On being prepared and paying attention

Boston, MA 031010 A T-rider wearing a red coat seems to balance out the scene with a red light as she walks up a flight of stairs located diagonally across from Mass Eye & Ear Infirmary on March 10, 2010. The other two images are from Logan Airport outside of terminal B. (Essdras M Suarez/ Boston Globe)/ BEHIND THE SCENE AND TECHNICAL INFO: Every once in a while our photo editors send us a message saying they need a feature photo to fill a space in the paper and to keep our eyes open. While driving to the airport I noticed this woman wearing a red coat going up the stairs. The light changed to red and I immediately realized that if I caught the scene at a certain point the red on her coat would balance with the image with the red on the light. I shot through my windshield with a camera with a telephoto. I always carry this camera ready to go within arm's reach on the floor of the passenger side in the front of my car. I usually have the camera set up on aperture priority so I had an idea the right exposure would be ready at the press of a button. The other two images are from the setting sun casting long shadows against a gridded wall. It was only a matter of composing my horizon, waiting for the right subjects and the decisive moments to occur... by the way I chose not to show faces that way I didn't have to get names.