Down the Line

I have to admit that part of going through this whole portfolio building exercise is guilty pleasure; it’s fun to rediscover images from ten to twenty years ago that have stood my test of time. It would be too grand to say ‘the’ test of time, as it is just my judgment of the work that I have done over the past couple of decades. Also, there is a sense of progression in my images, which is part due to learning my craft a bit more all the time and part due to pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Today’s image contains a little bit of both of those dimensions…

This particular railroad crossing is one that I travel across almost every day, as it is close to home and on a main road. I remember that I sort of caught a little bit of the view out of the corner of my eye, which told me to park and take another look. It was both the color and the direction of the light that held something of interest.

When shooting this with my iPhone 5 (it was 2013), I noticed the significant amount of lens flare with the light coming in from the left; instead of covering the lens, I decided to leave it to see the effect that it would have.

As you can see in the image, the colors on the left hand side are more washed out and there is a clear demarcation of the sky, which coincides with the tracks in the far distance. I liked the sense of two worlds touching that this evoked with the mystery of what might be ‘down the line’.

Author: jansenphoto

A Fresh Perspective Photography is more than just a vehicle for capturing the world around me; it provides me with a palette and a set of brushes, with which I paint not only what I see, but also look to express the emotions that are evoked by the scene in front of me in that moment. Growing up in the Netherlands exposed me to a wide cross-section of visual arts that laid the foundation of my photographic view of all that surrounds me. Early influences were the Dutch Masters of the 17th century, to whom I was introduced by my grandfather during museum explorations; favorites among them are the scenes of quotidian life depicted by Jan Steen and Frans Hals and the vivid landscapes of Jacob van Ruisdael. My classical high school education was supplemented by the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum, where I spent many a lunch hour exploring its great collection. Here I was introduced to surrealism with a particular love for the approach taken by Salvador Dali; Dali also rekindled my appreciation for the work of Hieronymus Bosch, who often showed the folly of us mortals. Universal Connections My approach to any photographic subject is to look for understanding first; in this I look to establish either a connection between the viewer and the subject or capture the connection of the subject with its surroundings. The captured image then aims to portray this connection from a perspective that is part of my personal interpretation. This interpretation is often a form of externalized introspection, which may alternately display the connection of isolated beings and items with their environment or highlight the whimsy of the profound world, in which we find ourselves. The universe is full of connections, many of which are waiting to be discovered; part of my journey as a photographer is to document these connections. Any assignment, be it an event, a product shoot or a portrait session is always approached through communication with the client; this is where the first connection is established. Ideas are exchanged and a collaborative plan of action forms, ultimately resulting in a set of images that aim to exceed the expectations of each client. And, lest we forget, it is important to have fun while practicing the serious business of photography! View all posts by jansenphoto