Anticipation | 08:16AM Jul 17, 2007
Alas, I finally had to return from the wild Maine woods. A bit battered and bruised, but certainly none the worse for wear. Quite the contrary, in fact, I find myself thirsting for the intoxicating smell of high octane fuel, the roar of performance engines, and the ever-present layer of dust which envelops everything in sight. That’s right, folks, I am now a certified rally junkie!
You may have already asked this question, but just incase, I’ll ask it for you: Why on earth would a photographer who had just spent the entire weekend covering one of the premier automotive events in the Northeast post an image that is void of anything remotely vehicular? Well, the answer is simple, but in my usual style I will make it much more complicated. You see, over the weekend I clicked the shutter roughly 1300 times. Granted, not all were keepers, but even after narrowing the field I ended up with over 200 images. So clearly it will take some time to get all those captures up to speed, so to speak. Now, why this particular image? Frankly, my first thought was to find the best image of the weekend. But that wouldn’t be any fun. So, I made my decision in the spirit of anticipation as well as chronology.
The shot in question was taken at the autograph session that was arranged on the night before the big race. Rally fans from far and wide all gathered around the parking lot of the Sunday River Brew Pub as the drivers backed their glistening, turbo-charged stallions into a perfectly symmetrical semicircle. With each rev of the engine the children’s screams of joy grew louder. Drivers barely had a chance to get out of their cars before lines began to form. Each child pushed for his or her place, fighting to have their particular poster, t-shirt, or chest signed first. The excitement in the air was so thick that even the supercharged engines struggled to breath. What a way to start the weekend.
You may have already asked this question, but just incase, I’ll ask it for you: Why on earth would a photographer who had just spent the entire weekend covering one of the premier automotive events in the Northeast post an image that is void of anything remotely vehicular? Well, the answer is simple, but in my usual style I will make it much more complicated. You see, over the weekend I clicked the shutter roughly 1300 times. Granted, not all were keepers, but even after narrowing the field I ended up with over 200 images. So clearly it will take some time to get all those captures up to speed, so to speak. Now, why this particular image? Frankly, my first thought was to find the best image of the weekend. But that wouldn’t be any fun. So, I made my decision in the spirit of anticipation as well as chronology.
The shot in question was taken at the autograph session that was arranged on the night before the big race. Rally fans from far and wide all gathered around the parking lot of the Sunday River Brew Pub as the drivers backed their glistening, turbo-charged stallions into a perfectly symmetrical semicircle. With each rev of the engine the children’s screams of joy grew louder. Drivers barely had a chance to get out of their cars before lines began to form. Each child pushed for his or her place, fighting to have their particular poster, t-shirt, or chest signed first. The excitement in the air was so thick that even the supercharged engines struggled to breath. What a way to start the weekend.
