16 September 2008

Those Pesky Cyclists

Cyclists
Look. This isn't an easy task, documenting the fashionable cyclists of Copenhagen as they happily pedal about our lovely bicycle culture.

There I was, having just visited the Copenhagen City Museum with my son, and I saw a nice shot of Copenhageners at a café, with two cyclists in front. Nice framing, a black background, sunshine, blah blah blah.

So up goes the camera and click. What happens? A pesky cyclist, damn them all, rides into my frame. I mean... it's MY frame. I created it by deciding to record time and space in pixels at that moment in time at that geographic location with those characters who will never be positioned like that ever again in the history of homo sapiens.

And then she just barges in with her sunshiny, flowing locks and big basket and bag to upstage everyone else.

Maybe I should go into the forest to start recording the stationary delights of Danish fungi culture. Let's compare:
Woodsy Family
Nah...fuhgeddaboutit.
Raincoat
At least things are easier at a red light. Smashing raincoat ensemble.

Mikael Colville-Andersen from Copenhagen Cycle Chic
And don't get me started on pesky photographers. There I was, pedalling happily down a lovely shared space street in the heart of the city when CLICK, Chris from the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation snaps this shot of me with my Cykelhjelm.org bag. No rest for the wicked. He was in town researching our bike infrastructure and culture and we went for a lovely ride.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I vote that you forgive her. It's turned a good pic into an even better one!

Dave.

PS - a lot of your shots feature people waiting patiently at red lights. Do they all do that, or there some who just can't wait?

Colville-Andersen said...

some don't wait but generally, after almost two years of studying copenhagen bike culture, it's a civilised group.

we can't turn right on red - bikes or cars - in denmark, but many cyclists do, if there is no traffic or pedestrians. and many roll past the stop line to stop.

no big deal.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Dave. The pic is great. She has such lovely hair. :)

WestfieldWanderer said...

Yes... damn those pesky tall, willowy, beautiful Nordic blondes...

They make a happy man very old...

Anonymous said...

I hope Chris brings some much needed Copenhagen cycling style back to Chicago!

Gratistotal said...

oh, the first photo is great!

Dottie said...

Yay for Chicago Bike Federation. I'm a member. Maybe he could bring back some chic male cyclists. ;)

Colville-Andersen said...

chris himself fit it very well in the Copenhagen Chicstakes