Icy splendour
“On 11 June this year everything was white outside. I wanted to go out to take pictures of my car covered in snow, but when I got to the gate I saw I was properly locked in. I had to take a picture right away to show just how cold it was, because I had to open the icy lock with my fingers. That morning it was -5 °C in Sutherland.”
Nothing gives better proof of reality than a photo, and that’s true for this one Chantél took, too. But apart from its obvious value as a true reflection of what happened, it’s also an interesting pic.
Because the car is in the background, it feels as though you are personally standing behind the gate. That gives the photo depth, but because the focal plain is on the gate, the car is slightly out of focus and its strong lines don’t interfere with the foreground and you immediately know where to look. The shape of the vehicle is clear enough that you know what you’re looking at.
The photo basically has no colour either, but thanks to the light from behind, there’s plenty of detail to see – including the ice on the fence to the right and on the gate’s chicken wire.