Joy of Light Photoblog
Suspension of View
Posted by Stephen Phillips (San Francisco, United States) on 24 July 2008 in Miscellaneous and Portfolio.
The south anchorage of the highway suspension bridge at Crockett, California.
[Canon 5D w/ 16-35mm L f/2.8 lens]:
ISO 200; 5 sec @ f/ 5.0
© copyright 2009 by Stephen Phillips Photography / San Francisco / www.joyoflight.com
please respect these rights - do not copy or use these images without permission
Your comments are invited. You will also find me at ...
~Kylie~ from Richmond, Australia
Great light and perspective in this image Stephen!
24 Jul 2008 5:35am
dj.tigersprout from San Bruno, United States
simply massive! love this night shot of these overpasses with stark below lighting -- the pacific railroad cars w/ graffiti are a brilliant urban touch! amazing!!
24 Jul 2008 6:49am
@dj.tigersprout: Thanks, DJ -
kerfendal from Paris, France
impressive picture, i like the contrats between the train and the bridge and the composition
24 Jul 2008 7:39am
damian from Murowana Goślina, Poland
i really enjoy the frame. perfect composition!
24 Jul 2008 9:22am
Betty from New Jersey, United States
The light and composition are just wonderful! Very well done, Stephen!
24 Jul 2008 9:36am
Eric Fry from Houston, TX, United States
This is really cool, Stephen! Perfect exposure and lighting, yet it still feels like a very dark night.
I really like photos like this. It's not what I usually do, but it certainly gives me some ideas!
24 Jul 2008 11:53am
hugo poon from hong kong, Hong Kong
Very strong composition and superb lighting!!!
24 Jul 2008 1:26pm
See The Light from Newcastle, United States
Nice image, great converson, dead on contrast. Don't ya just love that lens?
24 Jul 2008 3:48pm
@See The Light: Mary, Thanks for the kind words - and, yes - the lens is my joy. I purchased it when it first came out and I was shooting film mostly. As I found myself shooting more and more digital - the limitations of the lens on the smaller target became a major annoyance. The 16mm became 25.6mm. Ugh.
I found I would shoot film and convert to digital - just to have the 16mm tool in my arsenal. I finally gave in and invested in the full-frame Canon 5D - which solved all of this.
Paco Díaz from Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Very well measured lights and composition. Impressive view of trains, bridges, highways...
24 Jul 2008 4:57pm
@Paco Díaz: Thanks, Paco - nice to hear from you.
Marcie from United States
Nice lighting and view from the underside of the bridge. Excellent composition.
24 Jul 2008 6:45pm
Laurent from Lyon, France
I like shoting at night. It never came to me that I could turn my pics as B&W.
Well now I know that I was wrong.
More over, on this peculiar picture I'm fond of your composition.
Just a question: how did get so many stars in the sky? I would have thought it would be black.
24 Jul 2008 9:27pm
@Laurent: Thank you for your comments Laurent. The answer to your question is a beautiful clear night and a good solid tripod. The moon was about an hour from rising which would have knocked many of them out - it needs to be dark.
- best of luck with your night shots.
Johnnyanne from Layton, UT, United States
Great BW photo. Who would have thought that night photos would look great in black and white?
24 Jul 2008 9:27pm
@Johnnyanne: Thanks for dropping by, Johnnyanne - and with absolutely no disrespect:
Adams, Brandt, Cunningham, Steichen, and Weston - to name just a few.
Thomas Griffioen from Bocas del Toro, Panama
Great framing and light Stephen, impressive!
24 Jul 2008 10:49pm
Ron from Saint Louis, United States
Your terrific composition gives me the impression that this is a massive torch illuminating the night!
24 Jul 2008 11:44pm
@Ron: This bridge was built in the years just after Nine-One-One. The area is heavily traveled by a large number of folks. Within 200 meters from where I took this image - are the rail lines, The Nantucket Restaurant and Bar, a delightfully funky marina, a semi-tractor trailer holding facility, and a water treatment plant. So, a security nightmare if you want to protect a suspension bridge from terrorists. Hence, heavy fences - and lots of security lights that turn night into day here.
Michael Skorulski from Cigel, Hong Kong
There's a nice contrast between the lit-up bridge and railway cars that adds drama to the image. The composition is also first-rate. All work together to lend a feel of excitement.
25 Jul 2008 4:18am
Anita from West Nottingham, United States
A most interesting and dynamic view of train and roads. I like the angles, contrasts: dark & light; curves & straights; horizontals and verticals.
26 Jul 2008 1:04am
@Anita: Thanks Anita, I've spent quite a number of hours in this area lately. There are so many rich images at every turn and everyone is friendly. I've been pretty much left to wander as I please - or invited into some private place where I might find a better angle.
djedfre from schaumburg, United States
great shot and composition! that's one powerful flash you have!
26 Jul 2008 6:59am
@djedfre: yikes - there must be some mistake - the exif data says the flash was: 'suppressed' ---
