Bridges: by ginger

ginger_55 · September 9, 2005

Someone suggested that I take photos of bridges. I did, tried from this side of the Cooper river, it just wasn't working at all. I went over the new bridge to East Bay, mozied (sp) on over towards the Cooper to see if I could get a better view of the bridges with the sun going down.

I ran into a nasty guard, in a guard house which I had not gone near. When I couldn't hear him, he sent re inforcements. I found myself staring at a cop w car and all, flashing blue lights: almost ran me over. He asked who I worked for, before I could close my surprised mouth, he then demanded to know why I had been photographing THAT vehicle.

I tried to go peacefully back to my car, he caught me taking one more photo of the moon (OOF, too), came over, yelled, wanted my camera, I told him my car was right there and I was leaving. I did. Guess I can't shoot there anymore, so these are my bridges. Done Fini!

Does anyone like one, if so, which one, please???

thank you, for looking, etc. ginger (He was threatening an old 65 yr old lady. And asking about work. Everyone should know that I don't do that, never have!)

This is not my style, but we have bridges that are being torn down, next to a NEW bridge which we actually drive on. There just was no way this was going to come down in my normal style. I will take wires out, if you all think best, damn!

Below is actually the old bridges and a reflection of them. This is where the cop came up in his official car with all lights flashing. You all see the vehicle??

And one more shot, as usual, didn't get it posterized, hey, two. One might have a poster on it. Yes, I rapidly put my camera, w 400 on it, on my lap while going over the new bridge. I tried to point towards the sunset. Mostly got the sky, but I avoided death my auto accident.

And the almost naked photo:

Night, ginger

davev · September 9, 2005

ginger_55 wrote:

And one more shot, as usual, didn't get it posterized, hey, two. One might have a poster on it. Yes, I rapidly put my camera, w 400 on it, on my lap while going over the new bridge. I tried to point towards the sunset. Mostly got the sky, but I avoided death my auto accident.

Night, ginger

I don't think this is much of a bridge picture, but oh my, what an abstact.
This is really good.

ginger_55 · September 9, 2005

Thanks, Davey, I like it, too. Amazing what you (anyone) can take without looking through the viewfinder. I only had a second to do anything to the settings, had the 400, so it was a near death experience, but I have a good editor, sometimes.....................

ginger (It is I, that is what I do, edit, smile.)

thdizzy · September 9, 2005

I totally like the abstract image too; very clean and powerful.

I also like the canal/creek shot. It's kind of like the wetlands meeting industrialism.

Dixie · September 9, 2005

Ginger, from now on just shoot the birds for fun, but you've found your calling with people and places. I really like what you've been doing lately without the birds. Keep up the great work and keep those shots coming.

Don't take the security guard and police personally. They were just doing their job from a Homeland Security standpoint. When they see someone with a camera all they think about is someone casing something like the new bridge to bring it down. I am even willing to bet that if you took some prints of the photos above down to the offices where the security guard works, you could even get permission to shoot there again. How could they say no once they've seen your work?

mereimage · September 9, 2005

Ginger _ I agree really nice work lately .... your pics seem to extend from the banal-why is she posting this ????? to really superb images ..... Will the real Ginger please stand up-please stand up

.... no offense meant I'm just always curious as to what your going to post next and look forward to future surprises like these..............

Mereimage

John Mueller · September 9, 2005

Ginger,these are all excellent.That last one does something for me.Dont know what it is,it just does.
Sorry that you had a rough time of it,cause I would like to see more

ginger_55 · September 9, 2005

I need to make a decision........
Thanks, everyone! Big bow, and I am pleased, also, considering........... I put a potato in the oven, went out to do this bridge thing....................came home and ate my potato.

Also stayed up half the night working these up.

Actually, this was for a contest. The photos actually work for two contests.
And there is dissension in the ranks. I could be biased, me, haha, I only live here and am too close to my subject.

The first contest is called "bridges" and closes next mon or tues. I think.

The second contest is called Negative spaces and closes like today, or tomorrow, I am not sure how that works, but I need to post today.

I already have my "Girl" photo, the blk and white one in negative spaces, but it has been suggested, and rightly probably, that I use one of these. I even thought of that last night.

For negative spaces, I thought of entering the abstract shot that the camera took, just sky and structure. It has been put forward by someone else that I enter the one with the two cars and the sun.
I actually like all three of those shots, but for negative spaces, I like that abstract or the girl.

Above are the possible negative spaces.

Below are the bridge shots that I am leaning towards. I actually love one and don't like the other, but I don't want to say which. I, as I said, like here, took the photos and am too close, perhaps..........

I put those up totally naked. That way neither I, nor anyone else,
could be influenced by framing. I may see these differently when they
are posted like this. This is how they would be entered.

Does anyone now have preferences? One for "Negative Spaces"
and one for "Bridges".

Thanks so much,

ginger

Dixie · September 9, 2005

My votes are for the "girl" and the last bridge pic with the sunset.

4labs · September 9, 2005

Dixie wrote:

My votes are for the "girl" and the last bridge pic with the sunset.

These are great non bird pics Ginger, I think you should enter them both . I love em both, thnxs for sharing.

bfjr · September 9, 2005

I'm on board with others

little girl
abstract bridge
sunset bridge
all very nice

Sorry about your run in with security, I sorta agree with Dixie, however I think a little more common sense and courtesy could have been used in your case.

snapapple · September 9, 2005

My vote
Ginger, I love all of these.

For "negative space" I think the girl is my choice. I love the abstract too, but I lean toward the girl because I think the negative space in the image adds to the feeling of the whole thing. The composition is perfect. The black and white treatment is well done and adds to the simplicity. The image is thought provoking and really engages the viewer. IMHO

I might add that the abstract is also a perfect composition. The color is dynamic and adds to the feeling. The image makes you wonder what it is, but does not draw you in as much as the "girl" image. IMHO

For the "bridge" entry, I like that last bridge with the reflection. My main reason is for the "theme". It has much more bridge in the image. The bold line of the bridge draws you all the way into the image from the right edge to the middle. The reflection doubles the impact. The sunset makes the whole thing more dynamic. IMHO

I do love the look of that other bridge with all the overhead stuff. But, neither of these images really brings that out as well as some of your older shots did. The bridge seems almost secondary since it is right on the edge of the image. My favorite of all the bridge shots is really No. 2. I love the way the canal draws your eye in. However, I would not call it a bridge shot so much as a canal shot. I just don't think it is as strong for the theme. A tough call here for me, but if I was voting on this particular theme I would chose that last bridge shot with the reflection.

I hope this helps a little and does not confuse you. It seems that I agree with the others but I'm just throwing in my reasons.

By the way, what lens did you use on these? The images remind me of the ones you used to do in the early days. Marshes and bridges were your thing. Very nice work.

ginger_55 · September 9, 2005

Thanks, Ben, Dixie, 4 labs and Snappy.

I used the 400L lens crossing the bridge, not by choice, it was on the camera.

I also used the 400 for the girl who was in the dog park, I had sat down to relax and take dog photos from a distance. She showed up and I kept shooting her.
And dogs, really need to work those up, and I am fading again, tired.

I can work up the girl, a whole series if I want, and put it on the people thread, but I am not going to go to all the work to do a dog park series and put it on wide angle. sorry, a digression.

When I discovered the view of the bridges, downtown, but deserted, I pulled over to the side of the road and put on my 17-40L lens.

Those two are my favorite lenses. If I could only have two........... and I pretty much do, those would be the ones of choice.

I kept the 17-40 on the whole time. Walked far from my car which was how I discovered I was on Ports Authority land and almost had my camera confiscated, smile.

I used to do marshes, the bridges if they were there, but they were not something I was pursuing. I don't really like bridges much in photography, not mine. But I used to go out at dawn and sunset to places I knew would show that off. Magnolia does not have a sunset view, so I have been there a lot at that time, but it does not show the same, not at the rookery.

I have gotten spoiled re being home when I want to. Also, I start to fade in the afternoon. I have the best of intentions in the morning, then by mid afternoon, I think that I would rather take a nap. The weather has been different, too.

And I used to take the dogs to the beach at sunrise, then come back at sunset for what I missed in the AM. My husband was home to go with me. He was home a lot more last year.

And I have had some real scares in the last year when I am by myself. It looks light, then I have to walk by with heavy growth for enough time to scare the daylights (or sunset) out of me. I think that kind of put a damper on things, unless I am with Bill, who is never here anymore. (It is always deserted where I am: Magnolia, the beach, the marsh access is around people, but it is not what you are remembering.)

Last night I could have been in real danger. I was in a run down area of town, a deserted road. I just put the lens on and got out of my car, didn't even lock it, was only going to be gone for a second. STUPID, but I didn't think about it ahead of time. I have had plenty of scares at the beaches and the marsh at Magnolia and the rookery, I don't put myself in that position anymore.

So, that is a difference.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I guess the girl is it, and I do have time to see about bringing out the shadow area in the bridge shot, Snappy, see if I like it better that way. I am so not a fan of saturated sunsets. That one was saturated when I was there. It was a WOW in person: the cop's lights made it more dramatic. Glad I got the photos first.

I think you are right, for better or worse, that shot grabs me more than the others as a thumbnail, and I use that as a test.

ginger (It is shrimp season for the common man, opened today. I am trying to figure out how to show it. I don't know where they put in or gather or where the views are. Where ever they are, there are birds, smile. But that is not the point.)

auraflora · September 10, 2005

Hi Ginger,

This is a wonder set on bridges. I like all of the angles and the original perspectives.

I am especially drawn to the sunset bridge with the trucks passing by. The trucks look like a mirage. The abstract bridge reminds me of harp strings. Very nice.
Thanks for sharing.

Michal

grimace · September 10, 2005

Great shots
Ginger,

I love the bridge shots you took as well as your website. I often visit my family on Folly Beach and luckily I've never encountered issues when out shooting pictures.

-Adam

www.adamstravelphotography.com

Bridges: by ginger

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