This is also a self-portrait if you look closely enough. Really, it is. Just click on it to enlarge it and you'll see what I mean. Also, if you squint, you'll eventually see the image of a robot extending its arm. That's pretty cool, if you ask me.
I freely admit this category stumped me, partly because I somehow overlooked it while studying the list.
Even if I had seen it, I haven’t been anywhere crowded in a long time.
No rock concerts – I’d have to sell a kidney to afford tickets, and nobody’s going to want a kidney pickled in Bombay Sapphire.
No busy restaurants — Like the Spaniards, my wife Kerry and I prefer eating late, but without the ridiculous accents and resentment of the English dating to 1588, when the Spanish Armada seriously miscalculated the strength of the British Navy.
No super-popular movies — No, I haven’t seen The Hunger Games yet, and yes, I thought Jeff, Who Lives at Home was a decent film, if a bit slow. So did the three other people who didn’t feel like seeing Disney’s Chimpanzee but were desperate to get out of the house and see something, anything.
So it was with a growing sense of anxiety that I approached the deadline for today’s theme, Crowd. And then I remembered this photo, which I originally took for the Mirror theme because of all the chrome. I like to think there’s almost nothing more crowded looking than the engine of Harley-Davidson touring bike. Of course, I also like to think I’m about 50 pounds lighter, three times sexier and 15 percent smarter than I am. So maybe I can’t be trusted.
At least I can be happy about one thing: that the beating I took for photographing “Devil Dog’s” bike without his permission was all worth it in the end.
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This fucking exhausting accursed delightfully challenging competition is crowded with other participants who’d love for you to pay them a visit and comment:
Ziva
Nicky and Mike
Mo
Meleah
John, aka nonamedufus
Bryan, aka Unfinished Person
Mariann
Malisa
Nora
Laughing Mom
Tanya
Elizabeth A.
00dozo
Kristen
Cheryl
Katherine
The very first thing I noticed after realizing this was a H-D was the robot’s arm. Do I win?
There is no more beautiful ride than a Harley, especially when it’s all shiny. This shot was worth the beating you took. Oh how we suffer for our art.
Yes, you win!
Sadly, there’s no prize, just as there’s no prize for this entire non-competition.
My brother Steve’s the Harley dealer in Kingston, Ontario. I took some amazing shots of his bikes when he did a re-opeinng that included co-habitating his Honda dealership. The first shop of it’s kind in Canada. All this to say none of my pics match this one, Mike. It’s gorgeous, even if there is that ugly reflection slightly marring the photo. Nice tie-in at the end of your narrative. I wondered how you’d do it. I thought maybe you broke your ankle and were re-posting something for a minute.
Thanks, NoName. Your brother must do very well for himself if he owns two dealerships, although for the life of me, I can’t imagine when Canada’s weather clears up enough to allow people to ride their motorcycles. I assume they just park them in their living rooms and sit on them to watch hockey games.
The first thing I noticed was your reflection. Nice job, Mike, very shiny.
In the future, shiny will be a compliment.
So little space, so much power!
You can hear a Harley for miles.
Yeah, that part kind of pisses me off, actually.
“Of course, I also like to think I’m about 50 pounds lighter, three times sexier and 15 percent smarter than I am.” Hey, me too! Not you, me!
As for the photo, well…I think it’s great! Again, you take the theme in a different direction than I expected.
I sort of had to take the theme in a different direction, Bryan. I tried like crazy to come up with actual crowd shot, but failed.
Very cool photo! Love the feeling of being lost in the chrome.
Of course we would have all thought highly of you had you claimed this awesome machinery as your own. Now you are just stalking with that big-ass camera again…
My bike is painted flat black. That makes it harder for the cops to catch me at night.
All the better to stalk you with, my dear…
I have a stalker?!
I’ve long dreamed of this day. All shy loners do….
Oh I thought for sure you would use an airport photo for this theme. The Newark Airport is ALWAYS crowded. However, I do love the picture you chose to use!
I almost did, and probably should’ve. The problem is that I already ran an airport crowd shot,and couldn’t bring myself to do it again.
The first thing I thought of was riding on a Harley through some really hot weather with a lot of sunscreen on. With a helmet. I also though of scenes in movies where people do this because I never will do this. However, I did let a snake wrap around me once, but I was too young to be scared. But enough of me, back to me.
I don’t even know what to say here.
Wow! Nice! I grew up riding on the back of Harleys. Dad was a motorcycle cop for a time and he also competed in racing bikes. I love the sound of those big engines. And I like your self portrait in the reflection. Cool!
Thanks, Linda. I like the mental image I’m getting of you standing on a motorcycle at about age 3, growing up.
Nice. And I like the way you thought outside the box on this one. I know I’ve had to do that more than once during this (hellish) challenge.
I’m really struggling with the last seven or so themes.
This is definitely one of my favourites of yours, it’s all so shiny, robotic, metallic and, of course, extremely cool. I wish I was cool enough to ride a Harley.
I wish I was cool enough, too, Mo. I’ve ridden motorcycles twice in my life, and crashed them both times. I’m doomed to be a nerd — not cool enough to ride much of anything, really.
Gorgeous. I love motorcycles. As for how sexy you are, I guess we’ll have to wait for the Nude theme to determine that.
So sexy’s all about the looks for you, eh, Nicky? Well, there’s more to sexy than that, young woman. You’ll learn not to be so shallow.
Okay, not really.
I’m just not that good looking and you gotta work the angles you’re given, right?
Ha! I immediately spied the “robot” when I saw this – I had no idea it was a Harley (or other type of motorcycle) . A very stunning, crisp and “shiny” photo – kudos to the owner to keep the chrome so clean that you could get this shot (well, except for the beat down you got for taking it).
If one were to to looking for a handsome crowd of chrome, this would be where one would find it.
I was grateful that it was so clean. The dude must polish his chrome daily.
Wow, that actually sounds a little rude.