Bless car-wash frequent flyers.
I say that as one who rarely uses a car wash; indeed, as one who rarely used one before taking up with one who uses one on my behalf, if you see what I mean.
No? Never mind. This is what needs to be clear and, blessedly, it was.
And this.
These were entirely serendipitous shots. If I had walked by even an hour later, I wouldn’t have seen these reflections: not because the angle of the light had changed, but because each car hood would have been dusted with a fine layer of pale-yellow pollen particles. Maybe from trees like these.
But, you may ask, why did I take an angled photo of stately Carolina pines? I didn’t. Here’s the uncropped (pre-cropped? crop-free? cropless?) original.
Now there are tell-tale clues in three corners indicating that this too is a car-window reflection, not just a pale hint in the upper left corner: a hint I have to be looking for, for it to even register.
So, yeah. Bless the car-wash frequent flyers. Long may they continue to support local photography.
These photos of car trees are brilliant and astonishing. I would have trouble believing what you are showing us if I had not seen “car autumn leaves” in the side doors of our van that must serendipitously to have been washed before encountering the fallen leaves’ they reflected. I do not usually think of the car I drive as a mirror of the passing parade. I do not usually think of myself as a mirror of that parade, either, but most likely I am.
Laurna – Delightful. Yes, I expect we also act as mirrors, reflecting or distorting (to good and ill effect) the things that come our way. A good reminder re being intentional – a choice our car doesn’t have.
Not everyone appreciates reflections, let alone even sees them.
Thank you for reflecting them onto your camera sensor.
The second one reminds me of pineapples
Jim R – IKR? The palmettos here remind me of pineapples, too. I got another such photo in the side panel of an SUV in a grocery-store parking lot (after a super heavy rain the night before). The occupant was a little surprised when I got his attention and asked whether I could take a photo . . .
Startling photos – in content and reflective clarity. I must look harder! Thanks
Judith – Certainly a clean car with metallic paint makes a great reflecting surface. Down with road dust!