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Tunnel of Trees [ArtPrize 2011 entry]
Tunnel of Trees [ArtPrize 2011 entry]

The tunnel of trees is part of a Michigan highway called M-119, and is a 20 mile stretch between Harbor Springs and Cross Village in the northwest part of Michigan’s lower peninsula . The route follows the shore of Lake Michigan and the Little Traverse Bay with many scenic views of the water.

Much of the highway lacks a centerline when the road isn't a full two lanes wide. Trees butt right up to the edge of the road, and many branches meet in the middle above the road. There are two hairpin turns along the route called "Devil's Elbow" and "Horseshoe Bend". The “Tunnel of Trees” has been designated as a “Scenic Heritage Route” by the Michigan Department of Transportation.

I’ve traveled this beautiful road many times and often wondered how I could capture the experience in one image. My vision for this scene was to convey the emotional sense of traveling through a beautiful green tunnel, and a static snap shot in time would not convey my vision of trees blending together as a unified whole. I realized I needed to use my motion in the car to create the illusion of movement. So I held my camera out and on top of the moon roof on my car as I drove. I experimented with exposures of 1 to 3 seconds. Since I was traveling the same speed as the car in front of me, that car remained in focus, but all the surrounding trees blurred into a green vortex of color, pattern and shape. This particular image was at 2.5 seconds

It is my hope that this image will create a multi-dimensional visual experience where you feel like you are actually in a car driving down this beautiful stretch of highway with a wall of green surrounding you and dappled sunlight splashing across your face.

Attribution Noncommercial Some rights reserved
Taken on: July 29, 2011
Tags: Everybody's photos tagged with High Calling Focus High Calling Focus Everybody's photos tagged with Bill Vriesema Bill Vriesema Everybody's photos tagged with nature, beauty, color, colorful, nature nature, beauty, color, colorful, nature
Sets appears in:   • My most Favorited photos on Flickr    • My most viewed photos    more » • West Michigan    • Interestingness on Flickr    • Michigan Moments    « less
Groups appears in:   • High Calling Focus    • Pop Photo's Photo of the Day   
Camera: Olympus E-30, f/22.0, 2.5 sec, 20mm (=40mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Olympus E-30
Lens: OLYMPUS 12-60mm Lens
Aperture: f/22.0
Exposure Time: 2.5
Focal Length: 20mm (35mm equivalent: 40mm)
ISO: 100
Exposure Bias: +0.7 EV
Flash: On, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Contrast: Low
Color Space: Uncalibrated
Software: Adobe Photoshop Elements 9.0 Windows
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Tunnel of Trees [ArtPrize 2011 entry]

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