Seeking Directions – Where Do I Go From Here?

The cyclist wasn’t posing. He’d stopped to make a call, mid-ride, still straddling the saddle with the indecision of someone caught between stages. I didn’t ask. I just raised the camera and took the frame as it unfolded.

The gas station in the background plays its part—logo sharp, prices legible, a quiet indicator of place and time. The contrast between high-performance cycling gear and the mundane infrastructure of the city gives the image its friction. It’s not a sports photo. It’s about movement interrupted.

Shot handheld in late afternoon with fading light, the exposure was tricky. Highlights bounced off his helmet and the glossy panels of nearby cars. I dialled it down enough to preserve colour without losing that mid-summer Mediterranean glare. Depth of field was shallow by necessity, not design—the background loses sharpness, but that soft blur lets the focus rest fully on the gesture of the hand to the ear.

Technically, it’s not flawless. There’s a hint of motion blur in the foreground, and the angle feels awkward, but I left it that way. It mirrors the question he seems to be asking: “Where now?” In that posture—caught between movement and hesitation—I found the image.