Chasing the Runner

When I framed this shot, I wasn’t only interested in the runner. His focused stride, his athletic attire, the purposeful set of his shoulders — these elements alone could have made for a conventional sports photograph. But what drew my attention was the peripheral narrative: to his left, almost in the shadows of his determined pace, a boy on a skateboard followed along, as if sharing the same lane of motion, but on an entirely different journey.

The scene unfolded on a palm-lined promenade, cars and cyclists adding a sense of layered urban activity. The runner is sharp and dominant in the frame, his bright white outfit popping against the muted background. By contrast, the skateboarder is smaller, slightly out of focus, almost a fleeting thought in the viewer’s eye. This depth — not just spatial but narrative — is what makes the image more than the sum of its parts.

Technically, the composition works because of its balance. The runner occupies the right third, while the skateboarder and other background figures create visual counterpoints. The zebra crossings pull the eye diagonally into the frame, guiding attention across both subjects. Exposure is well-handled given the overcast light, which softened shadows and prevented harsh highlights, though it did flatten the scene slightly.

If there’s a critique to make, it’s in the shutter speed: a touch more motion blur on the skateboarder might have emphasised his movement, contrasting the runner’s grounded, rhythmic stride. But even without that, the image captures a subtle interplay — two modes of forward motion, two lives briefly in parallel, and the shared space of an ordinary day by the sea.