The image below is probably one of my favourite photos I have taken in 2009. Not only because of the photo, but also the story behind it. There are some days where I will walk around the city for hours with a camera. I step out my door, put my headphones in, and completely tune into a different world. I don't talk to anyone, in fact I don't even realize there are others around me.
Anyway, this particular night, I was feeling rather uninspired with my surroundings. I had taken maybe two pictures, and after a couple of hours, I decided to just head home. On my way, I passed the most ridiculously long escalator ever. At night escalators usually turn off, but for some reason this one was still running. I just wanted to see where it went, and why anyone would actually need an escalator that long. Well I got to the top expecting some glorious place I had never seen before, but it was actually just a really boring office building entrance. Just before I headed back, I thought I might set up my camera on its tripod for a long exposure of my ride down. I completely guessed everything, composition, focus and exposure. I didn't even look through the view finder. Since escalators don't stop and wait for you to set up your tripod, I guessed the leg height too. I got on, pressed the shutter, got off and started walking home. I didn't expect that anything would come of it.
While I was walking I thought I would take a look at my photo. I had to stop walking because I was so surprised how it turned out. I have not cropped the photo or adjusted its exposure or color balance, just minor contrast adjustments. So I guess the point of all this is that I learned a huge lesson from such a simple experience. Don't ever second guess yourself, or talk yourself out of something. We do it too often. It applies to anything we do in life. We pass up so many potentially life changing experiences because of doubt.
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