Chasing the Light

You’ve probably heard of ‘The Golden Hour’.

That window near sunset where the light just works for great photos. It’s softer, warmer, and way more forgiving than the middle of the day. Last weekend I was out for the first drive of the season, and I grabbed my camera and brought it along. And promptly forgot about.

Guess I was enjoying being back in the driver’s seat of this marvellous machine once again after a long winter hiatus. Nothing big, or preplanned, just a late afternoon rip out on the only bit of twisty road in the area. Just to get that feeling again. The first drive of the season is usually pretty straightforward. I was just getting back into it, shaking off the rust a bit, seeing how everything felt. The car settled in immediately - it’s me who needed the primer - but it all came back without much effort.

As the drive wound down, I suddenly realized I’d been preoccupied with driving, and forgotten all about taking a great photo to commemorate the start of the season. Years of driving around taking car shots occasionally pays off with a good one. But those are generally flukes. Setting out to take a good car photo takes a bit more prep. Location, and light. What kind of picture? Static? On the move? What’s the backdrop?

But I hadn’t left myself any time for that. The sun was fast dropping in the sky. I was going to miss The Golden Hour. Of course years of driving around taking car shots also does get one into the habit of keeping one’s eye open for opportunities, and I remembered a spot next to a vast farmer’s field of yellow dried up corn stalks (or something) that had potential. 

I ripped through the roundabout and flicked the car back in the direction I’d been coming from - hurry hurry hurry. That Golden Light is too precious to waste and I needed to hustle if I was going to take advantage of it. I was hoping the spot had what I thought it did; the right angle, a decent background, room to pull off and for me to get back a ways from the car. and a clear line to the horizon. 

I reached the spot and pulled off onto the side. It’s a stretch of ruler-straight open road just to the west of Ottawa, climbing upwards with that big field next to it. Jumping out, I frigged with camera settings and tried to frame something decent. Acutely aware of the sun dropping behind me, I was careful to get my shadow out of the way and also not to see myself reflected back in the gorgeous, mirror-like Carmine red paint.

I was right about The Golden Hour. That diffuse light, the long shadows cast in that short window just before sunset. The car looked exactly the way I wanted it to look, with the curves accentuated and the colour exploding against the backdrop. The way I see it when I close my eyes and think about it.

Drivers gave me some pretty funny looks as I waited for them to pass, then ran across the road and crouched down in the opposite lane for a better angle. Had to be careful! There was  a bit too much traffic and it was interfering! I could feel the moment passing - the light drops off fast, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. You can see it immediately - no point trying to force it. But by chance, at the last second, I snagged a window and manage to click off one of my best shots ever (I think), just before The Golden Hour ended.

Satisfied, I crossed the road and approached the car. A guy in a Subaru gave me an appreciable honk and a yell of ‘perfect car for photos!”  I’m inclined to agree and giving a thumbs up, I climbed back in. I twisted the key and headed homewards, intensely happy with the first drive of spring.

It’s not a long was, and I wasn’t pushing the car at all. It was just about getting back into it, and catching that one small window where everything lines up - The Golden Hour.

First drive of the season.

And a great photo too.

~ Luke