Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
(Link to Movie)
I thought that this project was going to defeat me. I had no idea what to take pictures of. The only things that I had ever taken pictures of were people or major landmarks while on vacation. I had never taken pictures spontaneously or for the sake of making art. I had only had experience taking tacky, postcard-like photos of the Eiffel Tower, or the Coliseum. What did I know about being a “street photographer”?
I stressed about having a theme, about where to take these photos and whether or not my photos were even worthy of being called “art”. I wandered around aimlessly through the streets of Midtown Manhattan with my little pink camera in hand but nothing caught my eye. All I could think of was how unusually cold it felt and how it seemed to be a little early for all the Christmas decorations. I thought of doing a series called “Christmas in July” documenting all of the early Christmas decorations and how they irritated me but I decided that would look too much like a tourist’s visit to the city for the holidays.
I looked everywhere for inspiration. I asked people for their opinions and what they would do if they had to do a street photography project. I even found out that I knew the famed “Chelsea Red” guy through a very unusual series of events and random questioning. After my mindless wandering and numerous interrogations I gave up and went home.
The next day I was riding in the passenger side of a car, still clutching my camera wondering about what to photograph. I started taking random photos of what I thought was nothing. I photographed everything and anything that I could get into my frame. I ended up shooting my entire set through the window of a moving car. This added a certain level of difficulty to getting my shots but I welcomed the challenge. If I missed the shot there was no way for me to go back to take it, unless I had the driver make an illegal u-turn or double back around the block. I looked for eye-catching boutiques and geometric bridges; pretty much anything that had an interesting pattern or look.
My frame was greatly limited by the fact that I was in a moving vehicle and that I, myself, was limited in movement. I tried taking pictures of things that were behind me by use of the side-view mirrors on the car. That’s when I came up with the title of my series. The little phrase on the bottom of the mirror, “Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear”. I think that the title suits the set in that it represents the restrictions that I incurred while trying to create my “art”. Even though you can see the objects in the mirror, you have to gauge how close they are. Even though I was able to see all the things around me, I had to estimate when to take the photo in order to get the shot I wanted. There are limitations.
With the way that I took my photos I was able to achieve different angles that, perhaps just walking on the street would not be able to produce. The photos all seemed to organically manifest themselves. At many times I didn’t quite know what I was going to get when the shutter closed but I ended up really liking what came out. I saw things that I wanted to shoot that I would normally whiz by without even a second glance. This route that I had traveled so many times before was suddenly beautiful and interesting. Things didn’t just blend into the background of the city. I actually studied my surroundings and wanted to include them in my series.
From this project I have gained a new appreciation for the roads that I have traveled on so often. I now see these streets in a new light. No longer will I think of the Pulaski Skyway and grimace. I won’t automatically think of its relentless and plentiful potholes. Beauty can be found in the most unlikely places, sometimes all it takes is a little bit of traffic for you to stop and notice it.
