This is one of those photos that took more than one trip to get right.
I shot it with my 3D-printed 6x17 panoramic camera. It has no viewfinder, so framing is mostly estimation and a bit of faith. The first time I photographed this bench, I didn't get the framing right. The composition I had in my head never made it onto the film. So I came back with my Linhof 617 viewfinder mounted on the camera.
The second time, I took my time, as I always do. I made sure the camera's pitch and roll were exactly level and that the framing was perfectly square to the bench, the stop pole, and the fence line behind it. I put a lot of effort into every photo, and with a camera like this, that care is what makes the difference. I even shot two frames, because I thought I might have shaken the camera on the first one. With a wide 6x17 frame, small mistakes show up quickly, and I didn't want to make a third trip.
Getting the shot wasn't exactly peaceful. To fit the whole scene in, I had to stand with my back very close to Highway 74, with cars rushing past pretty quickly just a few feet behind me. I wore my yellow reflector vest, which I'd recommend to anyone shooting along a road like this. No photo is worth getting clipped by a car.
I pre-visualized this one as a black and white image. In my head it was always about shapes and tones: the long bench, the chain-link fence, the hills in the background. But when I saw the color version, the blue of the RTA bench against the dry grass and the dirt made a strong case for itself too. So I'm sharing both here, and you can decide which one you like better.
As for what the photo means, I'll leave that to you. A lone bench with nobody waiting can tell a lot of different stories. Maybe the bus just left. Maybe it hasn't come in years. Maybe someone sits here every morning and just wasn't there that day. I'd rather let you make up your own story.
Location: Riverside Transit Agency bus stop east of Homeland, Riverside County, California
Camera: 3D-printed 6x17 panoramic
Waiting for the Bus
Waiting for the Bus
| Tag Name | Data |
|---|---|
| Title | Waiting for the Bus |
| Image Description | A Riverside Transit Agency bench and bus stop pole stand in an overgrown dirt lot in front of chain-link fencing and a “Private Property” sign in unincorporated Riverside County, east of Homeland near the Highway 74 corridor. |
| Keywords | 6x17 film, Americana, Highway 74, Homeland, Inland Empire, RTA, Riverside Transit Agency, State Route 74, USA, Winchester, boulders, bus bench, bus stop, california, chain-link fence, daytime, dirt lot, empty, empty lot, everyday life, exurb, granite hills, homeland california, landscape, nobody, overgrown weeds, panoramic, portra 160, private property, public transit, public transportation, riverside county, roadside, rural development, rural transit, southern california, spring, suburban sprawl, transit access, transit desert, transit infrastructure, transportation equity, unincorporated Riverside County, urban planning, vacant lot |
| Copyright | Copyright ExpertPhoto.com All Rights Reserved |
| Artist | ExpertPhoto.com |
| Make | CCB |
| Camera Model Name | CCB 617C |
| Lens Model | Schneider 90mm f/8 Super-Angulon |
| Focal Length | 90.00mm |
| Date/Time Original | Sunday March 01, 2026 11:00am |
| City | Hemet |
| State | California |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Green Acres |
| GPS Altitude | 490 meters (1607.6 feet) above sea level |
| GPS Latitude | 33.7389183350028 |
| GPS Longitude | -117.087715015014 |
| Map | Google Map Link |