The art of bus photography

The art of bus photography

There are many kinds of bus photos. One kind is just for pure record. For example, a single-decker bus running on KMB route 5C is rare enough for a photo. In this case, the quality is not important. You just have to be able to see the route plate and the bus.

Another kind is for art. This kind of photos is just like any other form of photography, which is an expression of art. There is no standard. The photo itself is just the result of the artist’s intent.

However, what annoys me is that occasionally someone posts a photo on a forum, and then the photo is questioned as “non-standard”. What does a “standard photo” mean? A standard photo is required to have the bus at exactly the centre of the photo, the ratio of the area of the front to the side is 1:2, and the bus is required to cover about 60% of the photo area. Moreover, there must not be any traffic signs, street lights, fences, other vehicles, etc. in the photo. A photo with even a pedestrian at the corner is rejected.

So, how are the standards set? I doubt the usefulness of them. I agree that a “standard photo” is very useful to describe a bus. For example, a photo used in an encyclopaedia article has to be certainly standard. But what other uses are them?

Moreover, I sometimes see some “bus scum” rushing across a road with heavy traffic, standing on the double white line separating traffic in opposite directions, using a DSLR to take “standard” photos of a new bus / a bus with a new full-body advertisement, “racing” for the first to post these photos on the web. They are not art! So what’s the use of them?

I still take bus photos occasionally, but I’m not interested in taking these “meaningless” “standard” photos. Whenever I see some strange things, I will take a photo. I will also go to some scenic spots, to take photos for art. I do not participate in such “races” for the first photo, but I will report where the new buses go.

What I really want to see more is “art”, not loads of photos that look the same.

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