Michael Werneburg’s Photo Contest Entry
Why I Ride
Riding for me was about corners taken to quickly, long skid marks, and gullies too steep for wheels. Later it was for getting home before curfew. Then it was for commuting and carrying pressed clothes in my panniers. Now I ride to take my son to day care.
But as a street photographer in Tokyo, my bicycle is my key to the city’s warren of lanes, pedestrian shopping streets, and neon corridors. Cycling lets me really see.
So riding is happening upon things hidden from drivers and passengers. But it is also stopping to talk to people. Riding is knowing where to find that special store. And it is getting caught in the warm rain of a foreign land. Riding is toned thighs and a better posture as forty rolls around.
Riding gives. Riding is living.
This is why I ride.
—Michael Werneburg
8 Responses to “Michael Werneburg’s Photo Contest Entry”
Nicely written.
Excellent essay.
Fantastic photo! That’s my choice by a long shot
Allan P
Well done.
I agree. Nicely written, great photo.
Thanks for the comments, everyone. My pic’s in damn fine company in this competition!
I really like it as a photo. The women talking in the foreground add a very natural, civilized feel. Also represented is what I think to be the best mass transit rail system in the world. And, the cyclists appear relaxed, not ‘on guard’ as required where I ride – in the land of the monster truck bubba.
Thanks for the considered comments, JW. I’m in the process of relocating to Toronto, a city that’s seen a spate of cyclist/motorist incidents of late and one that remains plagued by bicycle theft. I’ll surely miss Tokyo’s carefree cycling!!