50.0

Places to Be:
We've all got places to be, people to see, things to do. Apparently, whatever this guy had waiting for him on the other end of town couldn't wait for the crossing guard.

Backstory on this image: Hanoi, Vietnam has one of the most insane traffic scenes you've ever witnessed. It is absolute and utter chaos, and strangely rhythmic, all at the same time. Somehow--it just works, and you could never understand it without being there. Or could you? Such was my quest on a street corner one morning in this bustling Vietnamese city.

I somehow managed to find an elevated perch on a power box no more than 18" wide and 36" long. Getting up there with tripod and camera was tricky, but once there, I was golden.

Often times, creative vision is realized in large part thanks to technical skill. Such was the case with this image--how better to show the insanity and strange rhythm of such a wild scene than to convey a sense of motion and calmness all at the same time?

This required a longer shutter speed, a good bit of patience, and a healthy dose of luck. I shot 273 frames from this power box. Experimenting with different shutter speeds and changing compositions just slightly every 40 frames or so. Liveview was a huge bonus, as I didn't have to stay glued to my viewfinder the entire time. Every 45 seconds or so would see the traffic lights change, and a new "herd" of scooters would invade my frame like a bunch of anxiety-ridden lemmings.

Every once in a while, a particularly hurried soul would find himself in no man's land annnnnd voila! Vision realized.

Lesson? When you have an image in your head that has legs, don't squash it. Find a way to make it work. Climb a fence. Lie down in the dirt. Push your limits. Step outside your comfort zone. Try something new. Try something...ridiculous. It is during these times that you will find yourself reaching new heights with your imagery.

Canon 5D MkII, 24mm TS-E 3.5L II, Gitzo tripod, Clikelite Escape Backpack
1/5 sec. @ f13