Napanee Rapeseed Fields
I’ve always been enamoured by the bright and beautiful yellow fields that pop up during the summer months in Ontario. Until recently, I had no idea what type of flower or crop it was that created this picturesque scenery (It’s called “Rapeseed” and it’s typically used in the production of Canola Oil) but I knew that the next time I saw such a field, I had to photograph it.
Driving home along the 401 from a shoot in Toronto, just before I hit Greater Napanee (of Avril Lavigne fame), I was engulfed in a vibrant wash of yellow all around me. I didn’t really have time to stop, but how could I not? This was my opportunity.
What’s crazy is that I was able to get some images full of contrasts. Because the fields were so close the the highway, these photographs I produced have the stillness of the yellow fields contrasted with the sheer speed of the vehicles zooming down the highway. Using the Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) technique yielded some interesting results that I’m quite happy with.
I then turned my attention to some of the smaller details that were surrounding me and I was able to make the following photographs which are very different from the ones above. I absolutely love the first one where the flowers look like shooting stars, raining down through the air.
A couple of terms that are starting to be thrown around are “Photography Impressionism” or “Impressionist Photography” and I couldn’t agree with this more. I was always a big fan of Monet, Renoir, Degas & Cézanne’s works and they are definitely inspirations as I continue with this body of work.
