Much of this image is filled with the flow of the heavy traffic and massive buildings that line 34th Street, one of the busiest streets in the world. I use a long telephoto lens (400mm) to compress both the traffic and the buildings to make them seem to be even closer together. I remove the sky altogether – there is no space for the natural world in this image. As I was shooting, a woman in a long ponytail and high heels came striding across the intersection. She may seem visually overwhelmed by it all, yet she pays no heed to anything but her mission at the moment – to get across the street before the light changes. She is the only person visible in a scene where thousands work and ride unseen. Yet she almost blends in -- a metaphor for every anonymous individual caught in the swirl of urban life.