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overloaded bicycle



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Behind The Lens

Location

This shot was taken literally on the street in Beijing, China.

Time

I was part of a small group of businessmen traveling to present a number of seminars. Much of my time was spent inside photographing seminar sessions and the people involved. An opportunity to break loose for a couple hours presented a very welcome respite, and a chance to take some street shots this particular morning. It was roughly 9:30.

Lighting

The air in Beijing was amazingly dense, and whether just foggy or smoggy, visibility is generally only a mile or two. On sunny days there is a veil of this smog that never really disappears. On overcast days, one feels as if permanently trapped in a blanket of fog. While often limiting for photography, some days the visible moisture and pollution offer a sort of ethereal light. Such was the case this day. Shadows in this photo suggest moderate light, but and as can be seen in the near distance, very tall buildings are almost completely obscured. In less polluted areas there would have been much brighter light and more harsh shadows.

Equipment

Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm, hand held, no added lighting.

Inspiration

Not too long ago, this shot would have been filled with bicycles. Now there are few bicycles in use in the cities as autos and buses have taken over. Many intersections are signalized, some have traffic police directing movement, and still others have both. Not often seen are bicycle lanes as depicted here. The contrast from old to modern and the fact that bicycle lanes are still being used for commerce in such and extraordinary way compelled me to take this and some other, similar, shots. The smog seen down the street adds a little drama as it emanates, in part, from the diesel buses.

Editing

Fairly minimal processing was used to crop and brighten somewhat.

In my camera bag

This day I carried no bag, but usually would have a 24-120mm for wider shots. Pretty basic. My group was traveling a lot by cab. In Chinese cities, the cabs are very small with no room for anything bigger than a sling bag.

Feedback

It's probably just my style, but I am definitely drawn toward contrasts. Contrasting tones, settings, subjects and colors always seem to catch my eye, and have been present in my better shots. In this photo the hard streetscape contrasts with a splash of the verdant from a pocket park on the corner, and the impossibly overloaded bicycle contrasts with the overall transportation setting. Sometimes contrasts can be subtle. In this shot, they are direct and substantial.

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