Friday, March 26, 2010

Concrete & Rubber

I have an ongoing interest in the way light enters and filters in and around parking structures.  These images were taken this afternoon across the street from the county jail.  It was about 4:45 pm and cars were starting to exit. There I stood taking various photos of the motorcycle.  People must have thought that I'm in love with that machine.  It's not love but I do enjoy it.

A distinguished looking older lady pulled near me in her car and offered to take some photos of me and the bike. I politely declined and told her what a nice gesture it was.  She said she has a Harley and fully understands what I was doing.  Wow, it was hard to imagine her riding a Harley.  Motorcycle folks are sure friendly and interesting.

9 comments:

  1. Sometimes it really pays to view the fullsize photo. The light and texture on the first photo really pop in the larger version.

    Another nice, simple composition on the second. I like the sheen on the wheel and brakes(?) contrasted with the rough concrete floor. I get a nice sense of depth in the bigger pic...following down the line of the bike. Great perspective.

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  2. Thank you Kari. You bring out things that I don't see - I appreciate that! I always look forward to your comments!

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  3. Mike:

    Photography is all about texture, light and shadows, and you've got it all.

    have you ever considered a coffee table book on Parkade Photography ? I would give it a try but we don't have any free parkades around here and they would be all full of cars

    bob
    bobskoot: wet coast scootin

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  4. Bob,
    Thank you! I'm humbled by your comment and with your photography experience.

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  5. bluekat was right - looking at the fullsize photo really helped. Great photo.

    Maybe you should have asked the older distinquished looking lady to go get her Harley and then take a picture of her!

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  6. Gary,
    Thanks for your comment. I hate to sound judgmental but she did not look like a Harley rider. It would be interesting to see her on it. :)

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  7. Mike:

    Have you ever seen a lone bike in front of a tavern or restaurant, then gone inside and wonder whose it was ? I had a similar experience down in Lincoln City. Went inside and looked at all the people there and none fit the stereotype. When we left, it was still there. Even now I wonder who it belonged to, probably a little old lady from Pasadena

    bob
    bobskoot: wet coast scootin

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  8. Mike:

    A true story . . .

    Many years ago back in the early 80's I purchased a brand new Suzuki GS1100L . I rode it to work and parked it on the sidewalk, just right of the main entrance. Official hours were 8am to 4:30p but I always arrived early, around 7:15-7:30am . No one ever saw me park it there. I used to always leave late. So every day the office would filter out, then I would leave. Because I brought my bike, someone else used to drive when we went out for lunch.
    For a long time I never thought about it then one day I overheard one of the girls down in accounting talking about this phantom bike parked in front. It was always there in the morning and still there when everyone went home, and never moved during lunch.
    She was going through all the people in the office wondering whose bike this could be and of course I do not fit the stereotype, being clean cut, not unruly, and certainly not a trouble maker and not wearing biker attire. I was the mystery of the office

    bob
    bobskoot: wet coast scootin

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  9. Bob - thanks for getting one of the points of this post. I said that I didn't want to be judgmental but I think most of us have predisposed assumptions of how certain motorcycle riders should look. For some reason some are surprised to find out that I ride. I wonder if it was me in that Lincoln City restaurant. :)

    That's a good story about being the "mystery of the office." If you look back in my archives, one of the first posts I did was pulling into a parking lot at a small market on the coast to take a break and get a cold drink. I instantly made friends with a couple traveling from California. The bike was the attraction and sparked the conversation. I remember one of the first things the guy said to me when I got my helmet off was, "You don't look like a motorcycle guy, you look like a banker!" I laughed and so did he but I thought at the time it was interesting that I should have fit into a mold and didn't. Pretty much like the lady I mentioned in the post!

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