Song of the Week: End of the Road by Eddie Vedder

This is part II of my self portrait conceptual photography series. If you haven’t checked out part I, Long Nights, you can see it here. After I lost my teaching position, I was in a state of disarray. Now, I may seem a bit over dramatic. If I got a teaching job once, I can do it again, but this was different. The economy was at it’s worst during this time, and I knew that finding another teaching position, let alone something in the same grade level, was going to be extremely difficult. I was heavily proactive and I searched for two years until I eventually gave up. I decided it was time for me to move on, but I was unsure what I wanted to do. One thing that I did know for sure was that whatever it was that I decided on doing, it was going to be something that I can be passionate about. The song End of the Road, which is found on Eddie Vedder’s “Into the Wild” soundtrack, is all about creating your own destiny. If the road ends, build a new one and keep fighting the good fight. This pretty much summed me up during this time.

How it was Shot

This is a good old fashion self portrait and it was shot at the Hidden Valley Nature Center in Norco, California. I used a Canon 5D Mark II paired with the Sigma 35mm f1.4 art lens and I set it on a Manfrotto tripod. To create the road, I used an old black blanket and dragged it along the ground while the camera snapped away in self timer mode. To sell the image, I added the chalk lines and a gravel texture to the black blanket, and I also added the horses in the background just for good measure. This was shot in the early morning, which was nice because there were no hikers or horseback riders to bother me. When I’m doing a self portrait, I like to be completely alone.

Play “End of the Road”

If you’re interested in purchasing a print, visit my online store today. Also, check out my previous image, “Long Nights” in this post.If you’re interested in shooting a Music to Life series image, message me at contact@jimmybuiphotography.com and don’t forget to visit my website and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Thank you so much!