A Biker Bar and a Tryst

This image was taken in Amsterdam where bikes are absolutely everywhere, by the hundreds. After seeing so many in such varied ways, their quirky arrangements began to take on a personification.  I began to see the bikes as vehicular personalities. Given that state of mind, the above shot seemed a tad voyeuristic.  A bit like a lover's tryst, these two bikes were isolated from the others and tucked off to the side in secret.

I chose to use a little spot color to highlight the tail lights. Simply create a black and white conversion, then bring back a spot of color as a highlight.  Spot color can be generated very easily using Adobe Photoshop, and even easier with certain other computer and mobile apps.  Although this technique tends to get overused, there are places where its application is just perfect.

I called this shot "One Too Many" because it looked like the middle one got too "tipsy" at the "biker bar."  It made me think of my dad's old expression, "drunk as a bicycle."  This image was taken at 2:00 in the afternoon, the worst possible time to be out shooting.  Sometimes you don't have the luxury of choosing the right time of day, so you have to make the most of what you have.  Through proper positioning to get the light right in-camera, then adding a little post-processing magic, we can create interest in a routine mid-day snapshot.