Moments to Savour
Car diving into the sunset along PR311 near New Bothwell, Manitoba.
It only happens twice a year.
Prior to the settlement of the prairie provinces in Canada, surveyors divided up the land into sections. The imperial mile was used to create a grid which follows the latitudinal lines. Thus, when roads were being created they tend to follow those straight lines separating the properties.
During the spring and fall equinox the sun will rise and set perfectly in line with these roads. So every year I mark these dates on my calendar and do my best to free up time to catch the sunrise and sunset. There’s a lot that has to line up in order to get this shot.
The sky has to be clear enough that you can see the setting/rising sun, yet you also need enough cloud cover to create drama in the sky and get the varying colour. You also need a roadway, in this case, a paved road with enough frost/moisture to create some reflection. You need to have some traffic, but not too much. Standing in the middle of road with a long lens makes it difficult to know when there might be a car coming up behind you.
Thankfully, this spring construction on replacing the bridge on the 311 was not complete and as such there was just a few vehicles using this part of the highway.
When I drove out to the spot, I didn’t think I would get anything. The cloud cover seemed a bit heavy and I wasn’t sure if the sun would have a chance of shining through as it set. And then all of sudden with flurry of activity the sky lit up, the reflection was nice and with perfect timing a car drove past as if driving straight into the sun.
Moments like this are special, but I’ve learned that it takes many attempts. In 2023 I wrote a piece called “Misaligned” talking about one of my failed attempts at taking this shot. Persistence is key. No matter what you are trying to accomplish, keep trying and more importantly keep showing up - you never know what you will get. And then when that moment comes when it finally works out - savour it. Enjoy the moment and take it in.
