I chose to take a walk that I often take. I call it the loop, as it is about a 1-1.5 mile loop through my neighborhood. I feel like sometimes I do it so often that it becomes predictable and so I tried to really be aware of what was around me.
On this walk I saw the familiar- houses, trees, the blue sky, cars. But I also noticed things that I hadn't realized were there before. Fire hydrants, white birch trees, light posts, fences, weeds, ants. I also saw people- babies in a stroller being pushed by their dad. An entire family on bicycles speeding along, someone walking their golden retriever who was wearing a bandana, a black car driving by.
I heard dogs barking, kids playing, people talking on the phone while walking, birds chirping, car engines rumbling far away, a plane overhead.
I smelled grass, nature, mud and an earthy smell.
I sensed the pavement pushing against the soles of my feet, the air brushing past my hair, the sun shining down on my forehead.
I noticed a few new things as I said before (fire hydrants, a white birch tree that I never realized was a white birch tree, a light post engulfed by a tree, a red door.)
I always seem to notice the bumper stickers on specific cars, as well as the sign posts in peoples yards, and the heart and rainbow drawings taped up to their windows.
One thing that particularly stuck me was a new sign that read "Black Lives Matter", taped up to a window. I haven't noticed it there before and think it is new.
It was interesting to do this walk through a new lens and I look forward to continued discoveries on my walk of the loop again.
Your photos gave me a visual holiday during a time when there can be no travel. I feel that I
ReplyDeletegot a sense of your loop. I enjoyed seeing a very different geography than I see each day on the west coast. Thank you.
The necessity of shooting a photo each minute creates a delightful handicap. For me, the most compelling of your images are those that offer surprise -- when I'm not quite sure for a moment of what I'm seeing. I'm especially drawn to the fourth photo from the end, the beauty of the shadow play on the road and the ambiguity of the central element (a sign? a drain?). I appreciate the framing of photo #1 of the winged maple seeds -- the patches of light and sliver of sidewalk you chose to include.
ReplyDeleteHello Ann! I enjoyed witnessing your discovery of the white birch tree and then seeing how you were drawn into its presence. I found your images to be textural with you being drawn to the diverging and converging lines of the trees and the repetition/multiplicity within the debris. I especially enjoy the image of the tree leaves juxtaposed with the clouds as they are formal similar.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the variety in these images - the way you have mixed both close-ups and long shots, gazing down and gazing up. In particular I noticed you are drawn to looking at a lot of things on the ground (the grates, the maple seeds, tree root, shadows and street markings) - I would encourage you to keep exploring that. I'm also very drawn to #13 the image of the silhouette of the trees against the sky - it is quite different from the others - but offers a lovely perspective and to me feels hopeful and gives some feeling of the atmosphere of the walk. I also enjoy the way the final image of returning home bookends the set.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed coming along on this walk. In particular, the photo that gives a closer look at the birch tree stands out. There is a large knot or maybe it is a spot where a branch has been cut that resembles a large eye. It makes me feel like the birch is looking at me. I too as mentioned by Sally loved the sense of "coming home" that the final image created. Also, the first image and it's many scattered maple seeds gives me a sense of possibility and opportunity as I start following along with you through your photographs.
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