This image is based on a home-made photograph of an old car driving slowly along a country road, surrounded by greenery and under a vast, slightly dramatic sky. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the past - of travelling without haste, of summer days in the countryside, of memories that may not be yours, but still feel familiar.
I have transformed the original photograph into this painterly style, as if it were made with oil paint on canvas. The colours, brush-like texture and soft light give the image something dreamy - as if it were a memory rather than a snapshot.
By playing with digital editing, I tried to capture and enhance the tranquillity and nostalgia of that moment. A piece of the past, captured in paint - but without a brush.
Geert Van Baelen has been working as a press photographer in Belgium for over 20 years. Besides current affairs, he also finds inspiration for his images in everyday life, landscapes and people... Read more…