One A Day – 641

by mike · May 24, 2015

An afternoon photowalk in Centro

Red Volkswagen in the Afternoon Sun

Mage Enta and her VW

Walking home with groceries

Fork Over the Fat Tires

Centro, Morelia, Michoacán, México
May 23, 2015

Serendipity. You could say all these photos were “luck” and “chance.” I didn’t plan them. I didn’t collaborate with the owner of a red-rimmed bike with wide tires and a fellow with a fork tattoo to stand in front of me when I was waiting for a street to clear for another photo. I didn’t go out and find a willing driver with a magenta Volkswagen to drive in front of a complementary wall. I didn’t ask people in the area to walk in front of my camera and put a human presence in the right place to balance a scene on an overcast afternoon.

But on the other hand – I was there. If I was not there, the scenes would have happened, but no one would have noticed. If I was not aware of my surroundings, perhaps instead focused on a planned photo, I wouldn’t have grabbed these shots. If I hadn’t planned a flexible set of lenses and camera adjustments, it wouldn’t matter what I saw, I couldn’t capture it in time. And if I didn’t have an eye in editing for bringing out the details that matter, these would just be lucky snapshots. Just being there isn’t enough.

So it is. Chance favors the one who is ready and able to take advantage of the opportunity. Interesting street scenes aren’t luck at all. But you do have to show up on that cloudy summer afternoon that portends a chance of rain.