I have ridden bikes a lot in my adulthood. I got a Seiki “mountain bike” in the early ’60’s and put several thousand miles on it (although there wasn’t any odometer). Now I ride a Trek ebike and really enjoy the ease of going uphill (my house is at the top of a large hill). There are a lot of bikes to choose from … but find a bike shop you like and become friends. Riding is good for you!
I was out at Fort Worden State Park shooting a roll of film (testing out a new-to-me camera) when I saw this group of bike riders silhouetted against the sky. I liked the two patches of sunlight on the grassy hill leading up to the riders. They came down the hill and rode up the road past me … and I took another photo of them riding away. The image shows a black top service road covered with forest litter after a particularly windy night.
Kodak Portra 400, converted to black and white in Lightroom.
I have enjoyed bike riding ever since I was a kid. Back in the ’60’s I bought a used French 5-speed bike (sorry I can’t remember the brand) to get to and from my first real job as a teenager. In those days, single speed bikes were the norm and a few enthusiasts had what were called “English Racing bikes” … which were typically 3 speeds. I got many comments from folks: “Why would anyone need more than 3 speeds?” Of course, these days it is more likely to find a bike with 24 speeds …
My current bike has ten speeds and 4 levels of electric assist… which makes 40 choices, I suppose. But, I don’t use that many… some combinations just don’t seem be as useful. But I sure love that electric assist.
Landscape or Portrait is a question that photographers (and others) ask themselves on a regular basis. There often is no “right” answer, as I decided with this sequence. Sometimes there is an obvious preferred orientation. Tall buildings, etc.
While I was thinking of this question, I was reminded of the days (decades ago) when I was painting more than shooting photographs. Oh, I was shooting, but I was caught up in the joy of painting. Sometimes I would go to my favorite art supply and just look at canvas shapes … and one would inspirationally catch my mind’s eye. I “knew” that was the shape of the painting I wanted to do, even when I didn’t know what I was going to paint. So, I suppose, sometimes it’s like that with the camera. Sometimes it just grabs you.
