#2: Roadside Convention

While I probably have higher-quality photos, this remains one of my favourites due to its sentimental value. To set the scene: it was September 16, 2024, and my friends and I had just spent the day playing a still-unfinished campaign of Dungeons and Dragons at my friend’s (pictured on the left) house. Due to clashing schedules, we don’t frequently get the chance to gather and play, this being one of only about three or four occasions that year where the three of us (out of a total of seven; the rest reside in the Philippines) were able to come together and advance our quest. 

This photo was taken on my phone while waiting at the bus stop outside my friend’s house. The roads were undergoing construction, making it difficult for pedestrians to cross and cars to pass through. I was leaning against a concrete slab that supported the bus stop sign pole, which was perched against the street light that ultimately provided the lighting for this photograph. My friends were engaged in idle conversation about plans for our next campaign.

When I snapped this picture, I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. Pictures taken on my phone don’t usually turn out this good. You can observe a slight imperfection, with a slight blur in the bottom right corner; yet, I still hold a strong appreciation for it. Not only do I associate it with a good memory but I also particularly enjoy the sharp contrast between the warm yellow tint of the streetlight falling on my friends and the blinding white of the car headlights. My friends’ silhouettes do not dare to cross paths, strictly staying on opposite sides of that solitary traffic cone.