Great Bridges: Old, Majestic, Venerable or Just Bustling with life!

[nicolas claris]

Passing under the bridge…

Bridge passed!

Goodbye Chrisco! See you next time in Stockholm!

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Did I say that we missed our plane and flew back the day after only?

The Great Belt Bridge is spanning between the two main islands of Denmark, Zealand, on which Copenhagen is located, and Funen. The pylons are 254 meters high, and the bridge sections are placed 75 meters above the surface of the sea. The pylons are 26 meters higher than those of the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.

Sorry for this long post, but I thought this story may make you travel a bit ; - )

 

[Asher Kelman]

Romain and I had an assignment for shooting the Summer 2011 cruises of the CNB100 Chrisco.

Nicolas,

Romain is lucky to have such a talented father and you are more than blessed in return!Cooperation between father and son, like this is both rare and admirable.

Thus, from May to October we regularly flew from Bordeaux to different places in Europe, such as Denmark, Stockholm, Saint-Petersburg and Saint-tropez…
From that job ended a 10 minutes film on DVD and a 100 pages book, both edited for Christmas.

That is an amazing physical achievement, just the travel and handling the heavy gear, never mind the coordination between land travel, a helicopter, the weather and a ship under sail. I am lucky to have first hand proof that your work was highly successful as I've seen the pictures!

The assignment was to shoot the boat while passing under the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark. ....We flew from Bordeaux to Amsterdam (Schipol) then to Copenhagen, rent a car and drove to Odense for a good sleep.

The bridge being approximately oriented from East to West, we knew that some angles will be complicated at sunset…

Flying over the Danish fields in Spring, going straight to were we "should" meet the boat:

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At this point, Nicolas, I'd have been so worried that we'd miss the boat! Would they have waited for you?

Here we are!

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Amazing and graceful! With this achievement, you guys could conduct a military operation, LOL! The logistic required so much co-ordination and ability to change plans, fast, as you proceed. Thank goodness your intentions are entirely peaceful!

Asher

 

[nicolas claris]

Nicolas,

Romain is lucky to have such a talented father and you are more than blessed in return!Cooperation between father and son, like this is both rare and admirable.

I am lucky to have a son such as Romain… What an experience to travel and work with him in absolute total confidence!
I wish the same to all fathers!

That is an amazing physical achievement, just the travel and handling the heavy gear, never mind the coordination between land travel, a helicopter, the weather and a ship under sail. I am lucky to have first hand proof that your work was highly successful as I've seen the pictures!

You saw the book (the "red" one)!

At this point, Nicolas, I'd have been so worried that we'd miss the boat! Would they have waited for you?

Certainly not… They told us before: One passage only!

Amazing and graceful! With this achievement, you guys could conduct a military operation, LOL, the logistic requiring so much co-ordination and ability to change plans as you proceed. Thank goodness your intentions are entirely peaceful and about beautiful things!

Photography is -also- all about precision. Don't you think?

 

[Ruben Alfu]

Hi Nicolas,

Beautiful and exciting photo adventure, amazing shots, thanks for sharing!

Regards,

Ruben

 

[nicolas claris]

Thank you Ruben!

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Romain and I had an assignment for shooting the Summer 2011 cruises of the CNB100 Chrisco.
Thus, from May to October we regularly flew from Bordeaux to different places in Europe, such as Denmark, Stockholm, Saint-Petersburg and Saint-tropez…
From that job ended a 10 minutes film on DVD and a 100 pages book, both edited for Christmas.

Hi Nicolas,

Thanks for allowing us to fly along.

It's clear to me that all the experience is really needed to achieve such a shoot with 'military precision'. So many things happening at the same time, so much that can go wrong, only one chance to get it right ...

Well done. Hope to see some of the video as well.

Cheers,
Bart

 

[nicolas claris]

Thanks Bart
Well as Asher and you point some experience is needed:
- Photographic…
- movement of sun and incidence of sun rays as well as reflection on the water
- ability to anticipate how the boat will move, what change of course the crew will choose because of course to make things easy, you just can't talk to the crew from the helicopter (they use different radio channels)
- ability when all this is in mind to ask the helicopter pilot to move to the right place, taking into account of why the helicopter can do or not (altitude, slow speed/wind angle) etc. A bad request and your shaked like hell!
So yes, some experience is necessary…

But this thread ain't about this, this thread is all about bridges!
Look how this one is large, tall, efficient and elegant!
Take into account the size of cars and trucks (lorries ;-) for the Britts!) and the size of the boat as well (100 feet / 30 metres).

As for viewing the video, I just can't… The video (as the book) is quite for the boat owner's private use (the DVD has been edited at 12 copies and 10 only for the book (Offset print by the way)).
Sorry for that but I have to protect the client's privacy and the images shown here have been chosen with this in mind (they don't show anyone)…

 

[Asher Kelman]

The Seine from near the Louvre, Pont Neuf to the left, Eiffel tower the right

The Eiffel tower also is sometimes just an orientating and familiar landmark in the skyline. This last new year, I had the opportunity to stay in an apartment 6 floors up above the Seine in Paris. There were windows all around with wrought Iron balconies on two sides, one overlooked the seine and the other the Louvre Gallery.

Asher Kelman: Pont Neuf to Eiffel Tower From My Window #1​

Standing on the balcony looking out to the left was the Pont Neuf and to the right at the end of the skyline, the grand Eiffel Tower. In between there are rows of fine buildings over the river, a grass and tree covered promontory of the Île de la Cité where lovers would meet, and the Seine busy with lit tour boats and rugged gigantic commercial freight barges. I also wanted to give more of a sense of my viewpoint from the balcony:

Asher Kelman: Pont Neuf to Eiffel Tower From My Window #2​

This bridge is the oldest bridge on the Seine and at the time it was built, it was "New" as compared to other bridges which had houses on them too. It was made to actually accommodate houses but the king did not like the idea of blocking the view to the Louvre!

"The bridge is composed of two separate spans, one of five arches joining the left bank to the Île de la Cité, another of seven joining the island to the right bank. Old engraved maps of Paris show how, when the bridge was built, it just grazed the downstream tip of the Île de la Cité; since then, the natural sandbar building of a mid-river island, aided by stone-faced embankments called quais, has extended the island. Today the tip of the island is the location of the Square du Vert-Galant, a park named in honour of Henry IV, nicknamed the "Green Gallant"." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_NeufSource.

Fabulous original pictures of the Eiffel Tower itself can be enjoyed here.

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

We need more grand bridges: Prague, Budapest, Istanbul, Bordeaux and your favorites; let's have the grand bridges!

Asher

 

[nicolas claris]

We need more grand bridges: Prague, Budapest, Istanbul, Bordeaux and your favorites; let's have the grand bridges!

Asher

OK! Let's have a look on some bridges in Bangladesh…

Near Chittagong

Same bridge as above, but seen from… above.

Somewhere between Chittagong and Cox's Bazaar

Nearby Cox's Bazzar​

 

[Asher Kelman]

Nicolas,

This makes a superb window into the architecture, access to funding and lifestyles of different communities. Yours therefore is a particularly important contribution, as for the first time here, I believe, these are not made to impress the world! We're brought to the bridges that are close to the people who make a lot of things for us cheaply, but have all the downside of pollution, child labor, exploitation of workers and the like.

Asher

 

[nicolas claris]

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Istanbul! (you asked… : -D

 

[Asher Kelman]

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Istanbul! (you asked… : -D

Nicolas,

There bridge in Istanbul is spectacular. I'd love to know how they managed beforehand!


Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

OK! Let's have a look on some bridges in Bangladesh…

Near Chittagong

Somewhere between Chittagong and Cox's Bazaar
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Well, I must admit, these are no less grand! There's hustle and bustle and the beating pulse of all aspects of life. People are really connected with this bridge on a very basic level. That's grand for me!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

So revisiting this thread, a visit to San Francisco Bay!

Asher Kelman: San Francisco Suspension Bridge​

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Time to add from your own pictures of grand bridges!

Asher

 

[Andy brown]

This is a great bridge.

It's photogenic and if you're on it you're having a lovely country drive with coastal, rural and bush views.

And you'll be on holiday or living in a nice place..

 

[Asher Kelman]

This is a great bridge.

It's photogenic and if you're on it you're having a lovely country drive with coastal, rural and bush views.

Andy,

This is quaint and a nice addition! It's great to find little places only locals know of!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

I have never noticed this pedestrian bridge across the Thames before. It goes from the Tate Modern Northwards over the river towards the center of London and St Paul's Cathedral.

Asher Kelman: From the Tate Modern to St Paul's

Ricoh GR with 21mm Supplemental Lens

4 jpgs stitched in AutoPano Giga 3.5 and processed with NIK HDR​

I am so pleased with this handy digicam! I have to now send it in repair as it stopped working! Had many years of robust service.

Asher

 

[Andy brown]

Looks like Constable painted the sky too Asher! Nice.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Looks like Constable painted the sky too Asher! Nice.

Thanks Andy,

One of the gloriously rich skies I have seen in the last few weeks in the U.K. Such skies are not too common on Califirnia. We do get wonderful skies around San Francisco, but not as developed as in regal London on the Lake District up north.

I admit that I did do some minor painting on of lighter tones to decrease the forboding of two small clouds. I used a ten soft edged percent brush and painted black into darkest areas and frequent altered the diameter with each stroke and was delighted with the result!

Asher

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

A nice dramatic capture Asher. This bridge must have become rather famous since I have seen it portrayed in various movies and TV series already. But I haven't been there in person yet to see it.

 

[Asher Kelman]

A nice dramatic capture Asher. This bridge must have become rather famous since I have seen it portrayed in various movies and TV series already. But I haven't been there in person yet to see it.

Thanks for the kind comments, Cem!

It might well be famous already, I am just so behind in that area! I spend too much time reading about sad things! This sight however cheered me up and was invigorating. This bridge from the most modern art in London to the past of St Paul's is to me a sign of progress and hope - transformative!

Asher

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

What about the longest bridge in Europe?

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[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Asher,

I have never noticed this pedestrian bridge across the Thames before. It goes from the Tate Modern Northwards over the river towards the center of London and St Paul's Cathedral.

An absolutely beautiful image.

Your work with Nik HDR (off-label, as they say in the pharmacology business) in the upper portion of the shot (I guess that is what I am seeing there) almost (but not quite) makes me want to say, "Almost looks like a photograph."

The picture is so lovely in its scope that you can be forgiven for its pixel width (1400), which seems to exceed the norms for display here. (For example I had to use the horizontal scrollbar on my browser to reach the Quote button to commence this response. And every further message in the thread will inherit that same condition.)

Again, congratulations on a beautiful work.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Cem,

What about the longest bridge in Europe?

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Lovely image. The inclusion of the overturned chair is brilliant.

What did you do to attain the depth of field exhibited by this image?

And of course it would nice to learn just what bridge that is, and where.

And what sort of pan you cooked it in (to use in reverse a metaphor used by those decrying presentation of the technical details with a photographic work, saying, "You would not say to the chef, 'Great omelet. What kind of pan did you cook it in?' "

But actually Carla would have no reticence to ask the breakfast chef, "What kind of oats did you use for the wonderful oatmeal in our breakfast?" Or to the pizza chef, "What kind of oven do you use here? Is it wood-fired? What temperature do you find best"​

Ohmigawd. I have to use the scrollbar to see the preview of my writing, this thread now being condemned forever to a wide presentation of everything to accommodate the current "stitch everything" phase of our gracious host.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

...What did you do to attain the depth of field exhibited by this image?

And of course it would nice to learn just what bridge that is, and where.

And what sort of pan you cooked it in (to use in reverse a metaphor used by those decrying presentation of the technical details with a photographic work, saying, "You would not say to the chef, 'Great omelet. What kind of pan did you cook it in?' "
...

Hi Doug,

This was a 24mm lens on a 35mm sensor so the DoF was already large to start with. Of course the lens mentioned was a T/S lens, shifted down and also tilted about 0.5 degrees downwards. That took care of the DoF.

The Vasco da Gama bridge in Lisbon, Portugal, is Europe's longest bridge, spanning just over 10 miles (17185 m) in total. The six-lane, cable-stayed traffic bridge crosses the Tagus River and has been open since 1998.

The camera was the Canon 5DII. Image is converted from raw to tif using LR6 and further fine tuned for tonal contrast and vignette in OnOne Perfect Effects 9.5.

 

[Asher Kelman]

What about the longest bridge in Europe?

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This is one very long bridge presented at the skyline, requiring substantial shooting distance and a wide angles lens to capture so much, apparently in one shot. Of course, it could be a stitched panorama of overlapping shots.

Hardly the photographers usual offering and style, capturing so much! The included chair and the great distance to the bridge makes for a puzzle. Of course we know the chair was wanted for some reason. So we have an intellectual challenge as opposed to simple beauty.

Asher

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Cem,

This was a 24mm lens on a 35mm sensor so the DoF was already large to start with. Of course the lens mentioned was a T/S lens, shifted down and also tilted about 0.5 degrees downwards. That took care of the DoF.

The Vasco da Gama bridge in Lisbon, Portugal, is Europe's longest bridge, spanning just over 10 miles (17185 m) in total. The six-lane, cable-stayed traffic bridge crosses the Tagus River and has been open since 1998.

The camera was the Canon 5DII. Image is converted from raw to tif using LR6 and further fine tuned for tonal contrast and vignette in OnOne Perfect Effects 9.5.

Thanks so much for that thorough report.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Asher,

So revisiting this thread, a visit to San Francisco Bay!

Asher Kelman: San Francisco Suspension Bridge​

Thanks for revving the "bridges" thread, and in it I found this masterpiece.

This is actually apparently the Golden Gate Bridge, I think from the Presdio (San Francisco) end.

Lovely.

Best regards,

Doug