Author: eugenia

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.