Re: How to photograph a bridge?

[P3D Brian Reynolds <reynolds@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dr. T wrote:
> 
> One of the Detroit assignments next year is "Bridges".  It appears to me
> that one can either take an ordinary picture of a spectacular bridge, or a
> spectacular picture of an ordinary bridge.  (I wish I could do both!)
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> 
> So....
> 
> - Where can I find spectacular bridges to photograph?
> 

New York City has at least one hundred bridges (I think I'm seriously
underestimating).  There are foot bridges, draw bridges, truss
bridges, suspension bridges and all sorts of other bridges.  There are
even rope bridges in many playgrounds.  Several of the local bridges
were engineering marvels when they were first built.  The techniques
pioneered to build the Brooklyn Bridge are still in use today.  The
Verezano Bridge is one of the longest single span suspension bridges
in the world (it connects Brooklyn to Staten Island).  There are
bridges over water, over land and between buildings.  The bridges
carry pedestrians, cars, trucks, and trains.  (Right about now the
music starts to swell and the chorus sings "I love New York" :)

> - What is the best way to photograph a bridge?
> 

With a camera.  :)

I think (as has been mentioned) that there are two ways of approaching
a subject.  You can study the particular bridge and determine what
about it interests you (e.g., overall shape, construction details,
relationship with its surroundings, etc.).  You can also just show up
with a camera and take pictures when the mood strikes you to.  I've
been told that I have an eye for shapes and forms (telling me this has
probably ruined me :), but I find that if I deliberately try to plan
things out nothing works.  If I just take the camera with me and use
it when I feel like it I often get nice pictures.  But some subjects
(especially those I know well) can stand close scrutiny and planning.

Of course one of the problems of having so many bridges in NYC, and so
many photographers, is that many bridge pictures are cliches.  The
perfect (bridge) example is the shot standing in the middle of the
pedestrian walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge to take a picture of the
center set of suspension cables rising to connect to one of the
towers.  Just about every street artist sells a print of his version
of this shot.  However I think doing this shot with a stereo camera
just might make it different enough to make it interesting.  Of course
I realize that with a bridge over 100 years old someone else must have
thought of this already.

-- 
Brian Reynolds                  | "Humans explore the Universe with five
reynolds@xxxxxxxxx              |   senses and call the adventure science."
http://www.panix.com/~reynolds/ | - Edwin P. Hubble


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