Chasing Muni for the Endanger Bus Photo Contest
Photo by Todd Gilens
We’re extending the Endanger Bus Photo Competition until May 20th because the buses are going to be in circulation for a few more weeks! That means you still have the chance to win $150 and publication in Bay Nature magazine. These beautifully wrapped buses are the results of a brilliant idea by artist Todd Gilens, who chased down a few of the buses and had a Muni diary of his own:
Buses move slowly when you are on them waiting to get to your destination. But they move very quickly when you are trying to photograph them – and it’s amazing how chaotic the streets are. I was chasing the Butterflybus on the 71 down Noriega toward the beach. A friend was driving; we kept passing the bus, jumping out, then letting it pass us while trying to get a good background, light, etc. Trucks would pull up, the bus wouldn’t stop where we expected, poles were ending up smack in the middle of a shot, it was hard to tell if we got anything.
At the end of the line the driver asked me what we were up to. I told him about the project and about endangered animals and insects. He said, oh yes there used to be a lot more different kinds; now mostly ants. Ha, we both laugh – Argentine ants, he adds. Transit is also an ecosystem, I said. The bus driver agreed and said that the competitors are mostly cars. Time to go; we shake hands, “Nice talking with you!” and off he goes. The light behind me now, I try to get a few last shots as the bus turns onto 47th heading back downtown.
Did you see an Endanger bus today?
Details:
Find the Endangered Species buses and catch them with your camera in motion or at rest.
Enter up to four images by emailing them to endangerbuscontest@baynature.org (minimum 1500 pixels in length or width)
To find the buses, use the real-time bus tracker on Bay Nature’s Endanger Bus page.
Prizes
First place receives $150 and publication in Bay Nature Magazine.
Second place receives two tickets to the San Francisco Zoo and two $10 Clipper Cards.
Five other entrants will be picked at random to receive $10 clipper cards.
ENTRY DEADLINE: 11 p.m., May 20th, 2011.