"Sixth--Fall scene. Snapshot from bicycle while running swiftly. Unsuccessful. Too realistic for amateur. Decides not to photograph any more for thirty or forty years."A lot of bicycle bloggers and friends on Flickr favor the "panda" photograph, or a snapshot taken while riding your bicycle, which includes you and/or your bicycle in the shot. Now, it's usually all I can do to keep upright and in a relatively straight line while riding, so I've never attempted, and probably won't attempt, any panda portraits anytime soon. They're neat to look at, but boy-howdy, seems like an accident just itchin' to happen. Incidentally, I love this cartoon because of the convergence of two kinds of revolutionary technology: bicycle and snapshot camera (that box at the bottom of the frame). Seems folks set about finding new ways to fall off of bicycles and/or break cameras almost immediately after their invention.
SOURCE: Chicago Tribune, 30 September 1900
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I've tried taking this picture of myself and always look...high. Mainly because I'm squinting against the sun.
ReplyDeleteI think the look on my face, if I could ever manage to coordinate camera, bag, and bike, would be something between terror and confusion, since I would probably also be in the process of pitching over the handlebars like the fellow in the cartoon above.
ReplyDeleteSo it’s called a panda photograph? I'm very guilty of that. I bought an inexpensive camera so that if I dropped it and it smashed, no big deal.
ReplyDeleteI've thought about the panda photograph as you say, and I've wondered if it was taboo, or vain or just poor blogging. I try to use the panda shot as a transition to another thought or idea when writing about riding the bike.
I loved comic books as a kid, and the close-up type panda-like image of the protagonist offers that kind of internal vehicle for me.
Cheers! Bruce
I love pandas!!! They are not that difficult, you just have to find the right time. Go for it!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't hold your breath. ;)
ReplyDeleteUmmm, yes you are very guilty of that, Bruce.
ReplyDeleteSo am I.