People used to say “the camera never lies.” Nonsense. The world is 3-D, cameras for the most part are 2-D. The world (for humans at least) is in colour, and photographs are often in black and white. I would go so far as to say that what makes a photograph special is how it differs from reality, and that the difference directly informs what the photographer is trying to say in an image.
The image below is unrealistic. It is black and white, and deliberately underexposed to bring out the white bicycle and roses, which where in fact a temporary monument to cyclists killed on Toronto streets earlier this year. (The monument has since been removed.) For the subject matter, the non-realism I added to the image for me captures a tragic reality, and that’s as real as it gets.
My Third Eye 
Hi John,
The bike does look ghostly. It reminds me of a few techniques: painting a bike to get the effect, using infrared film to get the effect, lighting the bike to get the effect, photoshopping to get the effect, etc.
Like many contemporary artists, you are appropriating someone’s artwork for your own. Or are you doing a reportage of the scene.
Looking at the photo I’m made to wonder what the original bike looked like, who it belonged to and how it was driven? However, I do not want to know how the rider was killed.
The ghost rider of the bike!
Rodney
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The bike was painted white as well, and I wanted to really accentuate that.
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I enjoy the high contrast. And the square framing makes the image appear much more static. I was also struck by the fact that the bike has no brakes.
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It would be a scary bike to ride! I do like the fact that the lack of brakes gives a cleaner line to the handlebars.
Thanks for the comment Bruce!
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