Lifestyles shift with the zeitgeist—but the funny thing is that trends often circle back into popularity. When cars were not so affordable, people biked more. Now that people drive a lot, we think it is healthier and better for the environment to ride our bikes. It is now a trend for cities to designate bike routes and provide bike rentals.
As a result, images depicting this trend are in demand and I have been especially paying attention to sights that reflect this change. Images 8–1 through 8–11 are images produced under this speculation. Images 8–1 through 8–4 are markings for bike routes. Ideally, there would a biker zooming past these markers, but I had no luck witnessing such an occurrence. (Perhaps this is indicative of the requirement for more promotional efforts?)
Image 8–1. KEYWORDS: bicycle; bicycle lane; bike; bike lane; bike route; commute; street; traffic
Image 8–2. KEYWORDS: bicycle; bicycle route; bike; bike route; car; commute; health; house; lifestyle; neighborhood; sign; street; trees; urban
Image 8–3. KEYWORDS: bicycle; bicycle route; bike; bike route; car; commute; health; house; lifestyle; neighborhood; sign; street; trees; urban
Image 8–4. KEYWORDS: arrow; bicycle; bicycle lane; bicycle route; bike; bike lane; bike route; city planning; commute; green; health; Houston; lifestyle
Image 8–5. KEYWORDS: bicycle; bike; bike route; biker; bridge; cyclist; female; fitness; guardrail; health; healthy; helmet; Hispanic; pedaling; safety; woman; yellow
Image 8–6. KEYWORDS: bicycle; bike; bike route; biker; bridge; building; car; fitness; flood channel; health; healthy; helmet; Hispanic; rail; safety; street; woman; yellow
Image 8–7. KEYWORDS: bicycle; bike; bike route; biker; bridge; building; car; fitness; flood channel; health; healthy; helmet; Hispanic; rail; safety; street; woman; yellow
Image 8–8. KEYWORDS: bicycle; bike; bike route; biker; bridge; fitness; flower; grass; health; healthy; helmet; Hispanic; laugh; safety; sky; street; trees; wave; woman; yellow
Image 8–9. KEYWORDS: bicycle; bike; bike route; biker; bridge; fitness; flower; grass; health; healthy; helmet; Hispanic; safety; sky; street; trees; woman; yellow
I then called a friend who is an avid biker to model for me. Images 8–5 through 8–10 are images produced from this session. Traversing up and down Houston’s newest and proudest bike route on a sunny day, they showcase a leisurely bike outing. If you wanted, instead, to showcase commuter biking, you might want to shoot on a weekday with busy traffic—and you could have the model dress in office attire with a backpack, perhaps. Image 8–11 (page 88) is another take on the urban cycling theme, this time with an identifiable urban landmark: San Francisco’s Bay Bridge. Biking in a city is literally presented without any ambiguity.
Images 8–8 and 8–9 place the biker at the Rule of The Thirds points. This gives the biker some edge when competing with the rails’ strong parallel lines. It helps reign in the viewer’s attention and keep their gaze from sliding too freely on the lines.
Image 8–10. KEYWORDS: bicycle; bike; bike route; biker; bridge; fitness; health; healthy; helmet; Hispanic; safety; woman; yellow
The direction of the vanishing point, if combined with the imaginary line of the thrust of movement, can create a strong sense of dynamics. Image 8–10 is one such example. The direction of the biker’s thrust line, the vanishing point at the convergence of the road, and its surrounding structure all point to the left—slightly off the frame.
Image 8–11. KEYWORDS: Bay Area; Bay Bridge; bicycle; bike; fence; lock; rail; San Francisco; San Francisco Bay; sports; transportation; workout
A shot like Image 8–12 may be used as a contrasting companion image to the biking-themed images. This is a stacked parking facility in the densely populated New York City. This might ease the parking problem to a degree, but it is not a pretty sight. The anxiety of life in New York City has to be relieved from time to time, and some of the city dwellers choose to do this by kayaking on the Hudson River—as in image 8–13.
Image 8–12. KEYWORDS: automatic parking; car storage lift; New York; parking; parking lift; parkmatic; robotic parking; SpaceSaver parking; stacked parking
Image 8–13. KEYWORDS: boat; canoe; canoeing; George Washington Bridge; Hudson River; New Jersey; New York; New York City; watersport
Another tip for stock photographers is to create images of whatever is special or unique around you. I happen to have a mom who is a Chinese watercolor painter, so it is only natural that I would photograph her creating these beautiful pieces of art. Images 8–14 through 8–16 show her work, her equipment, and one of her paintings in the making.
Image 8–14. KEYWORDS: autograph; backlit; calligraphy; Chinese; Chinese calligraphy; handwritten; ink; rice paper; script; strokes; studio; texture
Image 8–15. KEYWORDS: color palette; dish; grinder; ink; jar; painting; studio; vase; watercolor
Image 8–16. KEYWORDS: Chinese painting; Chinese watercolor; floral; flower; hand; paint brush; painter; painting; peony; watercolor
Image 8–17. KEYWORDS: back; black hair; grass; green; hair; hat; negative space; shoulder
Finally, image 8–17 shows an impromptu image that was taken while one of my students was at work in a photography workshop. Standing behind her, I created a pure and symmetrical composition that I find fascinating. The scene looks plush, leisurely, and well kept—a perfect depiction of a rosy suburban lifestyle. I don’t necessarily endorse that lifestyle, but the image sure has an appeal for the visual communication of the theme.