My wife wondered how ancient some of the trees were when driving around in northern Massachusetts today and whether or not some of them could have possibly been around before European settlers arrived. She had been at an orchestra workshop handling musical instruments from as early as the 18th century, so objects traveling through time were on her mind, but it did get me to thinking that there is something to getting ‘the shot’ as a photographer, isn’t there.
I would like to say that my wife and I hiked day and night to be able to view North Adams at the foot of the Massachusetts mountainside. We did not.
Instead, my wife wanted to visit a restaurant, gift shop, and inn built overlooking the valley below. Meandering inside I had noticed postcards for sale of the same exact location but all throughout time. I would also learn that local inhabitants would ride to the Hairpin Turn to observe the view and a picnic with the family.
As a kid I used to clip landscape photography as source material for my oil paintings. Now I get to experience these same views for myself with camera in hand. It’s the landscape which demanded to be photographed, for the postcards to be created and shared, and to be the ideal locale for family gatherings. That’s gravitas.
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