good composition, it doesn't seem an easy subject, then .. well done!!

yweinreich (165) 2004-08-11 7:46

Well done sign shot - although I miss the beginning of the one sign.. But dramatic in composition and sky..

marcon (135) 2004-11-13 9:13

Inquadratura, colori, composizione, idea...θ tutto cosμ perfetto in questa foto. L'erba mossa dal vento in primo piano e gli alberi bassi sulla destra, insieme al cielo scuro che annuncia la tempesta, rendono la scena particolarmente coinvolgente e inquietante...Una straordinaria immagine dell'America. Ciao :)

Photo Information

Copyright: Paul Mastrogiacomo (pamastro) (7296)
Genre: Τοποθεσίες
Medium: Έγχρωμο
Date Taken: 2004-06-18
Categories: Καθημερινότητα, Μετακίνηση
Camera: Olympus C-5000, 38-114mm 1:2.8-4.8, Olympus xD Pic Card, Hoya Skylight (1B)
Έκθεση: f/4.5, 1/650 δευτερόλεπτα
Έκδοση φωτογραφίας: Πρωτότυπη έκδοση
Θέμα(τα): Road signs, Twins (IV), My Personal Favorites, Outdoor Type [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-06-20 16:47
Αγαπημένα: 2 [view]

Viewed: 2714

Points: 32

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