Thursday 8 March 2007

To photograph, or not to photograph

It is now 16 months since I bought a digital camera. I bought a small one with the express purpose of it being able to fit into the pocket of my cycling top, and to be of a shape that didn't catch when I tried to remove it from a stretchy, elasticised pocket. Before this camera, I had one that had a more traditional SLR-shape with a protuding lens etc. It wasn't a bad unit, but getting it out of the back pocket was a nightmare. I nearly dislocated my shoulder once trying to get it out when I tore just about every muscle from my nipple to my shoulder.

So I went for a small camera with no protruding parts whatsoever. It's a lovely little thing, but I am now paranoid about taking it cycling in case I drop it and break it. I am too attached to it. Most weeks, I see something on the road that is worth taking a photo of. This week, I spotted a ute on the side of the road that had not fared well on a wet day - the driver had obviously slid into a kerb and one front wheel was pretty much horizontally tucked under the body of the car. I thought it was an interesting look.

Another interesting look was when a courier on a motorbike pulled up beside me whilst I was at a red light, switched off his engine, popped his visor and started yelling about "Muhammed Mundine - the worlds greatest boxer". He was clearly completely off his trolley - just the sort of person we need zooming around our city streets on a motorbike. It's times like that when I wish I had some sort of European cycling top on, and I could babble back in German in the hope that he would get fed up with me and ignore me. I just had to put on my best "ignore the looney" face and wait for the light to go green.

Wish I had the camera.

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