A small boat seems to hesitate before a bridge over an Amsterdam canal, as if its passengers were anticipating their passage into a world of shimmering gold. This image speaks to me of the lure of travel and all its possibilities. It also refers to the color palettes of the great Dutch painters who once lived and worked in this city. To make it work, I eliminated the top of the bridge, which was cluttered with distracting railings, cars, bikes, and trucks. I wanted as quiet and intimate scene as possible. I isolated the boat, the arch, and just enough textured water, reflecting various intensities of gold. The telephoto lens is an essential tool for isolating content and simplifying composition. The boat and arch were a long way from me, so I used a long 310mm focal length to compose the image in this manner. I focused on the boat, making everything sharp from the foreground to where the water begins to soften just after the arch. Normally, I do not center my subjects, but in this case I did so to intensify that feeling of hesitation. I wanted this image to draw this moment out forever. That is one thing still photography can do very well.