The images you see here are all photographs. They were created using a panning technique called intentional camera movement, or ICM, which simply involves moving the camera while the shutter is open.
Picture a canvas. If you wanted to paint on it, you’d use a brush and some paint, right? You’d move the brush along the canvas and create an image. Well, imagine if you held the brush stationary, and moved the canvas instead.
Did you imagine it?
Now imagine thousands of tiny brushes, all stationary, all pressed on a different spot of the canvas. Imagine moving the canvas, and you'll have a better idea of what is taking place with these shots. The landscape itself is the brush, and I hold the canvas in my hands—a camera.
These photographs break New York City down into streaks and blocks of color, while still conveying the sense of constant motion and energy that NYC represents.
For me, it also represents how we are as a society, and how the city behaves as a unit. Most people don’t stop and take the time to look at their environment. Minor details and moments often go unnoticed as a result.
These images represent the polar opposite of my usual reason for shooting, which is to capture moments others may have missed, and moments that have given me pause. Blurring everything to an extreme in this fashion has removed all detail—a result of moving too quickly. It’s an exaggeration of how I feel the people see the world when they don't slow down.
These images represent New York City neighborhoods and landmarks. I hope that it will create a dialogue among people about the locations, about awareness of one's surroundings, even if only for a moment.
Contrary to the way the images appear, the exposures are only a fraction of a second long (1/4th of a second, in most cases), which goes to show just how much can be missed in a short span of time. So much can be lost in a fraction of a second, and Rush Hour represents those moments that cannot be recovered.
