Bridges of Austin

[Carlos Garcia]

Here are Austin's two most famous bridges:


Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge (Ann Richards was a former Governor of Texas). During the warm/hot months (March-November) it is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world. Approximately 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats have made the underside of the Congress Avenue bridge their summer home.

Pennybacker Bridge is in west Austin and it's magnificent arches make it a photog's fav subject

 

[Don Lashier]

Nice photos Carlos,

I assume the bats swarm out at dusk? Have you ever tried to photograph them? Perhaps there's some in your photograph but it's hard to tell.

Bridges make great subjects - I'll dig up a couple or our local bridge and turn this into a "bridge thread".

- DL

 

[Asher Kelman]

Bats are so hard to photograph when moving, unless ther'es a whole bunch (swarm?) of them!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Carlos,

That's an excellent picture! I love the silhouettes of the people on the bridge at sunset! wonderful!

Asher

 

[Carlos Garcia]

I've posted some bat photos on another thread. Let's keep this thread for bridges.

 

[Carlos Garcia]

Here is my take on the suspension bridge in Waco, Texas.

 

[Mary Bull]

Stlunning, Carlos!

I like best the one in color. And not just for the color. The composition, the lines, and the camera angle are particularly striking in this image.

Mary

 

[Carlos Garcia]

Stlunning, Carlos!

I like best the one in color. And not just for the color. The composition, the lines, and the camera angle are particularly striking in this image.

Mary

Thanks Mary. It's one of my favorite shots.

Here's the Lake Marble Falls bridge in Marble Falls, TX.

 

[Mary Bull]

Gorgeous.

The feeling of mass is almost overwhelming. Very powerful photo.

And the sky is incredibly lovely.

Mary

 

[Asher Kelman]

These are all inspiring works of architecture. Very impressive bridges and great photography Carlos.

This is so good for you to share.

Asher

 

[Erik DeBill]

You're making me want to go out and give those bridges a another try - I've tried to shoot the 360 bridge from the park down below, but never been satisfied with the results.

FWIW, I've seen some amazing shots of the Pfluger pedestrian bridge (runs next to Lamar, across Town Lake).

 

[Asher Kelman]

Erik,

Why do you think bridges are so often interesting for photgraphers?

Asher

 

[Carlos Garcia]

You're making me want to go out and give those bridges a another try - I've tried to shoot the 360 bridge from the park down below, but never been satisfied with the results.

FWIW, I've seen some amazing shots of the Pfluger pedestrian bridge (runs next to Lamar, across Town Lake).

That's funny, I have some good shots (at least I think so) of Pennybacker Bridge (360 bridge), and I have yet to get any good shots of Pfluger.

 

[Carlos Garcia]

Erik,

Why do you think bridges are so often interesting for photgraphers?

Asher

Besides the architectural aspects, bridges represent our ability to cross barriers, both literally and figuratively.

 

[Erik DeBill]

Besides the architectural aspects, bridges represent our ability to cross barriers, both literally and figuratively.

Eh. I won't get all metaphysical.

At night they get special lighting, and I think they tend to have interesting shapes. They're one of the few things that people seem to go out of their way to make look cool these days. Those cool shapes get to iteract with water.

Water is photographic gold. It can show motion or stillness, it creates reflections.

Especially at night, it all adds up to a wonderfully dramatic subject.

Makes me wonder why I don't have a portfolio of them