2017 · Film Photography · Point Pelee, Ontario
In summer 2017, Pat and I flew on the same day.
But in opposite directions.
We met in New York.
It felt strange and exciting at the same time — leaving from the same city, different directions, crossing the sky, and choosing one point to land together.
From there, we traveled through New York, Detroit, and Ontario. Later, I continued on my own — San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Yellowstone, Los Angeles — and finally back to Taiwan.
This photo was taken in Point Pelee.
We met Nancy and the Washington family in Detroit, and together we drove to the beach. It was simple. No big plan. Just water, sand, drinks, and time.
The picnic table stood facing the lake.
Empty.
Waiting.
I remember the air felt wide and open. Lake Erie looked endless, almost like the sea. The horizon was clean and straight. Nothing dramatic. Just space.
I like that this image feels paused.
In the middle of a long journey — airports, highways, reunions, departures — there was this quiet stop.
We were not arriving.
We were not leaving.
We were simply there.
Film photography makes moments like this feel heavier. I cannot take too many shots. I have to choose. So when I pressed the shutter, I knew I wanted to remember this stillness.
Looking back now, I see something else.
This trip was full of movement.
Different cities.
Different directions.
Different people meeting for a short time.
But this table faces one direction only — forward.
Maybe that is why I photographed it.
Even when we travel in different directions,
we still meet somewhere.
And sometimes, the most important moments
are the quiet ones between departures.
This was one of them.