Bicycling Under the El
I had just viewed the terrific new Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibit at the Art Institute about an hour before I took this photo. However, I swear I was not thinking of him nor the concept of the "decisive moment", at least not consciously, as this shot came about.
Rather, my mind was mostly blank as I walked west from Michigan Avenue and approached the elevated tracks which run over Wabash Avenue. I then thought about another photo I had taken under the El about a year or two ago, and wondered what I might find this time. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw this young woman bicycle up next to me, and then stop for the red light. Mostly, I noticed the bicycle . . . it was very sturdy, like an older bike or one of those Dutch Bike Company bikes. I thought if I could capture her riding under the El, it might make a good shot. So, with the light still red, I hurried a few feet up to the curb, protected my view by standing behind one of the steel El supports, and quickly pre-focused on a spot on the street about fifteen feet in front of me. When the light turned green, the woman apparently needed to stand up to get some leverage on the pedals, right as she passed my focus point. I clicked the shutter. In another second she was out of the shadow. This was the only shot I made. Decisive moment indeed!