Crocodile Rock

This week's picture reminded me of a lyric from one of Elton John's earliest hits, Crocodile Rock, "Dreaming of my Chevy and my old blue jeans." It's funny how one memory can return and trigger another memory that is seemingly unrelated to the first.  When I saw this old Chevy outdoors near a shed next to a salvage yard, it interested me because I am having a hard time finding a partially sunny day, much less anything to photograph.  Thus is life during January in the upper Midwest. 

My first impression upon seeing the subject influenced how I treated it in post-processing.  Actually, the old Chevy was in slightly better condition than my treatment of it in the digital darkroom.  In my mind the photograph as a documentary was much less interesting than it would be as a warm memory from this vehicle's earlier days.  

To create the image, I removed surrounding distractions and then changed it to a black and white photo, only to slightly bring back some of the color in a faded state. I am experimenting with the use of textures and layers, learning how to more subtly use them in my photography.  For my viewers, I wished to convey the idea of a dusty, old, and faded memory.  At this point in my development as a photographer, I am pleased with what I am learning, but I am also still drawn to the flaws that I can see in my images.

PS: A bit of trivia: Crocodile Rock is the song Elton John most dislikes performing—not a lot of meaning in it but a lot of silly fun and simple nostalgia.  It may even qualify as an earworm melody.

We live in a complex and sometimes too serious world, and a little silliness may be just what is needed to counteract the never-ending flow of minor irritations.