Village Microcosm

drei88
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Village Microcosm
Village Microcosm

This is one of those images that fills me with both joy and sadness, for reasons I don't fully understand. Like most things in life, my reaction tends to be visceral and I simply try to channel this into my photos. Outwardly, this is the epitome of small town Americana. A small parade on Memorial Day en route to the local cemetery to commemorate veterans of the armed services. I have volunteered to photograph this observance on behalf of the village for the past few years. It started out as a one and done thing for me, but I found myself thinking about it all year. Funny really; just an hour or so of work and my mind continued to bounce back to it for months. Come the following May I knew I would return and have done so ever since. I feel a sense of community here, but also the overwhelming sense of place. My place, my village, my neighbors. And there's something so fleeting about it all. And to me this image encapsulates everything I feel, all in a single frame. I begin photographing at the parade staging area. But as the parade moves out, I walk very quickly to get well ahead of it. I take up a position on a hilltop right near the cemetery and shoot. back down through telephoto lens as the procession advances toward me. I've got only about two or three minutes here before the parade catches up. I shoot several frames, pausing in between to appreciate the scene. I can hear the high school marching band playing some patriotic song. Behind the band I can see the mayor accompanied by those that will speak at the ceremony. I can see bystanders watching the parade, not many, but a few small groups and individuals. (It's almost eerie to me just how few people are in the photo.) Dazzling lights are cast from the police and fire department escort. The day is hot and windy. I can hear a dog barking and smell food being barbecued on a grille. The flags on the telephone poles flutter in the breeze. The seconds tick by and all too soon, my time is up. The lead car is suddenly just 20 feet away and I have to move out to continue shooting. Looking at this photo brings it all back to life for me and I guess that's part of the sadness I feel looking at it, the fact that it's over. It was a very special moment, but it's all dispersed and the parade route is now just another state highway.

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Taken on: May 28, 2018
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Sets appears in:   • Americana    • Hiram, Garrettsville, Mantua   
Camera: Nikon D7000, f/8.0, 1/750 sec, 170mm (=255mm), ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6
Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Time: 0.001 sec (1/750)
Focal Length: 170mm (35mm equivalent: 255mm)
ISO: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode: Auto
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Color Space: sRGB
Software: Adobe Photoshop CC (Macintosh)
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