Bamboo Impressions

Today begins a new series on “the story behind the image” – a good exercise for anyone, especially with images taken several years ago (and that you still like).

What makes them work? What do they say about you?

Bamboo Impressions was made in October 2010 at a park in the town of Zionsville, Indiana (near Indianapolis). I was participating in a day-long photography workshop led by Andy Chen, and he asked us to spend 20 minutes to half an hour photographing one subject from as many different perspectives as possible – normal, bird’s-eye view, bug’s-eye view, etc.

Of course, when getting an assignment like this, one always get to the point where all possibilities seem to be exhausted. And, this is where creativity often kicks in. First of all, this was a small town park not far from where I lived. I had no idea there was a big clump of bamboo in this park. At some point, I decided to play with the lines of the bamboo, panning vertically at longer shutter speeds (f/22, 1/6 sec).

This type of panning is still one of my favourite photographic pastimes and this is still one of my favourite images. My eyes rest in the image and take in how the light and colours all blend together – creating a feeling of energy and interconnection – a theme in many of my photographs. It takes me back to a wonderful day and reminds me how valuable workshops are – both online and in-person – for stretching us.